Vitamin C Treatment For Cancer – Does It Work?

You can use vitamin C treatment for cancer. In this blog post, you will discover the excellent health benefits of vitamin C. Discover how it can help you deal with cancer and ways to get started.

What is Vitamin C?

Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin. It dissolves in water and goes to the body's tissues. The body doesn't store it well, so you must take it daily through food or supplements. 

In the body, vitamin C acts as an anti-oxidant. It helps to protect cells from the damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are compounds formed when our bodies convert food into energy. 

They result from natural bodily processes, exposure to pollution, and other factors. Free radicals can lead to oxidative stress, which can damage cells.

The body needs vitamin C to make collagen, a protein required to help wounds heal. Vitamin C also improves the absorption of iron from plant-based foods. It helps the immune system to protect the body from disease.

Vitamin C has many vital functions in the body, it can improve your:

The amount of vitamin C you need each day depends on your age. Average daily recommended amounts of vitamin C for different ages are:

Source: NIH

A lack of vitamin C can lead to some severe side effects. The most talked about is scurvy.

A Lack Of Vitamin C Can Lead To Scurvy

When you mention vitamin C deficiency, most people think of scurvy. Scurvy was a terrible disease among the early sea voyagers. Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama lost 100 of his 160 crew members to scurvy.

His voyage went from Lisbon around Africa to India between 1497 and 1498. The supply of fresh fruit and vegetables ran out, so the sailors lived almost entirely on biscuits, salt beef, and salt pork, which contain little vitamin C. 

The sailors suffered from:

In 1536, many men died of scurvy. The French explorer Jacques Cartier learned a remedy from the Indians. He could treat scurvy by drinking tea made from the leaves and bark of the arborvitae tree. 

James Lind was a Scottish physician who, in 1747, experimented on patients with scurvy. Two patients received two oranges and one lemon a day. 

The others received cider, vinegar, or other substances. At the end of six days, the two who had received the citrus fruits were well, whereas the others remained ill.

Pure L-ascorbic acid, vitamin C, was first prepared in 1928 by Albert Szent-Györgyi. However, it was not until 1932 that we discovered this substance was vitamin C. 

The value of large intakes of ascorbic acid in improving health began to be recognized. Later, this substance became available in drug stores.

Scurvy is rare in developed countries because you only need as little as 10 mg of vitamin C daily. However, cases have occurred in children and older adults on restricted diets.

So, let's look at the health benefits of Vitamin C and why you need it.

Health Benefits Of Vitamin C

Vitamin C has many health benefits. The body needs vitamin C to produce collagen. Collagen is the main component of connective tissue and makes up 1–2% of muscle tissue. It is a vital component in fibrous tissues such as:

People with a low vitamin C intake may experience slower wound healing. It is because their bodies reduce their ability to produce collagen. During recovery, healthcare professionals may recommend vitamin C for people with low levels.

Vitamin C could help protect against heart disease, hypertension, or high blood pressure. It may benefit heart health for several reasons, such as:

An analysis of nine studies looked at 293,172 participants. Vitamin C had a positive effect after ten years. People who took at least 700 mg of vitamin C daily had a 25% lower risk of heart disease.

Another analysis of 15 studies found a similar effect. But it looked at people consuming vitamin C from foods, not supplements. Scientists were unsure whether the effect was due to them living healthier. It was unclear whether the differences were due to vitamin C or their diet.

An analysis of 13 studies examined the effects of at least 500 mg of daily vitamin C. It examined risk factors for heart disease. The analysis found that taking a vitamin C supplement reduced LDL (bad) cholesterol by about 7.9 mg/dL. Blood triglycerides went down by 20.1 mg/dL

High blood pressure puts you at risk of heart disease. Vitamin C may help lower blood pressure in those with and without high blood pressure.

An rat study found that a vitamin C supplement helped relax the blood vessels. These vessels carry blood from the heart, reducing blood pressure levels

An analysis of 29 studies found that vitamin C reduced systolic blood pressure by 3.8 mmHg. Diastolic blood pressure went down by 1.5 mmHg, on average, in healthy adults.

In adults with high blood pressure, vitamin C reduces systolic blood pressure by 4.9 mmHg. On average, diastolic blood pressure goes down by 1.7 mmHg.

Vitamin C can also reduce the risk of gout.

Vitamin C Can Reduce Gout

Gout is arthritis that affects about 4% of American adults. It's painful and involves inflammation of the joints, especially those of the big toes. People with gout experience swelling and sudden, severe attacks of pain.

Gout symptoms appear when there is too much uric acid in the blood. Uric acid is a waste product produced by the body. At high levels, it may crystallize and accumulate in the joints.

Several studies show that vitamin C may help reduce uric acid in the blood. It protects against gout attacks. A study of 1,387 men found that those who took the most vitamin C had much lower uric acid blood levels.

Another study followed 46,994 healthy men for over 20 years. The goal was to determine whether vitamin C intake reduced gout. It found that people who took a vitamin C supplement had a 44% lower gout risk.

An analysis of 13 studies found that taking a vitamin C supplement over 30 days reduced blood uric acid.

Vitamin C is also vital if you want to absorb iron.

You Can Improve Your Iron Absorption By Taking Vitamin C

Ascorbic acid or vitamin C helps prevent iron deficiency. Iron is an essential nutrient. It is vital for making red blood cells and transporting oxygen. Vitamin C can help improve the absorption of iron from the diet. It assists in making plant-based iron easier to absorb.

Consuming 100 mg of vitamin C may improve iron absorption by 67%. As a result, vitamin C may help reduce the risk of anemia among people prone to iron deficiency.

In one study, 65 children with mild iron deficiency anemia got a vitamin C supplement. Researchers found that the supplement alone helped control their anemia. If you have low iron levels, consuming more vitamin-C-rich foods may help.

Vitamin C can also help you deal with allergies and respiratory problems.

Allergies And Respiratory Issues Improve With Vitamin C

Air pollution consists of various toxic substances. Some research suggests vitamin C and E together may have an anti-oxidant effect. They can help reduce symptoms of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

During an allergic reaction, the immune system triggers an inflammatory response. It can lead to symptoms such as swelling and hives. During this process, the body produces ROS, which can lead to oxidative stress.

In a 2018 study, 71 people with skin or respiratory allergies got intravenous vitamin C. The researchers observed the severity of the participants' symptoms.

Their paper concludes that taking a high dose of vitamin C may help reduce allergy symptoms. They also found evidence that allergic people had low vitamin C levels.

People with pneumonia tend to have lower vitamin C levels. Vitamin C can shorten the recovery time. One of the main reasons people take vitamin C supplements is to boost their immunity. Vitamin C is part of many aspects of the immune system.

It helps produce white blood cells, lymphocytes, and phagocytes. They help protect the body against infection. Vitamin C helps these white blood cells function more effectively. It protects them from damage from harmful molecules, such as free radicals.

Vitamin C is an essential part of the skin's defense system. It can act as an anti-oxidant and help strengthen the skin's barriers.

The most interesting aspect of vitamin C is its potential use in treating cancer. Let's examine vitamin C treatment for cancer.

How Vitamin Can Reduce Cancer

Vitamin C may help treat cancer. It protects the body from free radicals. Free radicals can lead to cell damage and may play a role in some cancers.

Ascorbic acid is the key ingredient used by dopamine to make noradrenaline. It converts to adrenaline. The body uses more adrenaline during prolonged chronic stress. 

During chronic stress, the adrenal glands also release ascorbic acid into the body. It does that to diminish the stressful impact of adrenaline. Stress hormones like adrenaline affect the heart and blood pressure systems. 

Ascorbic acid is essential for preventing cell DNA damage caused by free radicals. Continual loss of ascorbic acid during chronic stress increases DNA damage. It leads to cancer cells.

Ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, is essential for survival. It is a crucial anti-oxidant that breaks down superoxide and hydrogen peroxide.

Not having enough ascorbic acid can reduce cells' ability to produce energy. Cell DNA damage makes normal cells more likely to mutate into cancer cells.

Some people use vitamin C infusions to treat cancer. The results are promising.

Vitamin C Treatment For Cancer

Ewan Cameron and Linus Pauling believe you should use vitamin C treatment for cancer. They say vitamin C may be the most essential nutrient for controlling cancer.

Vitamin C should be effective in the prevention and treatment of cancer. It strengthens the body's natural protective mechanisms. You can control many other diseases, including cancer, to some extent by taking vitamin C. 

It is not a drug with the specific ability to fight cancer. Instead, it's a natural, essential substance. Our organs and body fluids need vitamin C to enable natural protective mechanisms. This amount is much larger than recommended by the authorities. 

Pauling and Cameron say vitamin C should be of value in controlling cancer. Increased intake would stimulate the production in the cells of the body.

Vitamin C is not a miraculous cure for cancer. But it goes a long way toward it. The financial burden of the treatment is small. Supplemental ascorbate can be of real help to all cancer patients. 

A high vitamin C intake benefits most patients with advanced cancer. The beneficial effects apply to all kinds of cancer. Patients who take vitamin C live longer than those who don't.

Cancer Patients Live Longer While Taking Vitamin C

Morishige and Murata published a report on patients with terminal cancer. Patients went to the Fukuoka Torikai Hospital in Japan.

The study lasted from 1 January 1973 to 31 December 1977. Of the 99 patients with terminal cancer, 44 received 4 g of vitamin C or less per day, and 55 received 5 g or more per day. 

The death rate of low-level patients was about three times greater than those with higher levels. None of the low-accorbate patients survived more than 174 days. 

However, 18 (33 percent) high-ascorbate patients survived longer than 174 days. Their average survival was 483 days, and six patients had an average survival rate of 866.

If you have cancer, it can be hard to get enough vitamin C from your food. However, there are ways to raise your vitamin C level with oral and intravenous infusions.

The Benefits Of High-dose Oral And Intravenous Vitamin C Treatments

You can take high-dose vitamin C orally or intravenously. Vitamin C enhances the immune system by increasing lymphocytes. 

High-dose vitamin C or oral treatment inhibits hyaluronidase. It's an enzyme tumors use to metastasize and invade other organs throughout the body. 

Cancer patients are often tired, listless, bruise easily, and have a poor appetite. They don't sleep well and have a low threshold for pain. 

Cancer patients who receive high doses of vitamin C report decreased pain. They can also better tolerate chemotherapy. Patients bounce back quicker since vitamin C reduces toxicity. 

High-dose oral vitamin C heals cancer faster and is more resilient to infection. You get a better appetite and resistance to cancer therapy.

You can measure your vitamin C or ascorbic acid levels in several ways. Let's look at these methods.

How To Measure Vitamin C

Vitamin C often comes from the food we eat. Most of the vitamin ingested goes across the intestinal wall into the bloodstream. It produces an ascorbate concentration in the blood plasma of about 1.0 mg per 100 ml.

Some escape in the urine if you take more than 150 mg of vitamin C. But it is only a fraction of the ingested vitamin C. 

You can check your vitamin C level with a simple technique known as an ascorbic acid loading test. The person under investigation swallows a drink of juice. 

It contains a measured amount of vitamin C, usually 1 gram. The urine is then collected for four or six hours and analyzed for ascorbate. The amount found for most persons is about 20% of the amount ingested. 

Ill people, such as those with cancer, may eliminate tiny amounts. Another way to test the ascorbate concentration is in the blood plasma and the white blood cells.

It is a simple procedure performed in most competent biochemical laboratories. They measure the values in milligrams of ascorbate per 100 ml plasma. Healthy individuals average around 1 mg of ascorbate per 100 ml plasma. 

In contrast, the usual values found in cancer patients tend to be in the 0.1 to 0.4 mg per 100 ml plasma range. It's around 1.4 to 1.5 mg per 100 ml plasma in most people.