Large Doses Of Vitamin C Can Help Combat Cancer, Research

(Mirror Daily, United States) – Medicine is a field that’s constantly advancing, and some of the theories that once seemed outrageous are now submitted to more thorough analysis. Such is the case of the Nobel Laureate Linus Pauling, who was sidelined after she had advocated the idea that vitamin C can help combat cancer and other serious illnesses.

But several decades have passed since, and a new study published in Science has revisited the matter. It turns out that vitamin C has the ability to destroy mice tumor cells that carry a common cancer-causing mutation, and could reduce the growth of tumors induced by the given mutation.

If further research and human trials prove the hypothesis is true, researchers could probably develop a new treatment for a large number of tumors that were previously untreatable. According to Channing Der, a molecular biologist from the University of North Carolina, the present study could offer an answer to the painful question of cancer tumors.

He added these results are the merit of the small number of researchers who kept pursuing the option of vitamin C or ascorbic acid as a cancer drug. In light of the findings, a vitamin C researcher from National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Diseases said he was encouraged to push on and hope that people will start paying attention.

Back in 1971, Pauling started investigating the miraculous cancer treatment with vitamin C after a Scottish physician reported success in his research. But two failed clinical trials later – conducted in the late 1970s and 1980s – and Pauling’s idea for the cancer-treating vitamin C pills didn’t seem as miraculous anymore.

After the clinical trials conducted by Mayo Clinic failed, other groups poached at the subject, but from a different perspective. A team of researchers suggested the vitamin should be administered intravenously in order to provide a high enough dosage to eliminate the cancer cells.

Over the past 5 years, various smaller studies hinted that a regimen made up of IV vitamin C treatment and chemotherapy could extend lifespan of patient of ovarian and pancreatic cancer. In spite of the past failures, doubters shouldn’t feel encouraged and researchers should work on dissipating the poisoned atmosphere surrounding the subject.

According to researchers from John Hopkins University and Weill Cornell Medicine, large volumes of vitamin C could indeed be responsible for destroying colon cancer cells caused by FRAF or KRAS mutations.