With the current cancer rate being a staggering one in every two people, it’s an absolute necessity to ensure optimal treatment options are available. Short of the quest toward cancer prevention, those currently dealing with a cancer diagnosis need to be aware of the most available and effective treatment options. Conventional cancer therapy, of course, is the critical step as a primary approach to treatment, however, integrative (or adjunctive therapy) is also key to creating the most evolved, and clinically beneficial approach. Within the integrative treatment approach, IV Vitamin C and its value in cancer plays a leading role.
How Does It Work?
IV Vitamin C is a leading integrative cancer therapy with validation continuing to accelerate in conventional cancer care research. The focus of IV Vitamin C, as like conventional cancer treatment, is to target, slow, and stop the growth of cancer cells. Because high dose (IV) vitamin C is not detrimental to normal healthy cells, its anti cancer impact will only target unhealthy, or cancerous cells. Fortunately, when it comes to susceptibility, once vitamin C enters a cancer cell, the cancer cell itself is unable to handle its presence, and because IV vitamin C (high dose) interrupts how an unhealthy cell functions, it causes disruption in survival, and ultimately causes the cell to die. Normal healthy cells however, are easily able to handle this level of Vitamin C, with no stress, so are not bothered or affected by this treatment whatsoever.
What Happens to Vitamin C Once it Enters My Body?
For those receiving IV Vitamin C, the value of it is immense. When vitamin C is infused into a patient, the body breaks it down into hydrogen peroxide and oxygen by-products. When this process occurs inside of a cancer cell, the hydrogen peroxide interferes with the cells ability to survive. In addition to hydrogen peroxide inside of these cells, some of this break down occurs outside of the cell as well, and in a similar fashion, cancer cells are also negatively affected, become damaged and are unable to survive. This phenomenon is similar to the effect that oxygen has on unprotected metal, causing it to become ‘rusted’. This process is called oxidation. Although IV vitamin C goes into the body as an anti-oxidant, once it breaks down into hydrogen peroxide, it then becomes a pro-oxidant, thus creating its therapeutic effect on cancer cells.
Does Taking Vitamin C Orally Do The Same Thing?
Evidence has proven that regardless of how much Vitamin C you take by mouth, oral doses are incapable of reaching high enough levels in the body to cause the anti cancer pro oxidant effect. In this sense, this is why ‘normal’ doses of vitamin C act as an anti oxidant (which provides general health benefits), but are unable to obtain the status as an effective anti cancer treatment strategy among active cancer patients. When considering the importance of vitamin C, it is only a high dose that will prove benefit. No matter how much (or how often) you take oral vitamin C, the body will not allow levels to build up enough to create this anti cancer impact. High dose IV administration, therefore, is the only route that allows therapeutic pro oxidant levels to build up and kill cancer cells.
Does Science Support IV Vitamin C?
Research has shown that incorporating IV vitamin C as a cancer treatment can extend both disease free survival as well as significantly increase the death of cancer cells. As well, research has shown that, minimally, twice weekly doses of IV vitamin C for approximately three months is needed to realize the benefits when starting out with this therapy. Clinical research has clarified that the regression of cancer growth is ultimately the goal of IV vitamin C therapy, so rather than an all or nothing response, the continual build up of its anti cancer effect is the ultimate target of therapy. Interestingly, with high doses of vitamin C continuing to kill cancer cells, opportunity for additional therapies (integrative and conventional) to simultaneously take advantage of additional cancer killing ability, given vitamin C’s ability to create an ever weakening cancer cell state, may be likely. Unlike standard of care conventional cancer treatment, there is nothing like IV vitamin C in terms of the ability to impact cancerous cells while not affecting healthy cells. Ultimately, this creates an effective treatment approach which can completely avoid the negative side effects of chemotherapy or radiation. This does not mean IV vitamin C is a singular replacement for conventional cancer treatment, but rather continual proof that the most effective approach is to integrate both conventional and IV vitamin C together for the best anti cancer treatment effect (research is continuing to prove that IV vitamin C is safe, effective and largely with many conventional chemotherapies and treatments).
From a cancer treatment approach, make sure you know what your treatment options are. Given the increasing evidence on IV vitamin C, incorporating it into your current cancer regimen may be one of the best treatment additions you can make.