Vitamin C is an essential vitamin that must be present in a diet because it has always played an important role in immune function. Conventionally, vitamin C was being used in the prevention and treatment of scurvy. This day, many people most commonly use vitamin C in preventing and treating the common cold and flu, when coming down with an illness or when in recovery.

While oral vitamin C is effective in the treatment of colds, it is also used in IV nutrient therapy as an adjunct treatment for cancer.

The good sources of vitamin C

The good sources of vitamin C include fresh fruits and vegetables such as orange, guava, durian, horned melon, acai, potatoes, passion fruits, broccoli, eggplants, kiwi, and zucchini, to mention but a few.

Most experts recommend that many of the best sources of vitamin C can be consumed raw and eating about five fruits and vegetables in a day, can supply the body with more than 200 mg of vitamin C.

Vitamin C supplements can also be consumed for adequate dietary intake. A lot of these supplements contain vitamin C in the form of ascorbic acid, which possesses similar bioavailability as orange juice and broccoli.

While the above-mentioned sources are beneficial, Nutritional IV therapy offers the optimal absorption and use of vitamin C. When compared to taking vitamin C by mouth, IV nutrient therapy allows for total nutrient absorption, to prevent the body from vitamin C deficiency or problems associated with vitamin C deficiency.

The benefits of regular vitamin C intake

According to experts, vitamin C has a variety of uses and it is one of the safest and most effective nutrients. Some of the uses and effectiveness of vitamin C when taken regularly include prevention against immune deficiency, cardiovascular diseases, prenatal health problems, autism, breast cancer, eye diseases, lead poisoning and even wrinkled skin.

Taking up to 1000-3000 doses of vitamin C by mouth daily provides immune support due to its antioxidant activity that protects cells from free radical damage, it also has antibacterial properties.

Consuming vitamin C in the diet can also lower the blood levels of lead. It is also impossible to reach high blood levels of vitamin C because the body is self-limiting with how much vitamin C it can absorb, therefore the vitamin C concentration is regulated by tissue accumulation, intestinal absorption, kidney reabsorption and excretion, simply put, excess vitamin C is excreted and flushed out of the body.

How does high-dose vitamin C IV therapy fight cancer cells?

At doses of 50-100 mg two to three times per week, intravenously, vitamin C has pro-oxidant activity in the oncology world. This means that the aim of administering the high dose IV vitamin C is to kill cancer cells, through bypassing normal gut metabolism and excretion pathways, which creates higher blood levels unlike its antioxidant and cellular protective function seen with oral ingestion at lower doses.

This occurs when vitamin C interacts with oxygen and iron in the body to cause the formation of hydrogen peroxide (H202) in high concentrations in tissues. Hydrogen peroxide is used by the cells in the immune system to kill cancer cells by flooding them with more oxygen than they could handle.

Vitamin C also causes DNA damage to cancer cells. Some clinical studies have shown that high-dose IV vitamin C may improve symptoms and extend survival rates in patients diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Is high-dose vitamin C IV therapy safe?

High-dose vitamin C IV is safe and admissible with minimal side effects. It can be administered along with most chemotherapeutic agents and radiation therapy when supervised by a doctor who is knowledgeable in integrative oncology treatments and understands interaction with conventional oncology therapies.

It is always crucial that all providers on a patient’s care team are well informed of all the treatments that they’re receiving, orally or intravenously, so that the patient can be effectively monitored during treatment.

Has there been scientific proof of the effectiveness of this treatment?

Despite its long use in clinical settings, further studies are being conducted and published to support its use as an integrative cancer treatment. Lately, numerous studies have shown how intravenous vitamin C therapy benefits cancer patients. There are few phases I/II clinical trials and case reports on the safety and effectiveness of high-dose intravenous vitamin C when used for various types of cancer and studies also make known the better quality of life associated with symptom management, such as protection of normal tissues and decreased pain during chemotherapy.

Vitamin C is also thought to exhibit a synergistic effect when it is administered simultaneously with radiation and chemotherapy.

Adding our holistic medical specialists to your cancer care team will provide you with the personalized oncology support you need to feel as hale as possible.