High Dose Vitamin C
High Dose Vitamin C
Two-time Nobel winner Linus Pauling was a proponent of high-dose intravenous vitamin C to help fight cancer. He noted that cancer behaved like scurvy in the way it would “eat“ through tissue. Dr. Pauling theorized that by giving high-dose intravenous vitamin C he could help to strengthen collagen and prevent cancer from progressing. His early experiences with intravenous vitamin C were promising, however his theories and ideas were rejected by mainstream medicine and progress languished for many years.
More recently interest in vitamin C to support patients has grown thanks in part to new research. Several university teaching hospitals have even integrated vitamin C to support their conventional cancer treatment.
When given orally, the amount of vitamin C that can be absorbed into the circulation is limited. When doses above approximately 2000 mg are given, the body eliminates the vitamin C through the kidney in a manner that prevents blood levels from going any higher. This mechanism can be bypassed by giving the vitamin directly into the vein.
When vitamin C is given by mouth, or in low dose intravenously, it acts as an “antioxidant.” However, when it is given at a high-dose intravenously the behavior of vitamin C changes and it functions as a “pro-oxidant” with the potential to do damage to cancer cells.
Researchers have demonstrated the capacity for vitamin C to kill a wide array of different types of cancer. It’s capacity to kill cancer cells seems to come from its ability to produce high levels of hydrogen peroxide which is toxic toward cancer cells without causing harm to the body‘s natural cells. It should be emphasized that vitamin C is not FDA approved to treat cancer. Vitamin C is not a replacement for established, effective treatments.
Vitamin C has been studied in viral and bacterial illnesses. It is possible that vitamin C can be helpful when fighting infections. Clients have reported alleviation of symptoms, and some use it with the hope it may support their immune system as it fights illness. Most importantly, it has a high degree of safety, and unlike antibiotics will not disrupt the microbiota of the gut.
Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is a hereditary, X-linked recessive genetic enzyme deficiency. It is an important enzyme in reducing free radicals in the cells that cause oxidative damage. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) can become an oxidant and cause hemolysis or anemia (an insufficient capacity of the blood to bring oxygen to the tissues and carry away carbon dioxide) if taken in too large of a dose.
Note – Although the research is promising, IV vitamin C has not been shown to cure cancer. IM 120 encourages all patients to maintain continuity of care with their regular doctors and oncologists. A medical evaluation by an IM 120 Doctor or Nurse Practitioner is required in order to receive high dose IV vitamin C for cancer.
We at Intellectual Medicine in Rhode Island, advocate our High Dose IV Vitamin C therapies in addition to traditional cancer treatment and prevention protocols. We are excited by this growing body of research and look forward to further developments.
Watch how High Dose Vitamin C was used to fight her cancer.
Watch us explain cancer and high dose vitamin C.
In the 1970s, Dr. Linus Pauling – the only person to ever be awarded two unshared Nobel Prizes – began to examine the potential use of Vitamin C in the treatment of cancer. Starting in 1974, researchers inspired by the theories of Dr. Pauling published clinical trials of high-dose intravenous vitamin C in advanced human cancer. The observed patients had longer than expected longevity when compared to case controls, and when compared to expected norms for their disease.
Interest in the use of Vitamin C in cancer treatment waned following a study that was performed at the Mayo Clinic and published in the New England Journal of Medicine in the late 1970s. However, this study used only ORAL Vitamin C, whereas the previous studies had used oral and intravenous Vitamin C. Noting this discrepancy, researchers began to publish studies showing not merely that intravenous Vitamin C was extremely safe, but that it was effective in mitigating the often-significant side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Increasingly, however, published studies have begun to demonstrate that high dose Vitamin C is actually toxic to a wide variety of cancer cells. Intravenous Vitamin C has been shown to have the capacity to create a buildup of hydrogen peroxide within cancer cells that causes the cell walls to burst and the cells to die. Normal cells, with their ability to easily neutralize hydrogen peroxide, are unaffected by intravenous Vitamin C.
A consultation is required before starting any IV vitamin C therapy over 10,000mg. Please call the office: 401-921-5934 to schedule. Price – pricing varies depending on dosing.