Scientists have found that high intravenous doses of vitamin C kills cancer cells. The ascorbate dose has to be very high, too high to be taken orally, hence the intravenous administration. Some recent trials showed orally administered vitamin C had no effect on cancer cells, so the researchers decided to see what would happen if they injected the ascorbate straight into the bloodstream.
The tests were carried out in a lab, simulating clinical infusions of vitamin C on 9 different cancer cells and 4 normal cells. They found that while the normal cells were not affected, 5 of the cancer cells became 50% smaller. The lymphoma cells were completely destroyed.
The problem with oral administration is that you eventually come to a high dose (saturation point), any dose above that amount does not result in more ascorbate present in the bloodstream. Intravenous administration allows the patient to have even higher quantities in his/her bloodstream.
If you inject 10 grams of vitamin C straight into the bloodstream, you get concentrations 2500% higher than you would ever get by swallowing the same amount.
The study was led by Dr. Mark Levine, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive & Kidney Diseases. You can read about this study in detail in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
When asked why the cancer cells were dying, the researchers suggested it may have been due to the formation of hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide kills cancer cells. However, they said they were not sure.
The researchers say further tests are needed to validate these findings.
Written by Christian Nordqvist
Editor – Medical News Today