Vitamin C keeps cancer at bay, US research suggests

[xchrom]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-26038460


Vitamin C has long been used as an alternative cancer therapy but evidence is mixed

High-dose vitamin C can boost the cancer-killing effect of chemotherapy in the lab and mice, research suggests.

Given by injection, it could potentially be a safe, effective and low-cost treatment for ovarian and other cancers, say US scientists.

Reporting in Science Translational Medicine, they call for large-scale government clinical trials.

Pharmaceutical companies are unlikely to run trials, as vitamins cannot be patented.

[tridim]

1. It also regulates cortisol, which does wonders for stress relief.

It is one of the few supplements I use to remain 100% pharmaceutical-free and healthy for 43 years. It is also key to immune system health, and it's almost impossible to get enough from food alone.

Frankly DU, I don't care that some of you think it's woo. It isn't.

[notemason]

2. and it's almost impossible to get enough from food alone.

Please provide a link to this statement; in research I can't verify.

[tridim]

6. It's just math.

Oranges have about 70mg of Vitamin C. I'd have to eat 22 oranges per day to get enough. Possible, yes, practical, no.

That said, I get lots of food-sourced Vitamin C every day from fruits and greens in my smoothie. Covering all the bases.

The RDA for many vitamins and minerals is VERY conservative.

[flamingdem]

9. Curious about what you put in your smoothie

I need to start making those, my digestion isn't great and it might be easier to consume fruits and veggies this way.

[tridim]

11. They are amazing.

75% baby kale, spinach, arugula and swiss chard. (start with less than this because blended greens take some getting used to, they pack a punch!)

25% Raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and other fruits. (I use Costco frozen berries, which are incredible and super convenient)

Some coconut oil, almond milk, coconut water, and sometimes whole milk for protein, salt, vanilla, honey.

Use some variation of that and you'll be amazed! It didn't take long before I craved them.

[flamingdem]

14. Thanks for the recipe!

I'm going to try that out. Good idea to get frozen since they go bad quickly and berries are good for the memory, worth it to help me find my keys!

[tridim]

15. No prob. A decent blender is also a must.

I'm seriously eyeing the Vitamix, but for now I get by fine with a mid-range, 600 watt, Oster Beehive.

My standard kitchen blender didn't work at all.

Have fun feeling good!

[840high]

12. How much do you take?

[tridim]

16. Two or three 500mg chewables a day.

I take one at bedtime to calm nighttime stress, one in the morning, and one after work.

They taste like candy.

Lots of people take much more than that, but I see no reason to take more than my body needs.

[flamingdem]

3. Question is how much to take on a daily basis

as a preventative. Seems like 500 milligrams is enough and avoids side effects, but maybe more is needed.

[tridim]

4. I take about 1000-1500 mg/day to get the preventative and hormone benefits.

No digestive issues whatsoever. Same deal with Magnesium Citrate.

It's simple to figure out how much you need, just adjust your dose higher until you get semi-loose stools, then back off a bit.

[840high]

13. Thanks. Ignore my other question.

[840high]

18. What's benefit of Mag. Citrate?

[A Little Weird]

5. It appears that it's not very effective when taken orally

From the article:

It is now known that the human body quickly excretes vitamin C when it is taken by mouth.

However, scientists at the University of Kansas say that when given by injection vitamin C is absorbed into the body, and can kill cancer cells without harming normal ones.

So I'm not sure how much supplements help. Although I'm sure if you don't get enough in your diet, it would have to have some benefit.

[xchrom]

7. from what i've understood where we are -- food is the best way

to get the nutrition we need.

[randr]

8. Will this place Vitamin C in the Woo catagory?

Pharmaceutical companies are unlikely to run trials, as vitamins cannot be patented.

[Big Blue Marble]

10. Dare we say

it moves it out of the woo classification.

But do not worry; someone will be along soon to question the science
rather than shift their paradigm.

[MisterP]

17. so was the Aztec Civilization

are ya gonna believe a bunch of hallucination-prone *Papists*?
http://books.google.com/books?id=JzIGYxOC1oUC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false (p. 187)

[HuckleB]

21. Not Vitamin C. This therapy, however, may not be all it's cracked up to be.

The Return of the Revenge of High Dose Vitamin C for Cancer
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/the-return-of-the-revenge-of-high-dose-vitamin-c-for-cancer/

The whole piece needs to be read. There's no way to copy and paste anything to just give a gist of it, but it does appear that this is another sad episode in the world of bad science journalism.

[BrotherIvan]

19. Lookup Linus Pauling

The only guy to win TWO individual Nobel Prizes. He is the reason we take Vitamin C and he believed and was trying to prove that Vitamin C could fight cancer. They wooed him. Many other doctors have had the same idea, that deficiency diseases such as scurvy and Pellagra, could point the way to fighting certain types of cancers (because cancer isn't one thing).

It is my understanding he also argued that no amount of Vitamin C was toxic and urged upwards of 13,000 mg for therapeutic doses such as when you have a cold. But beware cheap Vit C as it is made from crap like corn starch. If you go for natural forms, you can get by with less, but the capsules are often expensive. Things like Rosehips and bioflavanoids also help with absorption. Humans are one of the few animals that cannot make their own Vitamin C but need it. As noted above, it is difficult to eat enough to get anything above basic needs.

[HuckleB]

20. Alas, it's not all it's cooked up to be.

The Return of the Revenge of High Dose Vitamin C for Cancer
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/the-return-of-the-revenge-of-high-dose-vitamin-c-for-cancer/

The whole piece needs to be read. There's no way to copy and paste anything to just give a gist of it, but it does appear that this is another sad episode in the world of bad science journalism.

[xchrom]

22. i was wondering -- because you couldn't ingest the C -- it had to be given by drip. nt

[NickB79]

23. Does no one read the actual science anymore?

Vitamin C helps keep cancer at bay, WHEN USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH CHEMOTHERAPY.

http://www.webmd.com/cancer/news/20140205/intravenous-vitamin-c-may-boost-chemos-cancer-fighting-power

The researchers then tested vitamin C on mice with induced ovarian cancer. The vitamin appeared to help chemotherapy drugs either inhibit the growth of tumors or help shrink them.

Finally, the team conducted a pilot phase clinical trial involving 27 patients with stage III or stage IV ovarian cancer.

The patients who received intravenous vitamin C along with their chemotherapy reported less toxicity of the brain, bone marrow and major organs, the investigators found.