Eat lemons to fight cancer!
Vitamin C is one of the most important nutrients in your diet. Not only does it improve your immunity to disease, but it can prevent oxidative damage, combat toxins, prevent cellular degeneration, and reduce your risk of heart disease. As long as you are getting a healthy amount of Vitamin C in your diet, you have a much better chance at a long, healthy life.
However, one new study found a pretty fascinating use for Vitamin C: as an anti-cancer remedy. According to the data, VERY high dosages of Vitamin C could be an effective solution for killing off cancer cells.
A team of researchers from the University of Iowa tried injecting cancer patients with anywhere from 800 to 1000 times the daily recommended dose of Vitamin C (20,000 IU instead of the recommended 60 to 80 IU). Patients received three Vitamin C infusions a week over the course of 2 months, followed by two weekly infusions for another 7 months. Of course, the infusions were included with standard chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
The infusions of Vitamin C helped to make the cancer cells more susceptible to the treatments, improving the outcome of the cancer treatment. When the Vitamin C reacted with the redox active iron produced by the tumor cells, it created hydrogen peroxide and free radicals that damaged ONLY the cancer cells. This led to enhanced cellular death of the cancer cells, while the healthy body cells remained unaffected by the Vitamin C treatment. Not only did the apoptosis (cellular death) of cancer cells increase as a result of the Vitamin C, but the reaction to the Vitamin C made the cancer cells more susceptible to the radiation and chemotherapy. Basically, Vitamin C led to an increased effectiveness in the cancer treatment.
READ MORE: Can Vitamins Cause Liver Damage? Possibly.
This study only examined people with lung and brain cancer, but the discovery could lead to more discoveries in the treatments of multiple types of cancer. Perhaps one day soon Vitamin C will be a standard part of the treatment to cure cancers. If the vitamin weakens the cancer cells and makes them easier to break down, it’s definitely a good thing to add to the cancer treatment.
But let’s be clear: a lot of additional research is required before this becomes standard treatment. High levels of Vitamin C have been proven toxic to the body, so there are safety concerns that must be addressed. Not all cancer cells respond equally to every treatment. Every type of cancer has to be approached in a unique way in order to treat it efficiently.
However, it does give hope that there may soon be more effective cures for cancer. This discovery indicates that Vitamin C can be a highly potent cancer killer if injected in high dosages directly into the affected area. If the use of Vitamin C proves safe for the body (killing only the cancer cells and not healthy cells), it could soon be incorporated into other treatments.
For now, make an effort to get more Vitamin C in your diet. The antioxidant benefits of Vitamin C will reduce your risk of tumor cells forming and can increase your lifespan. You’ll find that this vitamin plays a vital role in your health. It’s worth getting more of it in your daily diet—in the form of spinach, lemons, strawberries, kiwis, and oranges. A healthy intake of Vitamin C-rich foods can combat a wide range of health problems. Definitely time to start adding more of this vitamin to your meals!
