The anticancer potential of Vitamin C.

Vitamin C exists in two forms: 
  • ascorbic acid, which is the reduced form, and 
  • dehydroascorbic acid, which is the oxidized form. 
Vitamin C (as pure ascorbic acid) acts safely as an antioxidant in healthy tissues and may act as an oxidant in tumors. Continuous high doses of vitamin C may slow down the progression of cancer. High doses of AA may slow cancer progression by downregulating HIF transcriptional activity {ref}

1000 mg/day treatment reduces elevated C-reactive protein{Ref}

Vitamin C, about 1000 mg a day, has been found to boost NK cells.

Histamine levels may reduce by about 38% after a person takes 2 grams of vitamin C.

Ascorbic acid (AA)


Ewan Cameron, Ava Helen Pauling and Linus Pauling, Glasgow 1976
Ewan Cameron, Ava Helen Pauling and Linus Pauling, 1976
A clinical study (1976) by Linus Pauling (1901-1994) and Ewan Cameron (1922-1991) showed greatly increased survival time (4-fold) in terminal Stage 4 cancer patients, who had never received chemotherapy, on high dose ascorbic acid compared to the control group. Similar studies with patients who had received chemotherapy have not shown any significant survival benefit.








High Dose: 10gr - 50gr/day of ascorbic acid, in divided doses (4 or more. for example 18 grams, divided in 6x3gr every 2 hours). Linus Pauling took up to 18 grams of Vitamin C a day, although his regular dose was 12 grams, which he took in just one dose. {Ref} 

Note that many vitamin C supplements are buffered with minerals such as potassium, zinc, and others, and this type of vitamin C is not suited for high-dose vitamin C. Only use 100% pure non-GMO ascorbic acid. 

👉 1 gram of Acerola powder contains approximately 200mg of Vitamin C. Camu Camu is another excellent source of natural Vitamin C.


Dehydroascorbic acid (DHAA)


DHA, the oxidized form of vitamin C, has shown a remarkable ability to eliminate aggressive mouse tumors in studies. This effect is attributed to DHA's reaction with homocysteine thiolactone, a compound found in higher quantities within cancer cells, producing a toxic byproduct that selectively kills these cells.
"Three discoveries together point the way to a potential treatment for cancer. In 1982, Poydock and colleagues found that dehydroascorbic acid has the remarkable ability to eliminate the aggressive mouse tumours, L1210, P388, Krebs sarcoma, and Ehrlich carcinoma. In 1993, Jakubowski found that cancer cells (but not normal cells) contain measurable quantities of homocysteine thiolactone. Recently, the author found that dehydroascorbic acid reacts with homocysteine thiolactone converting it to the toxic compound, 3-mercaptopropionaldehyde. Taken together, these findings suggest that rapidly-dividing tumour cells make unusually large amounts of homocysteine thiolactone and that administered dehydroascorbic acid enters the cells and converts the thiolactone to mercaptopropionaldehyde which kills the cancer cells." {ref}


Ascorbyl Palmitate


Ascorbyl palmitate is a highly bioavailable, fat-soluble form of ascorbic acid.

 


Synergistic Potential of Vitamin C



click to enlarge the diagram



Oral vs. IV Vitamin C


While IV administration achieves high plasma concentrations, these are short-lived. Oral intake, particularly when combined with liposomal Vitamin C, can maintain adequate levels of selective cytotoxicity. Hickey and Roberts further argue that "extending the exposure time more than compensates for a reduction in concentration".

  • High-dose IVC produces hydrogen peroxide which generates oxidative stress.
  • High-dose IVC depletes NAD+ levels in cancer cells.
  • Palliative Vitamin C Application in Patients with Radiotherapy-Resistant Bone Metastases: A Retrospective Study
  • 50 peer-reviewed medical studies {Ref}
  • High-Dose IVC phase 1 clinical trial: No patient (0/17) demonstrated an objective antitumor response. 13 had progressive disease.{ref}
  • Treatment of pancreatic cancer with intravenous vitamin C: a case report {ref}
  • Potential Mechanisms of Action for Vitamin C in Cancer: Reviewing the Evidence {ref}
  • Check you're not lacking an enzyme called G6PD(glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase). In the absence of that enzyme, you could be very much at risk for IV vitamin C, because G6PD is essential for maintaining the oxidative state of vitamin C.
  • High-dose Intravenous Vitamin C in Patients With Septic Shock (HIGH-VIS)

A combination of standard ascorbic acid powder and liposomal vitamin C

«Initial measurements suggest that liposomes and standard oral ascorbic acid are absorbed by independent mechanisms and that a combination of both can yield
free molecule plasma levels at >800 µM/L. Importantly, such plasma levels can be sustained indefinitely using oral doses.» {ref}

Is There a Role for Oral or Intravenous Ascorbate (Vitamin C) in Treating Patients With Cancer? A Systematic Review

Is There A Use For Oral Vitamin C? {review by Steve Hickey, PhD, Hilary Roberts, PhD} 

" Clinical results using intravenous ascorbate as chemotherapy have not lived up to
the promise of the early trials. One reason for this is that IV administration produces
high but short-lived blood plasma levels. The assumption that a short sharp pulse of vitamin C 
will be more effective than a lower level prolonged exposure is not supported by
the experimental data. As we have described, extending the exposure time more than
compensates for a reduction in concentration. Indeed, longer exposures can be orders
of magnitude more effective than short ones. The concentrations required to be cytotoxic
over longer periods are much lower. Oral intakes, particularly with combined use of
ascorbic acid and liposomal vitamin C, can easily achieve and maintain adequate levels
for selective cytotoxicity.

Finally, the use of vitamin C as a sole anticancer agent is not recommended, as its
anticancer actions are known to be greatly enhanced through use of synergistic supplements,
such as alpha-lipoic acid. In clinical trials, it might be appropriate to study vitamin C
in isolation, if the medical problem were to determine the details of its mechanism of action. 

However, such mechanisms can be determined using animal and experimental studies. We therefore
see little reason to deprive patients of a more optimal therapy, purely in an attempt to determine
the action of vitamin C in isolation. There is a more pressing and practical issue: the real
medical problem is to keep cancer patients alive and healthy, for as long as possible."


Unexpected Early Response in Oral Bioavailability of Ascorbic Acid {Ref}

"By contrast to the prevailing paradigm, our results suggest that up to 4,000 mg of ascorbic acid taken by mouth can produce the same rapid increase in plasma concentration as an intravenous infusion."

How to make sodium ascorbate 




How to make DHAA (Dehydroascorbic acid)


Materials Needed  (start at minute 19 in the video):
Blender
Measuring spoons
Potato peeler
Measuring cups
Microwaveable dish or cup
2 ice trays
White plate
Toothpick
2 droppers
Timer
Jar with lid
Digital scale (optional but recommended for precise measurements)
Pure l-ascorbic acid (AA): 16 grams for the recipe
4 pounds of zucchini (fresh is best, preferably 8-12 inches long)
Gelatin: ½ teaspoon
Cornstarch: ¼ teaspoon
USP 2% Tincture of Iodine: ¼ teaspoon (this is to make the redox indicator)
Water: Various amounts (1 cup, ¼ cup, etc.)

Steps:

1. Prepare the Redox Solution:
Add ¼ teaspoon of cornstarch in a microwaveable dish to ¼ cup of water.
Stir to remove lumps, then microwave for 30 seconds.
Stir well again and allow it to cool down to room temperature.
Add 2 tablespoons of water and ¼ teaspoons of USP 2% iodine tincture to a small container with a lid.
After the starch solution cools, slowly add it to the iodine solution while stirring. This creates the blue starch-iodine indicator solution used to test for DHAA.

2. Make the Green Smoothie:
Add 1 cup of water and ½ teaspoon of gelatin to the blender. Let the gelatin absorb water and hydrate.
Peel the zucchini (only the outer layer) using a potato peeler. A second pass of peeling is done to collect only the skin.
Add the zucchini skins to the blender and puree for 1 minute. Add water if necessary to make 4 cups of puree.
Test the puree by placing a drop of the blue starch-iodine solution on a white plate and adding a drop of the puree. If the solution stays blue(ish), no AA is present.

3. Add and Oxidize Ascorbic Acid (AA):
Weigh out 16 grams of AA (pure l-ascorbic acid).
Add the AA to the blender in increments of about 2.5 grams (or ½ level teaspoon) at a time.
Blend for 10 seconds to dissolve the AA. Test the mixture again with the blue starch-iodine solution. If the blue disappears and the solution turns clear, AA is present. Stir for 15 seconds to mix in air.
Let the mixture sit for 2-3 minutes. Repeat this process (stirring and waiting) for 10-12 minutes until the test with the blue solution shows the color remains blue(ish), indicating that all the AA has been oxidized to DHAA.

4. Continue Adding and Oxidizing AA:
Repeat adding 2.5 grams of AA, blending, and oxidizing. Once the first portion is fully oxidized, the reaction will proceed faster.
Test after each addition until all 16 grams of AA have been added and oxidized.

5. Final Oxidation and Freezing:
After the final addition of AA, blend and stir for an extra 10 to 13 minutes. Test the final mixture to ensure complete oxidation.
Pour the finished puree into ice trays, cover with Saran wrap, and freeze.
Once frozen, break the cubes out of the trays and store them in a zip-lock bag in the freezer. Each cube will contain approximately 450-500 mg of DHAA.

Important Notes:
Test for Complete Oxidation: Use the blue starch-iodine solution to check if the AA has fully oxidized to DHAA.
Avoid Adding Sugar: Do not add anything with sugar as it will compete with DHAA absorption.
Store Properly: Keep the puree refrigerated or frozen to preserve DHAA.
This recipe will yield about 32 ice cubes, each containing 500 mg of DHAA (16 grams of DHAA). 



MEDICATIONS THAT DEPLETE VITAMIN C 



References and Sources

  • Balancing Vitamin C and Glutathione: Preliminary Report
  • "the use of vitamin C supplementation "to stave off pre-eclampsia, cancer and other diseases is a 'nutraceutical' industry-driven myth which should be abandoned."{ref}
  • High-Dose Vitamin C in Advanced-Stage Cancer Patients {ref} "Although results obtained from preclinical studies demonstrated that millimolar ascorbate plasma concentrations achievable only after IVC administration were cytotoxic to fast-growing malignant cells and inhibited tumor growth as well as prolonged the survival of laboratory animals, such positive effects were not found in human studies with advanced-stage cancer patients. We also have not found the rationale for the use of IVC to increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy and to reduce the chemotherapy-induced toxicity in the above mentioned group."
  • Interference of ascorbic acid with chemical analytes {ref}


4 comments:

  1. Roy SearleNovember 5, 2024 at 1:31 PM

    Thanks for this Johan. I take it that all cancer patients should consider supplementing with oral Vitamin C daily? I have read certain articles that claim Vitamin C supplements can actually encourage cancer to grow but the general consensus, including my integrative doctor seems to be supplementing with C is a positive, thanks.

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  2. JVNovember 5, 2024 at 2:14 PM

    I believe oral Vitamin C is safe and beneficial but not during chemotherapy or radiotherapy as it may attenuate the effect of these treatments. Pauling's study showed significant OS benefit, his patients received mostly oral vitamin C and hadn't received chemotherapy.

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  3. RebekahDecember 10, 2024 at 6:44 AM

    Wow! This is amazing information. I'm trying to wrap my head around it all. In regard to Vitamin C and synergies, I'm trying to figure out what has synergy with high dose IV vitamin c...would this list differ when consider high dose vs lower dose oral administration? Basically, antioxidant vs. oxidative...different synergies?

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  4. JVDecember 14, 2024 at 3:03 PM

    I like to think in terms of anticancer effects, the net effect, not oxidative vs antioxidant. That said, in oxidative stress inducing strategies you want to avoid potent antioxidants such as NAC and Glutathione. In the in vitro study with vitamin B2, they used low doses (adjusted ≈ 300mg vitamin C: 60mg vitamin B2). In the study with magnesium, high IV doses were used (adjusted ≈ 20-45 grams vitamin C and 500-700mg Magnesium)

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