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Celebs to Cancer Patients Are Benefitting from the Health Boost
By Bruce R. Dooley, M.D.
The popularity of intravenous (IV) infusions of high-dose nutritional vitamins is growing around the world as positive research continues to accumulate and build a strong case for its effectiveness in boosting health, especially Vitamin C. Mainstream awareness has grown as well, as a result of celebrity figures such as Simon Cowell, Cindy Crawford, Madonna and pop-star Rihanna enthusiastically endorsing the benefits they’ve experienced from these treatments. They, like others, cite the instant gratification of feeling more energy and mental clarity, important to those who have demanding, stressful lives that can deplete immunity and vitality.
Nutrients Delivered Directly to Cells Through the Bloodstream
These treatments are so effective because 100% of the vitamin/minerals infused by IV are delivered directly to the cells – which provide energy, immune protection and make our nervous systems work. This is in contrast to supplements taken orally, which must be taken at lower dosages to avoid stomach upset, and often are poorly absorbed. You may be shocked to learn that sewage treatment plants report that they remove TONS of undissolved vitamins from their treatment ponds every year. Literally money down the drain. Synthetic vitamins and minerals are typically delivered in a packed tablet that does not dissolve in the stomach and thus pass right through the body. Of course this means that very little, if any, vitamins and minerals are absorbed by the body.
High-Dose Vitamin Therapy Effective for Many Common Health Concerns
Some of the many uses of Vitamin and Mineral IV infusions include:
• To stop the progression of colds and infections
• Improve energy and combat fatigue
• Before and after surgery to reduce stress and aid tissue healing
• Before air travel to resist infection and reduce jet lag
• Improve athletic performance
• Improve cancer outcomes
A U.S. Phase I clinical trial in February 2013 has shown that adding IV Vitamin C in association with a common chemotherapy drug for an aggressive type of cancer (pancreatic) extended patients’ average survival time to 12 months, compared to historical survival times of 5.65 months for such patients. More remarkable is that three of the patients were still alive at the end of the trial (two at 15 months, one at 29 months) which means overall survival could further increase. One patient had a remarkable 9-fold reduction in the size of his tumor.
Doctors and researchers at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine are looking to complementary, natural treatments as a means of improving cancer patients’ prognosis – and IV Vitamin C has now done exactly that with remarkable, clinically demonstrated results. Using 50 to 125 grams of vitamin C, patients were infused on a weekly cycle along with the standard chemotherapy drug for pancreatic cancer being administered on a different day of the weekly cycle. The average treatment duration was six months (range: 60 to 556 days) during which patients lost an average of only 11 pounds, which is much less than expected. Side effects were minimal in this and in another study (see below).
In other human trials, this therapy has been shown to significantly improve quality of life for breast cancer patients and for patients of multiple other cancers. In early 2013, another study demonstrated that IV Vitamin C significantly reduced inflammation markers in 76% of cancer patients, which is important for a better prognosis. Just as impressively, the same trial showed that IV Vitamin C decreased tumor markers in 77% of prostate cancer patients and 73% of breast cancer patients.
A 2011 study in Germany is one more example, showing that IV Vitamin C markedly improves the quality of life for breast cancer patients. This study compared breast cancer patients receiving IV Vitamin C and standard therapy together, versus standard therapy alone. Those receiving IV Vitamin C experienced a marked reduction (nearly 50%) in unpleasant symptoms and chemo/radiotherapy side effects such as loss of appetite, fatigue, depression, sleep disorders, dizziness and bleeding. Clinical trials have not yet proven IV Vitamin C to shrink tumors, but that’s no reason for an oncologist to reject this therapy. Improving quality of life is also an important goal of cancer treatment, and clinical experience shows IV Vitamin C does exactly that.
Proven Clinical Results Backed by Positive Patient Outcomes
Such positive results are likely the reason why many thousands of patients worldwide elect to be treated with this therapy every year. Those considering IV Vitamin C therapy for any reason, including cancer, should keep in mind an important lesson from other trials. Namely, patients who begin this therapy earlier tend to respond better, as do patients who undergo more Vitamin C infusions.
With IV Vitamin C therapy shown to be effective against a formidable foe such as cancer, imagine the positive impact it can have on individuals with other forms of immune system disorders. Intravenous vitamin therapy represents an exciting advancement in integrative and functional medicine, allowing physicians to help patients prevent and treat a wide variety of conditions safely and effectively.
