Do you know someone who had or has cancer? You may be interested to know that researchers are taking the time to discover and focus on natural cures - one being the well-known vitamin C, which reportedly works to weaken cancer stem cells.
Researchers from the University of Salford reveal that vitamin C may hinder the growth of cancer cells. This study, published in Oncotarget, analyses how vitamin C compares to other possible cancer-curing entities such as experimental drugs (researchers shared that vitamin C was ten times more effective than the experimental drug 2-DG) or more natural substances like milk thistle and CAPE (a type of honey-bee). The lead author, Dr Michael Lisanti says that the research with vitamin C had the “most exciting” results, which is also due to the fact that, “Vitamin C is cheap, natural, non-toxic and readily available so to have it as a potential weapon in the fight against cancer would be a significant step.”
Dr Linus A. Pauling instigated research on the link between vitamin C and cancer in 1971, and the results highlighted the excellent effect vitamin C has on those who have cancer. Pauling surveyed 1,100 patients, all with terminal cancer. 100 patients were given doses of vitamin C every day, resulting in 13 of them surviving, whereas every single patient in the control group passed away.
The recent study backs up Pauling’s former, genius discovery, as it shows that consuming vitamin C works to famish cancer stem cells by stopping glycolysis from occurring. Therefore, instead of the cancer cells gathering energy, they are blocked, which helps to prevent cancer from growing.
Anna Perman, the Cancer Research UK official, warns cancer patients to continue with their treatment or diet plan as “this study is looking at the action of vitamin C in the laboratory, not the effect of eating foods or supplements that contain vitamin C.”
Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for tumours to grow at a rapid pace or to come back after the original tumour has disappeared. However, research shows that using vitamin C in addition to chemotherapy may help to reduce the probability of cancer spreading or a tumour growing back.
There’s been more and more research on possible ways to combat cancer naturally, for example, researchers are examining the methanolic extract of a plant in Mexico, while other research is focusing on the healing powers of plum tree gum.
In the global war on cancer, using Earth’s resources might have seem like a previously overlooked area of cancer research, so let’s hope scientists continue to discover natural ways to target and shrink growing cancer cells directly, without causing havoc to the entire organism.