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Could Vitamin C Be the Cure for Deadly Infections?

  • July 04, 2017

In a race to address the antibiotic-resistance crisis that superbugs have created, one doctor believes he may have found an answer with a simple intravenous solution of vitamin C. Dr. Paul Marik practices at Virginia’s Sentara Norfolk General Hospital and, according to Smithsonian.com, he has successfully treated 25 severely sick patients who had sepsis. While more than 50 medical centers are now using the protocol, debates continue online against the idea that such a thing works.

Whenever you’re talking about natural cures for serious illnesses, you can always be sure the usual suspects will show up to deny that anything other than a Big Pharma formula drug could make you well. But more and more, science is finding out that drugs should be the last resort for the path to health.

With vitamin C, researchers already believe it may be a potent adjunct to cancer treatment. Research shows vitamin C is selectively cytotoxic to cancer cells when administered intravenously in high doses, and produces a pro-oxidant effect, thereby generating hydrogen peroxide, which is ultimately what kills the cancer cells.

It even appears to double the effectiveness of chemotherapy and radiation. Another way vitamin C fights cancer is by lowering inflammation in your body. As a general rule, chronic inflammation is a hallmark of cancer, and it’s been found that IV vitamin C treatment helps lower pro-inflammatory cytokines and C-reactive protein — two inflammatory markers — and that these improvements correlate with a reduction in tumor size.

But, as Marin found, vitamin C may be best known for its ability to combat infectious diseases such as sepsis. If you’re thinking of adding a vitamin C supplement to your daily health plan, I believe your best bet is to eat a varied whole food diet, rich in vitamin C and other antioxidants, to avoid causing a nutritional imbalance.