Vitamin C and Cancer – Doctor Linus Pauling

Vitamin C whether intravenous or oral is one of the most prevalent types of alternative and complimentary cancer therapies. Yet, this nutrient is still considered “controversial” by mainstream oncology. Since two time Nobel Prize winner (in chemistry and peace) Dr. Linus Pauling advocated its use in cancer starting in the late 1970’s, evidence to its efficacy has been quietly and steadily mounting. Humans Do Not Make Vitamin C.  Almost all animals and plants synthesize their own vitamin C except humans and a small number of other animals, including, apes, guinea pigs, the red-vented bulbul, a fruit-eating bat and a species of trout.

Vitamin C and Cancer – Early Work – Pure L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C) was first prepared in 1928 by the Nobel prize winning biochemist Albert Szent-Gyorgyi and in 1932 it was shown that this substance was vitamin C. In 1954 and 1959 Dr. W. J. McCormick, a Canadian physician, hypothesized that cancer is a collagen disease, secondary to a vitamin C deficiency. His theory was based on the fact that collagen is the “mortar” that binds cells together and if cells stick together, tumors would have a more difficult time breaking away and metastasizing. This concept was expanded upon when, in 1966, Dr. Ewan Cameron wrote a book entitled “Hyaluronidase and Cancer.” In it he pointed out that the ground substance or “intercellular cement” that binds cells of normal tissues contains various molecules that strengthen it including glycosaminoglycans and fibrils of collagen. Dr. Cameron discussed how tumors can produce enzymes that breakdown these molecules (i.e. hyaluronidase and collagenase).

Linus Pauling, Ph.D. (chemistry) had been interested in vitamin C for many years and had written previously how people required large amounts of vitamin C (1). Working with Dr. Cameron, Dr. Pauling pointed out that Vitamin C could: A) stimulate normal cells to produce increased amounts of a hyaluronidase inhibitor and; B) increase the number of collagen fibrils made (2). Based on these theories, Drs. Pauling and Cameron embarked on a number of studies to test the efficacy of vitamin C in cancer patients.

Pauling and Cameron Studies Find Improvement in Survival and Quality of Life – In 1976, Drs. Pauling and Cameron reported the survival times of 100 terminal cancer patients who were given supplemental ascorbate (10 grams/daily intravenously) and those of a control group of 1,000 patients of similar status treated by the same clinicians in the same hospital (Vale of Leven Hospital in Scotland) who had been managed identically except for the ascorbate. The 1,000 controls were matched by sex, age, primary tumor type, and clinical status. By August 10, 1976 all 1,000 of the controls had died while 18 of the 100 ascorbate-treated patients were still living. As of September 15, 1979, five ascorbate treated patients were still alive and “living normal lives.” The 100 acorbate-treated patients lived, on the average, 300 days longer than their matched controls with better quality of life (measured from the time all patients were considered “untreatable”).

A second study was performed in 1978 with 100 new ascorbate-treated patients and 1,000 matched controls (about half of the controls were in the original set) (3). This analysis broke out the improved survival times by cancer type. For each type of cancer there was an improvement in survival.

More of this article at Cancer Monthly

The Culprit and the Cure Book Overview

Everyday television, radio, and newspapers report on the latest scientific findings regarding obesity, heart disease, nutrition, and other health topics. These same media outlets provide advertisements about the latest diet fads, fast foods, supplements, and quick health fixes. Most often these messages conflict, leaving the public wondering what is fact, what is fiction, and what can a person do to enjoy optimal health.Steven G. Aldana, Ph.D. has cut through the marketing hype, sorted through reams of research, and consolidated mountains of evidence to put together a real-world guide to healthy living. His book The Culprit and the Cure is a practical guide that allows real people-like you and I-to improve the quality and length of their lives.

Dr. Aldana presents the scientific evidence suggesting that healthy lifestyle choices can significantly increase the health, vitality, and longevity of individuals. We all know that non-smokers live longer than smokers-but did you know that eating 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day can reduce your risk of many types of cancer by 50 percent? We all know the importance of regular exercise-but how would your motivation to actually do it change if you knew that exercising can add years to your life expectancy. Or how about increasing your life expectancy by 10 to 20 years by also eating healthy foods?

In The Culprit and the Cure Dr. Aldana has gleaned research from around the globe covering the areas of diet, disease, lifestyle, and healthy behaviors to provide a practical guide to making the changes science has proven will lead to better health and longer life. In an entertaining, easy to understand, and convincing manner, The Culprit and the Cure presents the evidence, makes recommendations, and provides strategies to help even the least disciplined among us achieve a better quality of life.

For anyone who is finally ready to change his or her life for the better, or for anyone simply trying to maintain good health, this is the book to read. As individuals gain an understanding of why good nutrition and physical activity are vital to long-term health, The Culprit and the Cure empowers them with hands-on tips and achievable guidance on how to eat right, exercise, and enjoy a long, high-quality life. Once readers see this information transform their own lives, they will want to share it with those they really care about.

The Culprit and the Cure truly transforms the lives of readers as they:

  • Learn how life span and the risk of chronic diseases are determined by lifestyle choices
  • Understand how science has solved much of the good health puzzle
  • Achieve and maintain a healthy weight for life
  • Begin and maintain a habit of regular exercise and good nutrition
  • Experience health and quality living in ways they never thought possible

Steven G. Aldana is a professor of lifestyle medicine in the College of Health and Human Performance at Brigham Young University. As a prolific researcher and writer, The Culprit and the Cure is the latest of several books he has written in addition to more than 60 scientific articles. A nationally recognized scientist and teacher, Dr. Aldana has become a leading authority on the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. Now, with The Culprit and the Cure that importance is supported with a practical, do-able plan to make lifestyle change a reality.According to Dr. Aldana, “This book will help you live a longer, better life. Once you understand why your current lifestyle is causing poor health and see what is meant by good nutrition and physical activity, you will be more ready to change your behaviors. By learning how to change, you start on the road to better health. The time to plan for a healthy future is now.”

Click on the link The Culprit and the Cure – Chapter 1 to read the first chapter or click on The Culprit and the Cure – Chapter 1 to hear the audio version.

Dr. Garry Gordon gives his presentation “Cancer, Degenerative Diseases, and Aging”

Dr. Garry Gordon gives his presentation “Cancer, Degenerative Diseases, and Aging” at the Advanced Detoxification and Gene Based Medicine Conference held in Phoenix, AZ March 10-11, 2007. This video gives some insights into the new generation of alternative treatments. You need to have flashplayer enabled to watch this Google video