‘Emerging evidence’ for vitamin C
Vitamin C is a much-hyped alternative remedy, but research into its potential impact as a treatment for serious infections and cancer is booming.
International researchers will gather in Auckland tomorrow to share the latest research at a two-day symposium on the subject, believed to be the first of its kind in New Zealand.
Controversy surrounding the use of high doses of vitamin C to treat cancer patients dates back to early trials in the 1970s. Its anti-cancer potential remains uncertain.
University of Otago, Christchurch associate professor Anitra Carr said research on the use of vitamin C for cancer and infections had taken off in recent years, and studies were now being published all the time.
‘‘I’d say there’s no evidence to show it would help everyone with cancer,’’ Carr said. ‘‘But there is emerging evidence that it will likely help subgroups of patients who have certain types of cancers.’’
High doses, administered intravenously, could range from 50 grams to 75g, Carr said. Lower doses could also be used to restore vitamin C levels in cancer patients and improve their quality of life, she said.
Carr, a co-convener of the symposium, is leading research on the use of vitamin C for patients with lifethreatening sepsis in the intensive care unit at Christchurch Hospital.
Alongside traditional treatments, patients with septic shock are being given intravenous doses of vitamin C, totalling about 7g a day. A mediumsized orange contains about 70mg.
Patients with sepsis, a lifethreatening complication from an infection where the body’s response causes injury to its organs, chewed through vitamin C, Carr said.
The trial, which started last year, is the first of its kind in New Zealand, but follows two small clinical trials overseas that reported an almost 80 per cent reduction in mortality.
Researchers hypothesise the vitamin helps synthesise drugs given to patients with severe sepsis or septic shock to increase blood pressure naturally in the body.
Carr said in the past vitamin C had been considered an alternative medicine, and doctors tended to ignore the hype around it. However, she said recent discoveries could change that.
‘‘More and more studies are coming out which are showing a positive effect, plus we’re also working out the mechanism by which it is working as well, the biochemical mechanisms within the body,’’ Carr said.
Fellow symposium co-convener, University of Otago professor Margreet Vissers, agreed the use of high-dose vitamin C infusions as a cancer treatment was controversial.
However, she said researchers were progressively gathering evidence that would allow them to identify which patients might benefit from vitamin C treatment.
Patients considering treatment should consult carefully with their doctors. ‘‘We simply do not have all the information to be able to make clinical decisions yet,’’ Vissers said.