Vitamin C infusions are now a fairly popular adjunctive cancer treatment. In very high doses, vitamin C puts oxidative stress on cancer cells, making them more susceptible to conventional treatments like radiation and chemotherapy.
“It can be a really supportive treatment,” says functional-medicine physician Elizabeth Boham, MD, MS, RD. “But talk to your oncologist first.” As with diet, much depends on your particular cancer and internal terrain.
“If your terrain isn’t doing well, vitamin C infusions are a waste of time, energy, and money,” says functional-medicine physician Patrick Hanaway, MD. “The first thing you want to do is focus on the lifestyle aspects that improve internal terrain — nutrition, sleep, physical activity, stress management, and finding meaning and purpose in your life.”
If you do opt to pursue treatment, it matters where you receive it, adds Boham. “A lot of the IV centers where people go to fix their hangover can’t mix that amount of vitamin C.”
The Terrain Theory of Cancer
The health of the body’s internal ecosystem can determine how well the body resists cancer, both before and after a diagnosis. While each of us needs unique support, our diet and lifestyle choices can help us build a healthier terrain right now. Learn more at “The Terrain Theory of Cancer,” from which this article was excerpted.
