Orthomolecular Treatment for Cancer

Scientists have found that the nutrients needed to fight different types of cancer are very similar. Their research shows that the same supplement regimen can be used to treat most cancers since orthomolecular treatments for cancer don't focus on attacking cancer tissues. Instead, they attempt to boost our immune system to fight cancerous growths and tumors. Orthomolecular treatment involves a thorough nutrient program in combination with a balanced diet designed to boost the body's immune system. Intravenous vitami C is vital to this process. The following supplements may also be used in the orthomolecular treatment of cancer: • Selenium • Vitamin B Complex • Vitamin D • Vitamin E • Coenzyme Q10 • Folic Acid • Curcumin • Zinc Citrate After observing over 1,500 people with cancer, Dr. Abram Hoffer found that vitami C caused no negative interaction in patients undergoing chemotherapy, and allowed patients to live longer. Another study showed that only 2.5 percent of patients undergoing chemotherapy survived for five years after treatment, and the survival rate of those treated with orthomolecular medicine was four times higher than chemotherapy. In the 1970s, Dr. Linus Pauling and colleagues treated cancer patients with a daily dose of 10 grams of vitami C intravenously, and 10 grams orally. The patients experienced a longer survival time and an improved quality of life. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Pauling convinced the Mayo Clinic to conduct two more studies of the effects of vitami C on cancer. The studies showed no difference between the vitami C treatment and a placebo. The reason was that the Mayo Clinic studies only administered the vitami C orally, and failed to test for intravenous vitami C. Numerous subsequent studies have proven that intravenous vitami C is of great benefit to cancer patients. Dr. Hugh Riordan and colleagues demonstrated in the 1990s that most types of tumor cells quickly die when exposed to high concentrations of intravenous vitami C, whereas the healthy cells are not adversely affected by the high-dose vitami C treatment. Dr. Mark Levine of the National Institutes of Health conducted a study similar to Dr. Riordan’s study. He found that when exposed to vitami C, 5 different cancer strains died, while the normal cells were not harmed. Levine discovered that the mechanism by which cancer cells died involved the production of high levels of hydrogen peroxide in response to the vitami C. Hydrogen peroxide plays an essential role in immune system function by directing white blood cells to injury or disease sites. The compound targets the DNA, DNA repair proteins, or mitochondria of cancer cells. It shuts off their energy supply, and kills them. Selenium, a mineral most Americans are deficient in, has been shown in several studies to help lower the incidence of cancer. Dr. Larry Clark of the University of Arizona published a study in 1996 of 1,300 older people. After tracking them for seven years, Dr. Clark discovered that those who took 200 micrograms of selenium a day had a 42 percent lower rate of cancer than those taking a placebo. According to a study conducted by the Life Extension Foundation, most Americans only get one fourth to one half of the recommended daily dose of selenium. According to the journal of Orthomolecular Medicine, eating a diet rich in fish, fruits, and vegetables, and that limits the consumption of sugar, alcohol, and chemicals may also reduce the incidence of cancer.