Vitamin C May Be a Potent Adjunct to Cancer Treatment

Vitamin C is one of the most well-established traditional antioxidants known and its potent health benefits have been clearly demonstrated over time — especially for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases.


March 06, 2017


Story at-a-glance -

• Research shows vitamin C is selectively cytotoxic to cancer cells when administered intravenously in high doses, and has a number of heart and cardiovascular benefits
• When given intravenously at high doses, vitamin C produces a pro-oxidant effect, thereby generating hydrogen peroxide, which is ultimately what kills the cancer cells
• Normal tissues are not harmed by the high levels of hydrogen peroxide generated because healthy cells have several ways of effectively removing it, thereby preventing buildup to toxic levels. Cancer cells lack this ability

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By Dr. Mercola

Vitamin C is one of the most well-established traditional antioxidants known and its potent health benefits have been clearly demonstrated over time — especially for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases.

Research has also shown that vitamin C is selectively cytotoxic to cancer cells when administered intravenously (IV) in high doses, and has a number of heart- and cardiovascular benefits.

From my perspective, vitamin C is a very useful supplement that should be part of most cancer treatment protocols. Vitamin D is another crucial anti-cancer component I’ve written about on numerous occasions.

How Vitamin C Kills Cancer Cells

In order for vitamin C to effectively kill cancer cells, you need to have a very high concentration of vitamin C in your blood, and the only way to obtain these extreme levels is through IV administration, although using oral liposomal vitamin C can approach effectiveness at a fraction of the price, improved convenience and cost.

By bypassing the digestive tract, IV administration results in blood levels up to 500 times higher than what you can achieve through the oral route.

The mechanism behind vitamin C’s ability to selectively target cancer cells has to do with the generation of hydrogen peroxide, which is ultimately what kills the cancer cells. As reported by the University of Iowa:1


“In a new study2,3 … Buettner and his colleagues have homed in on the biological details of how high-dose vitamin C kills cancer cells. The study shows that vitamin C breaks down easily, generating hydrogen peroxide, a so-called reactive oxygen species that can damage tissue and DNA.


The study also shows that tumor cells are much less capable of removing the damaging hydrogen peroxide than normal cells …


‘Thus, cancer cells are much more prone to damage and death from a high amount of hydrogen peroxide,’ says Buettner, a professor of radiation oncology and a member of Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Iowa.


‘This explains how the very, very high levels of vitamin C used in our clinical trials do not affect normal tissue, but can be damaging to tumor tissue.’”

The reason normal tissues are not harmed by the high levels of hydrogen peroxide generated is that healthy cells have several ways of effectively removing it, thereby preventing buildup to toxic levels.

One of the primary pathways of removal is the enzyme catalase, and the study found that cells with reduced catalase activity were indeed more prone to die when exposed to high amounts of vitamin C.

This provides a hint at which cancers are likely the best candidates for high-dose vitamin C therapy — tumors with low catalase levels are likely to be the most responsive, whereas tumors with high catalase levels would be the least responsive. Next, the research team wants to develop methods to measure catalase in tumors.

Vitamin C Lowers Inflammation in Cancer Patients, and More

Another way vitamin C benefits cancer is by lowering inflammation in your body, as shown in a 2012 study.4,5,6

As a general rule, chronic inflammation is a hallmark of cancer, and here they 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.

It also helps lower the risk of metastasis. A positive response was noted in 75 percent of patients. This study was done by scientist at the Riordan Clinic, which is the successor to Linus Pauling and his work on vitamin C. There is likely no clinic in the world with as much experience with vitamin C as the Riordan Clinic.

Riordan carried out a 15-year-long research project called RECNAC (cancer spelled backwards), which showed vitamin C was selectively cytotoxic against cancer cells.

Other research7,8 done by scientists at the Lewis Cantley of Weill Cornel Medicine in New York found high doses of vitamin C helps kill and eliminate colorectal cancer cells with certain genetic mutations. Other studies9 have shown high-dose vitamin C can help slow the growth of prostate-, pancreatic-, liver- and colon cancer cells.

Human studies also show IV vitamin C can help improve symptoms associated with cancer and cancer treatment, such as fatigue, nausea, vomiting, pain and loss of appetite, and improve overall quality of life.

Vitamin C for Infectious Diseases

Vitamin C may be best known for its ability to combat infectious disease. Dr. Thomas Levy’s book, “Curing the Incurable,” details these benefits.

A perfect real-world example is the dramatic case of Allan Smith, who contracted a serious case of swine flu and was brought back from the brink of death using a combination of IV and oral vitamin C.

The case report was sent to me by Levy, who noted that, to his knowledge, vitamin C “has never failed to cure an acute viral syndrome.” According to Albert Szent-Gyorgyi (who won the Nobel Prize in 1937 for his discovery of vitamin C), “health” occurs when there is an ample flow and interchange of electrons in your cells.

Impaired or poor electron flow and interchange equals “disease,” and when the flow and interchange ceases entirely, your cells die. Oxidation, caused by free radicals in your body, involves the loss of electrons.

Antioxidants, both from your diet and endogenously produced, counter the disease process caused by oxidation (loss of electrons) by supplying electrons. Vitamin C is a major antioxidant, and according to Levy, perhaps the most important electron donor to maintain optimal electron flow in your cells.

In 2005, the Orthomolecular Medicine News Service (a non-profit and non-commercial informational resource), published findings that vitamin C is an effective treatment against the dreaded bird flu and other viruses.10

As with cancer, extremely high doses are needed though — upwards of 200,000 to 300,000 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C, given intravenously. The reason for this is because the avian flu appears to “consume vitamin C very rapidly, similar to an acute viral hemorrhagic fever, somewhat like an Ebola infection.”

A number of other studies and clinical experiences also attest to vitamin C as a potent treatment strategy against all sorts of infectious diseases, including influenza,11 encephalitis and measles.12

 Vitamin C for Sepsis

Vitamin C in combination with thiamine (B1) and hydrocortisone has also been shown to be dramatically helpful in the treatment of severe sepsis and septic shock. Sepsis is a life-threatening condition triggered by a systemic infection, caused by bacteria, viruses or parasites that ultimately affects the function of vital organs. Hospital-acquired infections that progress to sepsis is a significant cause of death.

As many as half of all in-hospital deaths are related to sepsis,13 and recent research published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal proposes sepsis should be recognized as a distinct cause of death in hospitals around the world.14 The cost of treating sepsis is high, topping $24 billion in 2014, with nearly 25 percent of all hospital charges attributed to the treatment of sepsis. As reported by Dr. Malcolm Kendrick, the study in question:15


“… demonstrates that if you give vitamin C (along with hydrocortisone and thiamine) for just over two days in patients admitted with sepsis (blood poisoning) the mortality rate falls from 40 percent to 8.5 percent. The mortality rate in low income countries is normally around 60 percent. Now, this was a small study, but it seems robust. It represents an almost five-fold reduction in mortality … ”

Vitamin C Is Also Good for Your Heart, Blood Vessels, Lungs and Eyes

Other studies focused on vitamin C shows it helps:

Decrease risk of post-operative atrial fibrillation after heart surgery, thereby reducing the risk of stroke and heart failure. It also reduced the length of hospitalization after heart surgery. Oral administration reduced the length of hospital stay by 7 percent (less than half a day), whereas IV shortened it by 16 percent (1.5 days)16,17

Reduce high blood pressure — likely by protecting your body's supply of nitric oxide (NO), a molecule that relaxes blood vessels. In one study,18 both the systolic and diastolic (top and bottom) readings were inversely associated with ascorbic acid levels. Specifically, women with the highest levels of ascorbic acid had about 4.6 mm Hg lower systolic and just over 6 mm Hg lower diastolic blood pressure compared to those with the lowest ascorbic acid levels

Reduce your risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), especially among smokers. In one study, heavy smokers with the highest vitamin C intake had a 77 percent lower risk of COPD than those with the lowest intake.19 The mechanism for this effect is thought to be related to vitamin C’s ability to improve levels of vascular endothelial growth factor, and boost proliferation of alveolar cells in your lungs

Prevent heart attacks, primarily by reducing inflammation20

Protect your vision by improving the function of your retinal cells, and reduce your risk for cataracts by fighting oxidative stress

Important Contraindication for IV Vitamin C TreatmentWhile the evidence strongly supports the use of IV vitamin C in high doses for infections, inflammation and even cancer, it’s important to get your glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) checked beforehand. G6PD is an enzyme your red blood cells need to maintain membrane integrity. High-dose IV vitamin C is actually a strong PRO-oxidant, and giving a pro-oxidant to a G6PD-deficient individual can cause hemolysis (rupturing) of their red blood cells.

So, administering IV vitamin C is not for the novice! I strongly recommend getting it done by an experienced practitioner who uses the Riordan protocol or some other protocol that ensures its done in a safe manner. Fortunately, G6PC deficiency is relatively uncommon.

People of Mediterranean- and African decent are at greater risk, but it’s rare even in those groups. Still, while it’s not a great concern that will prevent its use in most people, should you happen to be that rare person with a G6PC deficiency, the ramifications of barreling ahead with high dose IV vitamin C could be disastrous.

General Vitamin C Dosage Suggestions

Dr. Ronald Hunninghake — chief medical officer at the Riordan Clinic who has supervised 60,000 IV administrations of vitamin C — discusses the use of vitamin C for health and cancer protocols in the featured video. For cancer, research by the Riordan Clinic suggests you need a vitamin C blood level of around 300 to 400 mg/dl to achieve selective cytotoxicity against cancer cells.

To reach that post-IV saturation level, you’d need to administer somewhere between 25 to 50 grams of vitamin C intravenously. That’s up to 300 times the normal amount of vitamin C you’d get from eating a healthy diet. It’s important to understand that these extremely high levels are really only indicated for the treatment of cancers and infectious diseases, not for everyday, general health.

This is because vitamin C starts to have a pro-oxidant effect at these extreme levels — this is in fact what causes the hydrogen peroxide to be created in the first place. In other words, the hydrogen peroxide is a pro-oxidant effect of the vitamin C, so it needs to be used judiciously. You can learn more about using vitamin C as an adjunct to your cancer protocol on the Riordan Clinic’s website.21

For everyday health, 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.

For example, taking large doses of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) on a regular basis lowers your copper level, so if you are already deficient in copper and take high doses of vitamin C, you can compromise your immune system. So, while temporarily taking mega-doses of vitamin C supplements to combat a case of the cold or flu is unlikely to cause a problem, for long-term, daily use, you’re probably going to be better off simply squeezing some lemon juice into a glass of water and/or eating a vitamin C-rich diet.

Also remember that vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, so when you do take a supplement, it’s best to divide your daily dose and take it three times a day. Also, if you’re sensitive to vitamin C, you may experience diarrhea. This is an indication that you need to lower your dosage.

Lastly, evidence suggests liposomal vitamin C provides better absorption, so it’s my personal favorite. I always bring some liposomal vitamin C with me when I travel in case I or someone I travel with gets sick, and then I use two to four capsules every hour until better.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/06/vitamin-c-cancer-treatment.aspx

Why Ditching Antibacterial Soap Is a Good Idea

December 03, 2014

This post is on Healthwise

Story at-a-glance

• Triclosan, an antibacterial chemical used in a wide variety of consumer products, has many potentially harmful effects, especially for children
• Triclosan can alter hormone regulation and may interfere with fetal development. An increased cancer risk has also been suggested
• Triclosan was found in 100 percent of urine samples taken from pregnant women in Brooklyn, NY

By Dr. Mercola

Washing your hands is at the top of the list when it comes to effective contagious disease prevention, but many still make the mistake of assuming you have to use antibacterial soap to get the job done right.

The same goes for other household cleaning. Routinely disinfecting your body and surroundings may actually cause far more harm than good in the long run.

Not only does it promote the development of drug-resistant bacteria, but antibacterial compounds such as triclosan have also been linked to a number or harmful health effects, especially in young children.

For example, research has shown that triclosan can alter hormone regulation and may interfere with fetal development in pregnant women.

This is a potentially serious concern, as researchers recently discovered traces of triclosan in 100 percent of all urine samples collected from pregnant women1,2, 3, 4 (all of whom were residents of Brooklyn, New York).

Triclosan was also found in 51 percent of cord blood samples. Yet another antibacterial compound, triclocarban, was detected in 87 percent of urine samples, and 23 percent of the cord blood samples.

A second study5 found the presence of triclosan in nearly 75 percent of doctors and nurses tested. Considering the hazards, I strongly recommend ditching antibacterial soaps and any other product containing triclosan, such as triclosan-containing toothpaste.6

Warm water and a mild soap is really all you need to scrub off the germs. Even the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stated7 that "there is currently no evidence that [antibacterial soaps] are any more effective at preventing illness than washing with plain soap and water."

The Many Health Hazards of Triclosan 

As noted in the featured article in The Atlantic,8 the reasons for avoiding triclosan are far from few... This antibacterial ingredient has been linked to:

• Allergies
• Thyroid dysfunction
• Endocrine disruption
• Weight gain
• Inflammatory responses

Most recently, triclosan was found to aggravate the growth of liver and kidney tumors, which came as a surprise to the researchers. According to one of the authors:9

“We aren't saying that triclosan causes cancer. We're just saying that with constant exposure, this environmental agent, which is extremely ubiquitous, can promote development of tumors. If one can avoid it, I would avoid it."

In another interview he clarified by saying:10

"If you have a damaged cell that's been attacked by a mutagen, triclosan promotes the development of the tumor. The compound also causes inflammation, which means that all the ingredients necessary for developing cancer are present.”

Personally, I believe there’s plenty of evidence suggesting triclosan is an unnecessary hazard that is best avoided, especially if you have children, due to its adverse effects on the endocrine system.

Triclosan Can Wreak Havoc on Hormone Function

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals are a serious concern, as they can promote a wide variety of health problems, including: breast, ovarian, prostate, and testicular cancer, preterm and low birth weight babies, precocious puberty in girls, and undescended testicles in boys.

According to Thomas Zoeller, a biology professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst who specializes in how chemicals affect the endocrine system, triclosan is one of the top 10 endocrine-disrupting chemicals used on a regular basis by most Americans. Hence, removing triclosan from the market could have a substantial impact on public health.

As noted by Professor Caren Helbing Ph.D. at the University of Victoria in Canada, the chemical structure of triclosan is similar to both thyroid hormones and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). This similarity allows it to attach to your hormone receptors.

Helbing’s research shows that tadpoles exposed to triclosan suffered stunted development and leg deformations. The metamorphic process these frogs undergo is mediated by thyroid hormones. 

Her findings were published in the Journal of Aquatic Toxicology11 in 2006, which concluded that: “Exposure to low levels of triclosan disrupts thyroid hormone-associated gene expression and can alter the rate of thyroid hormone-mediated postembryonic anuran development.”

Triclosan has also been found in community water supplies. There, it breaks down forming certain forms of dioxin, which are toxic to aquatic life and humans alike.

Are You Brushing Your Teeth with Triclosan?

Besides hand soaps and products specifically marketed as antibacterial, triclosan can also be found in a number of other household and personal care products, including cutting boards, toys, acne cream, and even toothpaste.

At present, Colgate Total is the only triclosan-containing toothpaste sold in the US, but it’s a best-seller—chances are you have a tube in your bathroom right now. If you do, consider this: if triclosan can cause serious health problems when used topically, using it in your mouth is likely even worse, as chemicals are readily absorbed into your oral tissues.

Colgate claims its product is safe,12 of course, citing a Cochrane Review13 as supporting evidence. But the review in question actually focused on the Colgate Total’s effectiveness in fighting bleeding gums and inflammation; not its long-term safety... Cochrane analyzed more than 30 studies published between 1990 and 2012, and found “moderate quality evidence” that Colgate Total is more effective than other toothpastes with respect to reducing gum bleeding and inflammation. However, the authors, Philip Riley and Thomas Lamont, specifically noted that the studies did not allow them to assess any long-term side effects.14

40 Years of Regulatory Inaction...

A number of other countries have regulations for triclosan, but the US does not. Back in 1978, the FDA said it could not make a ruling on the safety of triclosan due to insufficient evidence. In 2010, the National Resources Defense Council filed a lawsuit against the FDA over the matter. In response to growing concerns, Minnesota recently passed legislation banning the chemical in products sold within its state lines.

The state-imposed ban will not take effect until January 2017, however. There’s still no FDA ruling on triclosan, but the FDA has promised it will address the matter in 2016. However, as recently revealed by Bloomberg,15, 16 the FDA knew, or should have reasonably suspected, that there are safety problems:

“Colgate’s Total application included 35 pages summarizing toxicology studies on triclosan, which the FDA withheld from view. The agency released the pages17 earlier this year in response to a lawsuit over a Freedom of Information Act request... The pages show how even with one of the US’s most stringent regulatory processes -- FDA approval of a new drug -- the government relies on company-backed science to show products are safe and effective.

The recently released pages, taken alongside new research on triclosan, raise questions about whether the agency did appropriate due diligence in approving Total 17 years ago, and whether its approval should stand in light of new research... Among the pages were studies showing fetal bone malformations in mice and rats. Colgate said the findings weren’t relevant. Viewed through the prism of today’s science, such malformations look more like a signal that triclosan is disrupting the endocrine system and throwing off hormonal functioning...

Colgate’s application materials also show that the FDA asked questions about the thoroughness of cancer studies, which are partly addressed in recently released documents... ‘We have created a system where we are testing these chemicals out on the human population. I love the idea they are all safe,’ [biology professor Thomas] Zoeller said. ‘But when we have studies on animals that suggest otherwise, I think we’re taking a huge risk.’”

Proper Hand Washing Techniques

Hand washing is a simple way to reduce your exposure to potentially disease-causing germs and reduce your chances of getting sick. While not the only factor, it can drastically reduce the germs that get access to your body, especially when you do it at key times, such as before eating or touching your mouth, eyes, and nose, and after using the restroom or visiting public areas. You do NOT need antibacterial soap however, and this has actually been scientifically verified.

Hand washing needs to be done correctly, however, in order to be truly effective for disease control. Simply rinsing your hands with water, or giving a quick scrub with soap, is not enough to remove germs. In one recent study,18 only five percent of people washed their hands in a way that would actually kill infection and illness-causing germs. So, to make sure you’re actually removing the germs when you wash your hands, follow these guidelines:

• Use warm, running water and a mild soap (avoid antibacterial soap)
• Work up a good lather, all the way up to your wrists, scrubbing for at least 15 or 20 seconds (most people only wash for about 6 seconds)
• Make sure you cover all surfaces, including the backs of your hands, wrists, between your fingers, and around and below your fingernails
• Rinse thoroughly under running water
• In public places, use a paper towel to open the door as a protection from germs that the handles may harbor

Keep in mind that your skin is your primary barrier against germs, so obsessive-compulsive washing, especially in dry environments that typically exist for most in the winter months when the heat is on, can actually increase your risk of getting sick by drying out your skin. So keep a balance—avoid washing your hands to the point of irritating your skin, as dry, cracked areas are a perfect entryway for germs.

Keeping Yourself and Your Home Clean, Safely

I strongly encourage you to ditch all of your chemical disinfectants, including your antibacterial soaps, laundry detergents, and bath and kitchen cleansers, in favor of more natural alternatives. No study has shown that a vigorous program of home disinfection leads to a reduction of illness in a family. They have, however, shown that disinfectants can cause harm. Ideally, it’s best to limit your use of soap on your body as it removes the sebum, which contains beneficial fats designed to protect your skin from infection. Using soap will remove not only dirt but also these useful fats.

For those times when you need to do a bit of cleansing, one of the best non-toxic disinfectants is a mild soap and warm water. You can use this for washing your hands, your body, and for other household cleansing. Another all-purpose cleanser that works great for kitchen counters, cutting boards, and bathrooms is 3% hydrogen peroxide and vinegar. Simply put each liquid into a separate spray bottle, then spray the surface with one, followed by the other.

In tests run at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, pairing the two mists killed virtually all Salmonella, Shigella, and E. coli bacteria on heavily contaminated food and surfaces when used in this fashion, making this spray combination more effective at killing these potentially lethal bacteria than chlorine bleach or any commercially available kitchen cleaner. The best results came from using one mist right after the other -- it is 10 times more effective than using either spray by itself and more effective than mixing the vinegar and hydrogen peroxide in one sprayer.

Coconut oil also has potent disinfectant properties, and can be used to disinfect wooden cutting boards. Sunlight is another powerful disinfectant, and drying your laundry in the sun is one of the best ways to save energy and wind up with fresh, clean linens and clothing. Truly, there’s no need to expose your family to dangerous chemical disinfectants. As an added bonus aside from the health benefits, using this type of natural homemade cleanser is much less expensive than commercial varieties.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/12/03/triclosan-antibacterial-soap.aspx

Go to Healthwise for more articles

Ozone Therapy: A Possible Answer to Ebola?

October 26, 2014

This post is on Healthwise

Story at-a-glance

• By invitation of the President of Sierra Leone, Dr. Robert Rowen and his team is going there to teach health care workers how to treat Ebola using ozone
• Ebola hijacks your immune system and suppresses it. Once your immune system kicks, it launches a cytokine storm, and this is what causes the lethal hemorrhaging. Ozone modulates the cytokine storm
• Ozone can be administered in many different ways. It’s extraordinary in terms of its anti-infective and antiviral action, and it has virtually no toxicity, making it a prime candidate for both prevention and treatment
• With bacteria, ozone works by puncturing the membrane of the bacteria, causing it to spill its contents and die. It also inactivates viruses, and does so 10 times faster than chlorine

By Dr. Mercola

Ebola is heavily featured in the news these days, bringing lots of fear and concerns. Can anything be done to successfully treat or prevent this horrific and highly lethal disease?

Dr. Robert Rowen who is a leading expert on oxidative therapy, offers an intriguing answer in this interview. By invitation of the President of Sierra Leone, he’s going there to teach health care workers how to treat Ebola using ozone.

“I do ozone, ultraviolet blood irradiation therapy, and high-dose vitamin C,”he explains. “All of these collectively belong to a family of therapies called oxidative therapies.

In my opinion – and I’ve been doing them longer than any other living person in North America; since 1986 – especially ozone and ultraviolet [therapies] are among the most powerful therapies for healing across the board of anything I’ve ever seen in my career... It does so by stimulating your own body to heal.”

Ozone Effectively Inactivates Viruses

Ozone is quite versatile, as you can administer it in many different ways. It’s extraordinary in terms of its anti-infective and antiviral action, and it has virtually no toxicity, making it a prime candidate for both prevention and treatment.

Dr. Rowen’s YouTube channel1 contains a number of videos demonstrating and discussing what these therapies can do. With bacteria, ozone works by puncturing the membrane of the bacteria, causing it to spill its contents and die. It also inactivates viruses, and does so 10 times faster than chlorine.

“I’ve told my patients and readers, please know where your closest oxidative physician is, because your life might depend on it, and if you have the wherewithal, to get an [ozone] machine to purify water.

It can be easily adapted in the privacy of your home, so that you can administer it rectally for whatever condition you have,” Dr. Rowen says. 

Ozone—The Most Powerful Natural Oxidant in the World

Chlorine is being used overseas right now for Ebola to disinfect clothes and isolation suites, etc. But ozone actually disinfects 10 times faster than chlorine. It’s the most powerful natural oxidant in the world.

Ozone also has the advantage of stimulating the immune system, and modulating it—either up or down depending on what your system requires.

“Right now, we’re faced with probably one of the most horrific epidemics human kind has ever known. That’s a virus called Ebola that is transmitted by personal contact [through] bodily fluids and, actually, it may be also be airborne,” Dr. Rowen says.

“What I don’t know – and I’m trying to investigate – is how easily it is transmitted from person to person. I’m not sure that it’s easy to get, because if it was, everybody should be dead by now in many of the villages, and not everybody is dead.

On the other hand, we know that there are aid workers who have gotten the disease and died even though they were wearing full suits...

Anybody who works with Ebola are putting their lives on the line because there are no conventional therapies for this; none, except getting supportive care...”  

How Ozone Works to Combat Infectious Disease

As noted by Dr. Rowen, Ebola hijacks your immune system and suppresses it. Once your immune system realizes the virus is there, it launches a cytokine storm, and it is this cytokine storm that leads to massive tissue destruction and capillary leakage.

This is what causes the hemorrhaging associated with Ebola. Ozone modulates the cytokine storm.

It’s anti-infective. It improves circulation and blood flow, oxygen delivery, and likely upregulates mitochondrial respiration, thereby generating more energy in your cells. Oxygen is one of the most important things your body needs for tissue healing when you’re riddled with infection.

There’s an experimental, still unapproved treatment for Ebola called ZMapp. It offers passive immunity to the virus. This is not a vaccine but three monoclonal antibodies that have been humanized by genetic engineering and grown in tobacco plants. It’s very costly and time consuming to produce and it’s not yet commercially available.

ZMapp works with your body’s immune system, slowing down the viral load to give your body enough time to respond and not get killed by the cytokine storm. It’s not really a drug in the conventional sense, as it acts simply by slowing down the virus from reaching the cells.

This is similar to ozone’s action, but ozone could potentially be more effective, as it works both indirectly and directly. It’s directly toxic to the virus while being harmless to your body’s own cells, and also indirectly enhances your immune system function. Regarding potential safety concerns of ozone, Dr. Rowen says:

“Ozone is only hard on the lungs, but it can be given in other ways. It can be given intravenously. It can be given in the bladder, in the vagina, in the rectum, via injection – anywhere. It’s just [that] it can be tough on the lungs. You don’t want to be breathing it...

Also, the way ozone can be done is dirt cheap. And in a place like Africa, where there are thousands of people with this and there’s just no money, can you imagine what it will mean to the planet if we can treat this disease with a therapy that will cost probably less than 10 dollars per patient?”

Historical Use of Oxidation Therapy Has Proven Its Benefits

While in Sierra Leone, Dr. Rowen will use ozone on himself and his team every single day to prevent contracting the disease, and will continue the treatment for some time afterward.

“I have less fear about Ebola with [ozone therapy],” Dr. Rowen says.”I mean this and I’m speaking honestly. Yes, Ebola is a fearsome disease. But I know the power of ozone and oxidative therapies. I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t have absolute confidence that we’re going to dramatically cut the death rate.”

Oxidation therapy was actually discovered during the great influenza outbreak of 1918—a time when people were dying like flies across the world. A physician in India named Dr. Oliver was treating viral influenza—which has no treatment even today—and when he administered intravenous hydrogen peroxide, which costs a couple cents to do for materials, he cut the death rate by 50 percent.

“His comment at the end of his article published in The Lancet, a major medical journal, was, ‘This is more remarkable because we only treated the worst cases.’” Dr. Rowen says.

According to Dr. Rowen, ozone therapy is also very beneficial for heart disease, immune diseases, injuries, and chronic degenerative diseases such as osteoarthritis. As an example, Dr. Rowen has found that ozone is about 85 percent effective in knees and only slightly less effective in hips, when given as an injection.

“I’m actually injecting oxygen. One percent of it is ozone O3, 99 percent of it is oxgen O2. They’re getting a blast of oxygen and they’re getting ozone. There are two effects,” Dr. Rowen explains. “(1) They’re getting oxygen, the most important thing those cells need to heal and (2) they’re getting ozone. Ozone instantly modulates the inflammation. It knocks out the excessive nitric oxide that’s in the joint. It increases other chemical mediators that reduce inflammation.”

Other Oxidation Therapies

Aside from ozone, other oxidation therapies include hydrogen peroxide, intravenous vitamin C, and ultraviolet light. Dr. Rowen has done intravenous hydrogen peroxide since 1989, and it’s very inexpensive. One drawback is that it’s hard on your veins, and can actually make your veins disappear. Ozone doesn’t do that. Ultraviolet blood irradiation therapy is another excellent modality, although it’s not quite as versatile as ozone. You can find an article discussing ultraviolet blood irradiation therapy on Dr. Rowen’s website.2, 3

“[The article] is called ‘Ultraviolet Blood Irradiation Therapy: The Cure That Time Forgot’... [Ultraviolet blood irradiation therapy] was done widespread in this country until the ‘60s. And then when you could take a pill, it was wiped out. There are political reasons why it was wiped out, too. I know that for sure. But it’s still being done,” he says.

Then there is high-dose intravenous vitamin C. While vitamin C is an antioxidant, it also promotes the production of superoxide dismutase. Dr. Rowen explains how:

“[W]hen you give high-dose vitamin C intravenously, the ascorbic acid leaves the bloodstream and goes into the interstitial fluids where a series of reactions occur that incite a greater production of superoxide dismutase, which gets converted by the body into hydrogen peroxide. When you give intravenous vitamin C, you are actually giving hydrogen peroxide.”

Ozone Therapy for Cancer

Still, ozone therapy is a superior approach to all these other alternatives. Dr. Rowen has even used it for cancer, and while not a magic bullet, it has successfully reversed some cases of cancer, including metastatic cancer. It’s important to realize the outcome varies from individual to individual, and most are also implementing dietary and supplement protocols. He notes:

“There are articles out there where ozone therapy is recommended now by many people as a potential treatment for cancer. Why? Because tumors are hypoxic. Hypoxic means low oxygen. The research is showing that the more enrichment of oxygen you can get into the tumor, the better it’s going to behave. And ozone increases oxygenation of the body.

If you get more oxygen into the tumor, you’re going to get a better-behaved tumor aside from modulating your immune system. Hyperbaric oxygen is probably really valuable. But it’s expensive. It’s time-consuming. And in my experience – I’ve done both—I would take ozone any day over hyperbaric oxygen.

With cancer, we do a combination approach: Intravenous—either ultraviolet and/or ozone therapy. There was a monograph published 40 or 50 years ago by a man named Olney... He had listed several patients with cancer who were cured using ultraviolet blood irradiation therapy and cleaning themselves up – detoxifying with certain supplements.

We also do what’s called minor autohemotherapy. In that, you take a small amount of blood, about 5 or 6cc. You shake it up with ozone rather vigorously, and then reinject it [intramuscularly] almost like an autovaccine. I believe personally that that stimulates the immune system.

The third pillar of what I call ‘triple oxidation’ is giving a small amount of gas intravenously... intravenous oxygen. This therapy has been around in Europe for 60, 70, or 80 years... [I]t seems to stimulate other aspects of the immune system, particularly an enzyme called 15-lipoxygenase-1 (15-LOX-1). That enzyme... has very strong anti-cancer properties.”

Treatment Plan for African Ebola Patients

The treatment method Dr. Rowen will implement in Africa is using direct intravenous oxygen gas (99 percent oxygen, O2, and one percent ozone, O3)—a therapy pioneered by Dr. Howard Robin who will accompany Dr. Rowen on this trip. Again, this is NOT air. It’s a metabolically active gas that is absorbed by your body.

Ozone (O3) reacts immediately in your blood to stimulate a cascade of reactions creating something called ozonized biochemical molecules, which are highly metabolically active in the immune system and in blood circulation. As noted by Dr. Rowen, it’s “extraordinarily effective” and “dirt cheap to do.” Aside from the initial purchase of an oxygen tank and an ozone machine, the cost of treatment is limited to the price of one syringe per patient. Dr. Rowen explains the process as follows:

“You start slow with 20cc. [Dr. Robin] works up to a maximum of 120cc of gas. He gradually increases the concentration. Now, there are two issues: Initially, in the early stages of this treatment, you can get a cough and some chest tightness, which eventually with further treatments modulates and goes away. It doesn’t seem to be a big problem... [but] can be a little uncomfortable, because it takes about five to 10 minutes for it to go away.

The other problem that concerns me a little bit more is if you do this repeatedly over and over again, it can do to the vein what intravenous hydrogen peroxide does – it can make it go away. I have not seen that with major autohemotherapy, [in which you’re] taking the blood out, treating it with ozone, and putting it back in... But if you give ozone gas intravenously, yes, it’s going to act like hydrogen peroxide... Now, when you’re dealing with something like Ebola, I would be happy to sacrifice a couple of veins for a cheap, quick fix.”

Will Big Pharma Sacrifice Lives to Maintain Monopoly on Expensive Ebola Treatments?

If direct intravenous oxygen turns out to be successful, we can expect the government of Sierra Leone to announce to the world that it has a treatment for Ebola, as Dr. Rowen and his team are going there at the invitation of its President. That will make international news very quickly. On the other hand, there are commercial interests that stand to make billions, maybe trillions of dollars, on Ebola treatment drugs and/or vaccines, whether such drugs are effective or not. So it would be naïve to think that they will not make a sincere effort to suppress inexpensive oxidation therapies for the treatment of Ebola and other potential pandemic diseases...  

“Will it be suppressed? Probably yes,” Dr. Rowen says. “I’m not afraid to tell you that my biggest concern in this is that we will be in greater danger from those interests than we will be from the Ebola itself... But you know, it’s something that I have to do. All of us who are going, we’re being guided by something much higher. It’s something that I have to do no matter the risk, because the risk is far greater if we don’t do it.”

Indeed, perhaps the greatest risk of all is that the therapy will be unsuccessful for treating Ebola, and that the disease will keep spreading unchecked around the world. As noted by Dr. Rowen, the Ebola pathogen is unlike most other pathogens, and may not respond like other viruses.

“I can usually get rid of herpes zoster (shingles) in a couple of days with ozone therapy, and we can cure a lot of these other acute conditions. But Ebola is a pathogen unlike anything that we’ve ever seen before. I don’t know what’s going to happen when we do this. Maybe the patients are just so toxic that they’re going to be overcome by anything we do. I don’t know... If it doesn’t work, I don’t want to see ozone discredited for all the other miracles it does,” he says.

Why Ozone Therapy Stands a Good Chance of Working Against Ebola

Still, despite such cautious doubts, there are very positive indications suggesting oxygen therapy might be the answer the world needs right now to successfully respond to this situation. As mentioned earlier, ZMapp works by slowing down the virus, allowing your immune system more time to kill off the virus itself. Tests suggest ZMapp can be effective if given early enough, and ozone is orders of magnitude more effective at boosting immune function.

Moreover, ozone also inactivates viruses, which ZMapp does not do, which actually allows you to build immunity against the pathogen. “Since we’re neutralizing the virus, now you have viral particles that are still antigenic – not infectious but antigenic – that can stimulate your immune system, which in itself will make the antibodies,” Dr. Rowen explains.

Basically, that is an authentic “vaccine.” This is how you develop a natural immunity to the virus. I for one eagerly await Dr. Rowen’s results, and will hopefully have the opportunity to interview him again to learn about his first-hand experiences treating Ebola in Africa.

“I wouldn’t go and put myself at risk if I didn’t think that what I’m taking there to use to help these people wouldn’t also take care of myself,” Dr. Rowen says. “I’m really excited about it. I’m really hopeful that this is going to change the world... I pray about this every day. It’s my prayer that the result we get in Sierra Leone is going to change the disease-maintenance paradigm of the world. I call it ‘the sickness system.’ We need a paradigm shift.”

More Information

I strongly endorse Dr. Rowen’s recommendation to locate a clinician who can administer the oxidative therapies discussed here, because they really can be crucial—not just for virulent infectious diseases such as Ebola, but also for a wide array of other chronic diseases, from heart disease and degenerative joint disease to cancer.

To learn more about the general use of oxidative medicine, which include ozone therapy, ultraviolet blood irradiation therapy, and intravenous hydrogen peroxide therapy, please see my previous interview with Dr. Rowen. Again, of the various oxidative therapies available, ozone appears to be the best overall, as it’s the most versatile. It’s particularly beneficial for blood treatments, infection, and chronic fatigue.

Oxidative therapies work by stimulating your immune system, enhancing mitochondrial processes, and facilitating healing with virtually no side effects, and can be used either as treatment or prevention. They can also be used as a potent anti-aging health strategy for general wellness. I also encourage you to look at Dr. Rowen’s channel on YouTube,4 where you can find a number of examples of what oxidative therapies can be used for so that you can avail yourself of this relatively inexpensive and incredibly safe therapy.

To locate a clinician who can administer oxidative therapy you can try the following sources:

• Dr. Rowen’s website has a list of oxidation doctors, trained by Dr. Rowen and his team
• American College for Advancement in Medicine (ACAM.org)
• International College of Integrative Medicine (ICIMED.org)
• Oxygen HealingTherapies.com also has a list of doctors trained in a variety of oxidation therapies
• American Academy of Ozonotherapy

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/10/26/ozone-therapy-ebola.aspx

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