IV Nutrient Therapy for Cancer Care By Carissa Fioritto, ND, RN
a quick, effective way to administer fl uids as well as medications and has helped saved lives by rapidly administering life- saving drugs, such as antibiotics. It has been utilized widely with cancer patients in the form of chemotherapy which can be very harsh on the body. While it attacks cancerous cells, chemo can affect healthy tissues such as hair follicles and the GI tract lining, causing its well-known side effects of hair loss, nausea, vomiting, and the list goes on. With the emergence of IV nutrient therapy, there has been much research to help increase benefi ts of standard treatment, reduce side effects, and increase quality of life after treatment is fi nished.
I IV Nutrient Therapy
IV nutrient therapy is a safe way to administer high doses of vitamins or minerals to the body. Since they enter the bloodstream, they can be delivered right away to the body’s cells which can uptake them for use. In contrast, when a nutrient is taken into the body by mouth, it is broken down in the stomach and absorbed by the small intestine and then enters the blood- stream. Vitamins are not absorbed 100% in the GI system. The percentage absorbed goes down with any level of GI dysfunc- tion; low stomach acid, bacterial dysbiosis, malabsorption, or infl ammation. On top of the potential GI dysfunction, our world is more toxic today than ever before. We are exposed to constant insults like poor food
26 Natural Nutmeg - October 2019
V therapy is a relatively new method of delivering medicine to patients, with its popularity taking off in the 1950s. It is
quality, infections, chemicals, pollution, alcohol, and heavy metals, not to mention chemotherapy. The body has an increased demand for vitamins and minerals so it can detoxify these pollutants and regenerate healthy cells. Mega doses of nutrients can be given safely through IV therapy and the body can be rapidly repleted. This helps the body deal with stress, detoxifi cation, immune function, cellular functions, life extension, and regeneration. All of this becomes even more depleted when going through the stress of cancer; the physical treatment, the emotional, mental, social, and fi nancial burden of cancer that can further stress the body.
IV Vitamin C
IV Vitamin C, or ascorbate, therapy is probably one of the more well-known therapies for cancer patients. It all can be considered “high dose” as standard oral therapy is usually around 1000 mg or 1 gram by mouth. However, IV Vitamin C can be given at low doses of 5 grams up to 20 grams, or higher doses of 20 grams and up, usually maxing out somewhere around 125 grams depending on the practitioner. The IV route of Vitamin C is the only way to achieve plasma concentrations high enough that have shown clinical benefi t for cancer patients. Vitamin C has been shown to have downstream effects on repairing DNA damage, mitochondrial damage, and stimulate apoptosis, or pro- grammed cell death. Additionally, Vitamin C has a positive effect on infl ammation markers which can fuel abnormal cell di-
vision. Cancer patients have been shown to have lower concentrations of plasma ascorbate levels upon diagnosis. While IV Vitamin C is not contraindicated in any cancers, it has more research showing its effectiveness in certain types of cancers, like ovarian and pancreatic cancers. Addi- tionally, Vitamin C can be synergistic with certain chemotherapeutic agents, which would increase their effi cacy. While IV Vi- tamin C therapy is not curative for cancer, it has been shown in multiple studies to improve quality of life measures, such as fatigue, pain, nausea, and vomiting.
Poly-MVA/Lipoic Acid
Another IV therapy is Poly-MVA, or lipoic acid mineral complex (LAMC). It contains complex molecules that can enter a cell and work on the mitochondria to create energy. Like Vitamin C therapy, this therapy has multiple benefi ts. It has been shown to be protective for the neurologic and cardiac system, which some classes of chemotherapies can cause adverse effects in these systems. It has anticancer benefi ts as it helps create energy in healthy cells and does not feed cancerous cells. It also promotes DNA repair and protects cells against toxins, which makes it great to use after chemotherapy and radiation. Again, this IV therapy helps improve quality of life measures. Because it helps produce energy in the cells, it helps with fatigue levels and overall well-being. It is a great addition after standard treatments because it can benefi t pain and neuropathy.
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