why vitamin c IV drip?
Hello all.
I’m Kate, and I’m starting a Substack journey today. Over the coming weeks, I will be talking about high-dose vitamin C IV therapy. I have received this therapy almost 220 times over the last two years and four months, so I think I can tell you a little bit about what it is, what I have been learning, and how it has been affecting my life, my health, and my journey of living an anti-inflammatory life with cancer.
I decided to document this because a lot of people, especially my friends, have been asking me: why go through the trouble of an IV that takes about two or three hours each time? Can you not just eat more oranges or take a vitamin C supplement?
It is a great question, and it is actually the perfect place to start. Here is the science behind it:
1. The Gut Limit vs. The Bloodstream
When you take vitamin C by mouth, your digestive system tightly controls how much actually gets into your blood. Even if you swallow a massive dose, your body simply flushes the rest out.
2. The IV Advantage
By delivering vitamin C straight into the vein, we bypass the digestive system entirely. This allows the concentration of vitamin C in the bloodstream to reach levels that are up to 100 times higher than what is possible through oral supplements. (By the way, I do take oral vitamin C supplements—almost 20 to 30 tablets per day—but I will cover that later).
3. Why This Matters for Cancer
At normal, everyday levels, vitamin C acts as an antioxidant, protecting cells. But at these super high, IV-only levels, it acts like a pro-oxidant. It helps create hydrogen peroxide in the tissues. Healthy cells have the enzymes to easily clean this up and stay safe, but cancer cells are notoriously bad at dealing with this oxidative stress, making them vulnerable.
This is just one piece of the puzzle in integrative oncology, and I am so excited to share more of what I am learning with you all. Stay tuned for part two, next time I am in the clinic.
I am taking this IV therapy two or three times a week. During those two and a half to three hours, I usually do work, but it can get very boring.
I am trying to unpack the treatment I am getting, starting with the IV drip. A lot of people around have been asking me what it is. I see many people getting IV drips just for better health, and it is especially common in Korea to get one when you have a cold or are feeling very tired. It is not a particularly unfamiliar or new thing there.
However, I have heard many people asking what this Vitamin C IV therapy is actually doing for treating cancer. That is what I have been doing over the last two and a half months, so I will share more. Stay tuned. Chao! 🍋 💉
