Vitamin C Safety: Are the Peroxide Levels a Concern? (Dr. Thomas Levy Responds)Home » Vitamin C » Vitamin C Safety: Are the Peroxide Levels a Concern? (Dr. Thomas Levy Responds)

Hopefully, you have read my page on the Evidence That Vitamin C Can Cure (Partially or Totally) Most the World’s Nastiest Viruses:  I consider to be one of the most important pages on my site. Or perhaps you have read one of Dr. Thomas Levy’s groundbreaking books, such as Curing the Incurable: Vitamin C, Infectious Diseases and Toxins, about its superpowers against Dengue, Epstein Barr, Acute Hepatitis, Rheumatic Fever, West Nile Virus and many more. If you have, then you probably know that one of the key mechanisms by which Vitamin C kills these kind of deadly viruses is through peroxide. Taking megadoses – and this is via liposomal or IV Vitamin C and not standard supplements – releases elevated peroxide levels which are devastating to viruses (and many cancerous tumors and nasty bacteria as well).

The importance of this cannot be overstated as modern medicine and pharmaceuticals have a lackluster – deplorable is probably a better word – track record against virtually all of these viruses.  Vitamin C should clearly be a tool in every doctor’s toolbelt, but it does not get the coverage it deserves, since it is a non-pharmaceutical that cannot be patented.  If a patient is very sick and suffering with one of these viruses, I think it is inexcusable that Vitamin C therapies are not considered.  In my mind it’s a no brainer, since it is cheap, easy to implement and has a stellar side effect profile.

That said, I have had only one nagging question about megadosed Vitamin C, and I asked this of Dr. Thomas Levy, the modern day apostle of Vitamin C Therapy that I mentioned above. The summary of my concern is that peroxide is a potent free radical and so, even though Vitamin C therapy causes virtually no side effects, I wanted to double check that there were no long term issues.  Dr. Levy graciously answered me with the information below:

Q. Is high dose IV or liposomal Vitamin C only safely used a few times in your life? Can liposomal or IV Vitamin C be used regularly as part of a maintenance treatment protocol for patients with Epstein-Barr or various STD-related viruses such as herpes? Finally, do we have anecdotal or case study evidence of patients using maintenance doses of liposomal or IV Vitamin C over the years with no ill or side effects?”

A. Hello Lee,

All chronic degenerative diseases are characterized, and facilitated by, increased oxidative stress inside the diseased cells. It is truly a final common denominator. Furthermore, it is increased intracellular concentrations of iron, copper, and/or calcium that will always cause and propagate this state in the diseased cell. One of the most common mediators of this increased oxidative stress is via upregulation of the Fenton reaction, breaking down peroxide into the most oxidative free radical known, the hydroxyl radical.

Catalase normally keeps peroxide levels inside cells to negligible levels. However, when it is largely absent, as in most cancer cells and probably many chronically diseased cells, antioxidants such as vitamin C can donate an electron to Fe3+, forming Fe2+, which then donates the electron to peroxide and forms the hydroxyl radical. This is a primary way in which VC can kill a cancer cell when acutely given in very high doses.

So, regarding the following quote, “The ability for Abeta to generate H(2)O(2), and interactions of H(2)O(2) with iron and copper to generate highly toxic ROS, may provide a mechanism for the oxidative stress associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The role of heavy metals in Alzheimer’s disease pathology and the toxicity of the H(2)O(2) molecule may be closely linked.”

Peroxide certainly worsens any chronic degenerative disease when it is present in excess inside a cell. However, the chronic dosing of VC and other powerful antioxidants by multiple mechanisms works to decrease the already increased oxidative stress inside such cells, such as by helping to purge such cells of the accumulated toxins that promoted the increased oxidative stress in the first place.

So, take as much vitamin C and antioxidants as possible. It’s only long-term side effect will be increased longevity and less symptomatic diseases.

Best regards,

Dr. Levy, M.D. and Founder of Peak Energy

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