Vitamin C kills drug-resistant TB in lab tests

[xchrom]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-22614522

***SNIP

In the laboratory studies, vitamin C appeared to be acting as a "reducing agent" - something that triggers the production of of reactive oxygen species called free radicals. These free radicals killed off the TB, even drug resistant forms that are untreatable with conventional antibiotics such as isoniazid.

Lead investigator Dr William Jacobs, professor of microbiology and immunology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University, said: "We have only been able to demonstrate this in a test tube, and we don't know if it will work in humans and in animals.

"This would be a great study to consider because we have strains of tuberculosis that we don't have drugs for, and I know that in the laboratory we can kill those strains with vitamin C.

"It also helps that we know vitamin C is inexpensive, widely available and very safe to use. At the very least, this work shows us a new mechanism that we can exploit to attack TB."

[BlueToTheBone]

1. That's incredible. I bet the drug companies will try to kill that study

and I hope they don't. I believe food is medicine. Of course, vitamins are great, but real food is best.

[newfie11]

2. I love it

Thanks for posting. Dr Pauling is probably smiling.

[mopinko]

3. this hasn't even been shown in mice.

or any living thing. a story about nothing.

[Jane Austin]

4. Wouldn't bleach or orange oil

also kill those germs in a test tube?

Or did they somehow replicate the way it works in the body?

[Ian David]

7. So would ammonia, or a couple minutes in the microwave. n/t

[pavlao1971]

5. Fred Klenner Vitamin C

This is not a new discovery. Google Dr Fred Klenner, he treated infections of all types successfully with cheap plain old ascorbic acid for years but was mocked and scorned by big Pharma. This "new" TB find will be suppressed as well. It is already obvious by a google search, there are no USA articles, it should be front page news.

[Ian David]

6. They also laughed at Bozo the Clown. n/t

[hrmjustin]

8. Welcome to DU my friend!