(Natural News) An exciting medical breakthrough published in the science journal Oncotarget has discovered the astonishing ability of concentrated vitamin C to halt the growth of cancer tumor stem cells.

The study, conducted at the University of Salford in Manchester — (see full text of the study at this link) — tested the impact on cancer stem cell metabolism for seven substances:

Three natural substances, including vitamin C

Three experimental pharmaceuticals

One clinical drug currently in widespread use

The study's astonishing results reveal "the first evidence that Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) can be used to target and kill cancer stem cells (CSCs), the cells responsible for fuelling fatal tumours," reports the flagship science publisher Alpha Galileo.

Vitamin C found to work up to 10 times better than a cancer pharmaceutical

Led by Michael P. Lisanti and Gloria Bonuccelli, the study results astonished researchers when it found that vitamin C worked up to 10 times better than a pharmaceutical cancer drug at interfering with cancer stem cell metabolism, effectively shutting down cancer tumors' ability to process cellular energy for survival and growth.

"Vitamin C is cheap, natural, non-toxic and readily available so to have it as a potential weapon in the fight against cancer would be a significant step," said Dr. Michael P. Lisanti, Professor of Translational Medicine at the University of Salford, in the Alpha Galileo summary of his research. It goes on to report:

Vitamin C has previously been shown to be effective as a non-toxic anti-cancer agent in studies by Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling and was recently shown to reduce mortality by 25% on breast cancer patients in Japan. However, its effects on CSC activity have not been previously evaluated and in this context, it behaves as an inhibitor of glycolysis, which fuels energy production in mitochondria, the "powerhouse" of the cell.