Scientists tested Vitamin C in people at risk of leukemia -- one finding surprised them

A clinical trial dubbed EVITA phase 2 tested whether daily vitamin C could improve outcomes for people with precancerous blood conditions or early blood cancers. The study randomized 109 patients with CCUS or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) to 1,000 mg of oral vitamin C daily for 12 months or a placebo, with neither patients nor staff knowing assignments until results were finalized. None of the participants were receiving cancer treatment during the trial. Investigators found blood vitamin C levels normalized in the supplement group, along with fewer adverse events and shifts in cytokines linked to immune communication. An exploratory analysis suggested participants were more likely to be alive after about three years, though vitamin C did not clearly slow abnormal cell expansion, and it was not proven to prevent leukemia.