, Aug. 8 -- Vitamin C has long been promoted as a possible cancer treatment, but new research suggests its potential may be more complicated than the idea that taking large amounts of the vitamin can cure the disease.

The debate goes back to Nobel Prize-winning scientist Linus Pauling, who became a strong supporter of high-dose vitamin C late in his career. In the 1970s, Pauling and Scottish doctor Ewan Cameron treated patients with advanced cancer using large amounts of vitamin C.

They reported that some patients receiving the treatment lived longer and experienced a better quality of life.

However, later clinical trials conducted by the Mayo Clinic found no clear benefit from taking high-dose vitamin C tablets. The results largely en...