Possible TB Fix: Orange Juice and Advil?

New study suggests they might be effective treatments
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted May 29, 2013 2:36 PM CDT
Possible TB Fix: Orange Juice and Advil?
These might be good things to ingest if you have TB (or, in the case of the orange, just period).   (Shutterstock)

Scientists may have discovered two new treatments for tuberculosis, and you probably have both of them in your home already. Two recent studies suggest that vitamin C and ibuprofen could be effective against TB, LiveScience reports. In one study, ibuprofen helped TB-infected mice live longer, slowing the formation of lesions on their lungs. In another, vitamin C was able to kill even drug-resistant samples of the bacteria that were growing in a lab.

Neither remedy has been tested in humans, but given that both are decidedly safe for human consumption, the research is likely to be put to use sooner than later. "It's best to think of these strategies for compassionate treatment of dying patients while better drugs are being developed and evaluated in clinical trials," says one doctor not involved in the studies. (More tuberculosis stories.)

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