For a while now, many people have been promoting the consumption of soursop as a means to kill cancer cells. The claim is that soursop works better than chemotherapy as some cancerous cells are resistant to chemo treatments. The question is, are soursop fruits really a cure for cancer and a better alternative to chemotherapy for cancer patients?

The soursop fruit – a miracle cure for cancer?

If you do a search on the internet on this topic, you are likely to find many sources that stand by the goodness of soursop to help cancer patients battle cancer instead of undergoing chemotherapy. Besides the fresh fruit itself, there are also many types of soursop supplements in the market. Do they really work?

Here’s a short article posted on Cancer Research UK’s website on the use of soursop to help cure cancer:

Can graviola cure cancer?

Graviola is something that comes from a tree in the rain forests of Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia.  Its scientific name is Annona muricata.  It is also known as cherimoya, guanabana, soursop, custard apple, and brazilian paw paw.  In many countries, people use the bark, leaves, root, and fruits of this tree for traditional remedies.  The active ingredient is thought to be a type of plant compound (phytochemical) called annonaceous acetogenins.

People in African and South American countries have used graviola to treat infections with viruses or parasites, rheumatism, arthritis, depression, and sickness.  We know from research that some graviola extracts can help to treat these conditions.

In laboratory studies, graviola extracts can kill some types of liver and breast cancer cells that are resistant to particular chemotherapy drugs.  But there haven’t been any large scale studies in humans.  So we don’t know yet whether it can work as a cancer treatment or not.  Overall, there is no evidence to show that graviola works as a cure for cancer.  Many sites on the internet advertise and promote graviola capsules as a cancer cure, but none of them are supported by any reputable scientific cancer organisations. 

We know very little about how graviola affects the body.  But we do know it can cause nerve changes, causing symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease.  So it may have harmful side effects for some people.  Always talk to your doctor before taking any kind of complementary or alternative therapy.

Graviola costs more than £5 for 100 capsules.  The manufacturers advise taking 2 capsules, 3 to 4 times a day.  So 100 capsules could last less than 2 weeks.

We do not support the use of graviola to treat cancer.  Our advice is to be very cautious about believing information or paying for any type of alternative cancer therapy on the internet.  You may find it useful to read our section on searching for information on the internet.

Whatever you read and have been recommended by well-meaning family members and friends, do a quick check, especially on reliable sites. Get to know the full picture before you think the majority should be right.

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Is soursop a better alternative to chemo treatment?

I read this piece of news and I’m quoting it as it is here as it’s pretty self explanatory. Whether you believe in the study’s findings and want to take note of this warning will be totally your call.

Cancer warning for talcum powder

Be careful the next time you sprinkle yourself with talcum powder or inhale it as it has been found to cause cancers and tumours, said the Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP).

Magnesium silicate hydroxide, also commonly known as talc, is the main ingredient in baby, medicated and designer perfumed body powder.

CAP president S.M. Mohamed Idris said the latest findings from the United States suggested that women who used talcum powder were 40% more likely to suffer from ovarian cancer.

“Talc particles are capable of moving up the reproductive system and becoming embedded in the ovary lining.

“Researchers have found talc particles in ovarian tumour and they have also discovered that women with ovarian cancer used talcum powder on their genitals more frequently than healthy women,” he told a press conference at the CAP headquarters here Tuesday.

He said that researchers from Harvard Medical School in Boston studied over 3,000 women and found that those using talcum once a week had a 36% chance of getting ovarian cancer, while those using talcum daily had a 41% chance.

Talcum, Mohamed Idris added, was also a health risk when exposed to the lungs as the puffy white cloud of powder ended up being inhaled by babies.

“Talc can cause the baby’s airways to swell and lead to pneumonia, and has been linked to asthma in children. Statistics show that several thousands infants die or become seriously ill each year due to inhalation of baby powder,” he said.

He urged the Health Ministry to place a warning on products containing talc and to stop the marketing of baby powder containing talc.

“Consumers should revert to using the traditional ‘bedak sejuk,’ which is made of rice flour or powder made from corn flour,” he added.

For further reading, check out this post that has more information about the talcum powder link to ovarian cancer study.

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Talcum powder can cause cancer

A new car is always very easy to distinguish by the smell of its interiors. This “new car smell” is emitted by the plastics, glue and carpeting used in the car interior. Studies have shown that these components, when new, are in unstable conditions and will release gases. Some of these gases are known to be unhealthy when we are exposed to them for prolonged periods. These gases include benzene and formaldehyde.

These components are known carcinogens that can possibly cause cancer. These harmful gases pose as even more dangerous threats in hot conditions. If you think about it, we are regularly exposed to such hazards when we park our cars in unsheltered parking areas for long periods of time. When we enter a hot car, we are exposing ourselves to their dangers.

Some helpful ways to prevent being exposed to these substances include winding down the car windows or leaving the car doors opened to let the hot gases out before entering the car. You can also leave the windows down while driving to help clear out the gases. Cleaning solutions for car interiors should also be avoided so that it doesn’t exacerbate the problem.

So the next time you get a ride in a new car, be warned that you are exposed to these poisonous gases. You will now think twice about enjoying the smell of a new car, won’t you?

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The smell of a new car can be dangerous