Fact Check: Can carrots, onions, garlic, and lime juice cure cancer?

Hyderabad: A Facebook reel of a Nigerian Herbalist David Agunbiade aka Dr. Roots is being widely shared on social media. He is claiming that consuming carrots, onions, garlic, and lime juice can prove an 'effective remedy' for any type of cancer at any stage.

In the video, Dr. Roots could be seen asking, “Hi everyone. I am Dr. Roots and I greet all the elders. Do you have cancer? Is it breast cancer or colon cancer?”

He further adds,‘ “Enough carrots, enough onions, and enough garlic. Wash the vegetables, pound them in a mortar, and put the result in a bottle with freshly extracted lime juice. After letting it sit for 24 hours, the mixture was to be taken it as "a shot twice daily until you see improvement."

Although, there is the juice is undoubtedly healthy can you rely on it to treat cancer?

Fact Check

NewsMeter found the claim to be false.

In simple words, cancer is a disease in which some of the body’s cells grow uncontrollably and spread to other parts of the body. There are more than 100 types of cancer. Types of cancer are usually named for the organs or tissues where the cancers form. For example, lung cancer starts in the lung, and brain cancer starts in the brain.

“Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the world”, says Mayoclinic.

According to the American Institute of Cancer Research, “Carrots cancer-fighting potential comes from being a non-starchy vegetable as well as a source of carotenoids and other phytochemicals. Beta-carotene is the carotenoid that has received the most attention, but research into carrot’s other compounds, and carrots as a whole food, is underway.”

More research is needed.

A study has revealed that ginger can be effective against various Gastrointestinal cancers such as gastric cancer, pancreatic cancer, liver cancer, colorectal cancer, and cholangiocarcinoma. However, its anticancer effects on other Gastrointestinal cancers like duodenal, esophageal, anal, Gastrointestinal carcinoid tumor, and pancreatic islet cell cancer have yet not been established. Therefore, the efficacy of such potent agents on these cancers is warranted.’

It should be noted that human studies are needed to establish a conclusion.

According to Healthline, onions have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. They may lower blood sugar levels, improve bone health, and reduce the risk of several types of cancers.

It should be noted that every kind of cancer is different, there’s no one-size-fits-all cure. But sometimes, people may say they are cured if their cancer seems to go away with treatment. But it’s not quite that simple.

WebMD further adds, “There are no cures for any kind of cancer, but there are treatments that may cure you.”

Hence, apart from the risk reduction effects on certain types of cancers, we could not find any conclusive study calling out onions as a potent cancer killer.