Can lemon peel kill cancer cells? The answer is NO

Hyderabad: A post has gone viral on social media claiming lemon peel can cure cancer and is “10,000 times stronger than chemotherapy.”

It states, “Lemon peels contain as much as 5 to 10 times more vitamins than the lemon juice itself & that’s what you’ve been wasting! Lemon peels are health rejuvenators in eradicating toxic elements in the body. The surprising benefits of lemon is the miraculous ability to kill cancer cells! It is 10,000 times stronger than chemotherapy!”

The post also accuses laboratories of not revealing the cure to people and making profits.

The post further claims, “The source of this information is fascinating: it comes from one of the largest drug manufacturers in the world, says that after more than 20 laboratory tests since 1970, the extracts revealed that It destroys the malignant cells in 12 cancers, including colon, breast, prostate, lung & pancreas… The compounds of this tree showed 10,000 times better effect than the product Adriamycin, a drug normally used chemotherapeutic in the world, slowing the growth of cancer cells. And what is even more astonishing: this type of therapy with lemon extract only destroys malignant cancer cells and it does not affect healthy cells.”

Can lemon peel cure cancer? Let’s find out.

Fact Check

NewsMeter found the claim to be false.

What’s special about lemon peels?

“Modified citrus pectin is a carbohydrate found in the peels of citrus fruits modified to be absorbed into the intestinal tract for easier human consumption. In its natural state, pectin is an indigestible dietary fiber,” according to the National Centre for Health Research.

Pointing to an animal study, it further said, “Animal studies have found that MCP can inhibit the spread of prostate, breast, and skin cancer to other organs. MCP makes it difficult for cancer cells to break off and spread, although it has no impact on the initial tumor. However, there is almost no information about whether MCP is effective in humans.”

According to UAMS Health, “…the myth (about lemons curing cancer) significantly exaggerates the potential of lemons and lemon juice as a cancer remedy. The beneficial compounds in lemon juice have shown promise in recent studies, but the levels found in foods may only enhance the body’s ability to fight off cancer. In the end, there is no proven scientific replacement for radiation therapy or chemotherapy.”

Meanwhile, National Academies explained, “Claims that limonene can fight cancer are based on laboratory studies of cancer cells growing in dishes. In some of those studies, limonene seemed to slow, block, or help kill some types of cancer cells growing in the lab. Some studies in mice also suggest that limonene may slow the growth of some tumors, including liver, colon, and pancreatic cancers.”

Hence, it is evident that there is no conclusive study that suggests that lemon peel can potentially cure cancer.