Viral post claims drinking hot pineapple juice kills cancer: Health myth busted

Hyderabad: A post for a bizzare home remedy to cure cancer has gone viral on social media. The viral Facebook post claims that hot pineapple juice can cure cancer.

It claims, “The hot pineapple fruit has the effect of killing cysts and tumours. Proven to repair all types of cancer. Hot pineapple water can kill all germs and toxins from the body as a result of allergic/allergies.”

We also found an article about pineapple and its ability to cure cancer.

According to the National Cancer Institute, “Cancer is a disease in which some of the body’s cells grow uncontrollably and spread to other parts of the body.”

Pineapple is a healthy fruit and has several health benefits, but can pineapple juice kill cancer cell?

Let’s debunk the claim.

FACT CHECK

NewsMeter performed a keyword search to find relevant information about the relation between pineapple and cancer.

According to WebMD, “The research on fruits and cancer isn’t perfect. There aren’t many studies, and the results are often inconsistent. No food, and certainly no one fruit, can prevent or fight cancer. Still, certain types of fruits may have cancer-fighting qualities. Others can make it easier for you to cope with the side effects of treatments.”

It also stated that researchers are studying a range of plant chemicals that may play a role in cancer prevention, including Bromelain, an enzyme in pineapples, Carotenoids, plant pigments often found in orange fruits, Antioxidants in pomegranates.

The research is in its early stages, so we really don’t know yet if these plant chemicals have anti-cancer benefits. But at the least, these fruits are high in fiber. Fiber can help reduce your risk of certain cancers and help you maintain a healthy weight.

We further investigated to find if cancers are curable. According to an article in WebMd, ‘“Fruit” is a general term you use to cover many different kinds: apples, cranberries, pineapple and more. Likewise, “cancer” is a catch-all word for more than 200 types, including cancers of the bladder, brain, breast, colon, eye, kidney, liver, lungs, ovaries, and skin. When you have cancer, abnormal cells develop, divide, and destroy healthy tissue in your body. Some types grow slowly; others spread quickly. Each kind starts in a different part of your body and has its own grades, stages, and symptoms. Because 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.”

We also searched for fruits that are best during and after cancer treatment and that can fight cancer but did not find pineapple mentioned specifically for curing cancer.

Click here and here to see the lists.

Talking about bromelain enzyme found in pineapples, we found a study on the purported benefits and side effects of bromelain but it did not mention its cancer-fighting property. There is no evidence or study that proves pineapples can treat cancer.

It is evident that the claim is unproven and lacks any scientific evidence. Hence, the claim is false.

Cancer is not a joke. Take life seriously and don’t fall prey to such foolish home remedies. Get in touch with your health expert and get treatment accordingly.