Lemon has been recently issued to be the proper and best healer of cancer. Substances and chemical reactions produced by the delicious fruit are said to be able to eliminate, deactivate, neutralize and anything to represent kill cancer. The issues started to spread all over electronic mails since January 2011; the source is a research or health institute located in Baltimore. The mail clearly states that lemon is 10,000 more effective compared to chemotherapy in the battle against cancer. According to the email, this fact is kept as a secret by laboratories who intend to provide the synthetic version of the medication in the purpose of gaining large profit. Another part of the email says that one of the largest drug manufacturers in the world being the source of this information. The information is strange since even if there is indeed Institute of Health Sciences located in Baltimore, the website does not contain any article to clarify the issue. Regarding this issue on lemon and cancer, some people have stated their disagreements by providing proven facts on lemon and its capability to fight cancer.
In many ways, the attitude of hiding certain facts makes sense after all, drug manufacturers that plan to invent synthetic version of certain medications to gain profits. Nevertheless, the main case here is the connection between lemon and cancer; does the former kills the later? According to few studies, lemon has some substances that are really able to help patients fight cancer cells; however, the effectiveness against the illness is the question. Even worse, chemotherapy, which remains the best resort and most effective treatment against cancer, is considered weaker. So far, the best and proven information to relate lemon and cancer is concerning limonoids and modified citrus pectin, but those substances have not ever been completely tested in humans.
The biggest possibility arisen from the issue on lemon and cancer is the overrated limonoids and modified citrus pectin (MCP). The followings will be some logical reasons why lemon cannot be the perfect cancer killer in humans.
Limonoids
Actually, limonoids are found in a group of fruits that include lemons, oranges, grapefruit and limes as well. Therefore, limonoids are not unique substances to lemons. This chemical substance is proven to slow down the growing rate of cancer cells if given at a very high dose. Besides, limonoids are also capable of inducing cell death. Nevertheless, the research that proved the fact was conducted toward animals and vitro human breast cancer (breast cancer cells that have been removed for further studies in laboratory). There have not scientific conclusion yet about limonoids’ effectiveness when used or applied in humans.
Modified Citrus Pectin (MCP)
Another overrated substance regarding lemon and cancer issues is modified citrus pectin (MCP). It is a carbohydrate also found in peels citrus (groups of fruits as mentioned in the previous passage), which have been modified to be easily consumed by human metabolism system. This substance has the similar function to limonoids that is preventing the spread of cancer cells especially ones that attack prostate, breast and skin; MCP does not provide useful functions against the initial tumor. Once again, the research has only been conducted to animals.