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In recent years, rumors that "dandelions can kill 98% of cancer cells within 48 hours" have spread rapidly, causing widespread concern. This unsubstantiated claim has given hope to many people due to the fear of cancer and the desire for simple, effective treatment options.
However, as science continues to advance, it is important to treat these rumors rationally and distinguish scientific facts from false information. This article will explore the source of dandelion's anti-cancer rumors and the scientific basis behind them through the story of a family who misbelieved in home remedies, and give a popular interpretation of its pharmacological effects.
Dispute: Mistaken belief in the home remedies
On an autumn evening, Liu Xianxian pushed open the door, walked into the house tiredly, and threw his backpack next to the sofa. At that time, there was the sound of a kettle boiling in the kitchen, accompanied by a slight cough.
Liu Xianxian (not his real name) frowned, walked briskly into the kitchen, and saw his mother carefully pouring a handful of dried dandelion roots into boiling water, white smoke rising from the teapot.
"Mom, are you making this tea again?"
Liu Xianxian couldn't help sighing, his brows furrowed: "Didn't the doctor say that Dad's condition needs to be treated on time, and it is not appropriate for you to use home remedies indiscriminately." ”
Mother Gu Ling (pseudonym) turned sideways and looked at her son, with a little dissatisfaction in her eyes: "Xianxian, you don't understand. I saw an article online saying that dandelion root can kill cancer cells in a short period of time, which is definitely good for your dad's disease. I'm here for his health! ”
Liu Xianxian shook his head helplessly, approached his mother, and tried to take the teapot from her hand:
"Mom, you can't just believe those rumors, Dad's illness needs scientific treatment, not these home remedies."
His tone aggravated, worried that his father's illness would be delayed by his mother's stubbornness.
Gu Ling clutched the teapot tightly, preventing Liu Xianxian from getting his hands on it, and an impatient look appeared on her face. "Your dad is now weak and has a bad appetite after chemotherapy, and drinking some of this tea can still nourish his body, there is no harm. I've also heard that soaking dandelion root in water can kill 98% of cancer cells in two days! ”
Liu Xianxian felt powerless, he knew that it was futile to argue with his mother about such a thing. This is not the first time they have argued over their father's treatment plan.
Liu Xianxian's father, Liu Shi, was diagnosed with lung cancer three months ago, and although doctors recommended systemic chemotherapy, Gu Ling never believed that the hospital's treatment plan would work. She prefers to look up various "magic remedies" on the Internet and believes that these remedies can save her husband's life.
"Mom, the doctor made it clear that there is no scientific basis for the treatment of cancer with dandelion."
Liu Xianxian tried his best to keep his tone calm, but the anxiety and helplessness in his heart could not be concealed.
Gu Ling stubbornly put the teapot back on the stove, took out a new cup, and slowly poured it full of pale yellow tea: "Your father just drank this tea yesterday, and he is obviously much better today." If you don't believe it, forget it, but I can't watch him go on like this. She turned around and walked towards Liu Shi's bedroom with a teacup.
Liu Xianxian stood in place, looking at his mother's back, and helpless emotions welled up in his heart. He knew he couldn't change his mother's mind, but he couldn't sit idly by.
He followed his mother in three steps and two steps, trying to stop her at the last moment: "Mom, you can't do this anymore, Dad is weak enough, you can't let him drink this useless stuff anymore." ”
Gu Ling stopped, turned around, and her face was even more determined than just now: "I have already decided, at least your father will not be harmful to drink this tea." You don't have to persuade me anymore. ”
"Come, Lao Zhang, drink some of this, it's good for your body." Her tone was soft, with a hint of anticipation.
Liu Shi slowly opened his eyes, glanced at his wife weakly, looked at the teacup next to the bed, and shook his head gently: "Don't drink it, it's too bitter." ”
Gu Ling hurriedly persuaded: "This is a good thing, I have checked, dandelion can fight cancer, and drinking it is good for you." ”
Liu Xianxian stood at the door, watching this scene, with mixed feelings. He knew very well that his father was extremely weak after chemotherapy, and he couldn't even drink much ordinary water, let alone this bitter dandelion tea. He walked quickly to the bedside, pressed his father's hand, and stopped him from taking the cup of tea: "Dad, don't listen to Mom, the doctor has already said that drinking these useless things will only delay your treatment." ”
Seeing this, Gu Ling's face turned red with anger and wanted to continue arguing, but Liu Shi waved her hand lightly, signaling her to stop arguing. His voice was weak but firm: "Xianxian, your mother is also for my good. Forget it, stop arguing. ”
Liu Xianxian's heart was sour, although his father was ostensibly mediating the dispute, he knew that his father's physical strength could no longer withstand any pressure or dispute.
Although Liu Shi did not explicitly refuse to drink dandelion tea, his weakness obviously did not allow for any more burden. Liu Xianxian didn't say much, just silently held his father's hand, feeling his gradually weakening strength.
In the evening, Liu Xianxian sat on the sofa in the living room, staring out the window with dull eyes, his heart full of anxiety. Mother is still busy in the kitchen, seemingly preparing another new home remedies.
She always believed that she could find a shortcut to heal her husband, and no matter how Liu Xianxian persuaded her, she would never give up.
A few days later, Liu Shi's condition suddenly deteriorated, and the doctor said that the next step of chemotherapy must be urgently carried out, otherwise the best time for treatment will be missed.
However, Gu Ling still insisted on her own opinion, and even planned to postpone chemotherapy so that her husband could continue to drink dandelion tea and other home remedies. This time, Liu Xianxian completely lost his patience, and he decided to have a direct showdown with his mother.
"Mom, if you continue like this, Dad's condition will only get worse and worse!" Liu Xianxian's tone was full of anger and determination. "The doctor has made it clear to us that formal treatment is the only option and you can't let him drink these things anymore!"
Gu Ling was silent for a moment, raised her head to look at Liu Xianxian, and for the first time showed a trace of hesitation on her face: "That...... You say, what are we going to do? ”
Liu Xianxian took a deep breath and said firmly: "We must listen to the doctor and start chemotherapy as soon as possible." This is the only way to give Dad a chance to recover at the moment. ”
He paused, then added, "Think about it, are you really reliable?" If dandelion tea is really that magical, why don't doctors recommend it? ”
Gu Ling looked down at the teacup in her hand, her expression was complicated, as if she was thinking about her son's words. After a few moments, she finally put down her teacup and walked silently to the living room. Although she is still a little reluctant in her heart, the pressure of reality and her husband's deteriorating condition make her have to face the facts.
However, as Liu Xianxian and his mother jointly arranged the next chemotherapy treatment for Liu Shi, they still had an unanswered question in their hearts: how much credibility are there in those rumors about dandelion fighting cancer? If it really doesn't work, why do so many people believe it? And if it works, why isn't it widely used?
Kill 98% of cancer cells in 48 hours?
In recent years, the discussion of dandelion as a medicinal plant has attracted a lot of attention on the internet. In particular, rumors that "dandelion can kill 98% of cancer cells within 48 hours" have appeared frequently. Although it is based on a certain amount of scientific research, the rumored statements are clearly exaggerated and misleading.
First, the source of this rumor can be traced back to the research of Siyaram Pandey, a professor of biochemistry at the University of Windsor, Canada, and his team.
The research team found that dandelion extract showed a certain inhibitory effect on certain types of cancer cells, especially melanoma cells, in test-tube experiments.
Studies have shown that dandelion extract is able to kill up to 98% of melanoma cells within 48 hours at specific concentrations. However, this experiment is limited to in vitro test-tube studies, i.e., tests in cancer cell culture under laboratory conditions, and has not yet involved human clinical trials.
Contrary to myth, dandelion extract was used in the experiment, not fresh dandelion or its brewed tea. The extract is finely processed and concentrated to be able to reach a specific concentration in an experimental environment that may be effective in inhibiting the growth of cancer cells.
The "dandelion soaking" as understood by the general public does not have the same effect. The dandelion component in the tea is nowhere near enough to reach the concentration level of the extract in the laboratory, therefore, drinking dandelion tea does not produce a similar anti-cancer effect.
Second, the scope of this study was limited to melanoma cells and did not involve other types of cancer cells.
Melanoma is a relatively specific type of cancer that has a different cell structure and biology from other types of cancer cells. Therefore, the inhibitory effect of dandelion extract on melanoma does not mean that it will have the same effect on all cancers.
In fact, the study did not conclude whether other types of cancer cells had a similar effect. Therefore, it is an oversimplification and misleading practice to generalize the results of such local experiments to all cancer cells.
In addition to this, the results of IVF experiments do not equate to the effects of human experiments. In the lab, researchers can precisely control the environment in which cells grow, how they provide nutrients, and how much they concentrate on drugs, which is very different from the complex environmental conditions in the human body.
Factors such as the body's metabolic system, immune response, and blood circulation will affect the efficacy of a substance, and there is no conclusive scientific basis for whether dandelion extract can produce the same effect as test-tube experiments in the human body.
Further investigation of this study revealed that the dandelion extract used by the research team in the experiment was not directly obtained from ordinary dandelion commonly found in the market, but the active ingredient extracted through a specific preparation process.
The extract contains a variety of active compounds, such as flavonoids, phenolic compounds, and polysaccharides, which have certain antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and inhibition of tumor cell growth. However, these ingredients are not released and absorbed by simply soaking in water.
The traditional way of brewing tea can only release a small amount of water-soluble substances in dandelion, which is far from the high concentration of the extract in the experiment.
It is worth noting that even in test-tube experiments, the effect of dandelion extract on melanoma cells is not to "kill" cancer cells, but to inhibit their growth and reproduction.
This means that the effect in the experiment is more like delaying or inhibiting the spread of cancer cells than completely eliminating them. Therefore, the statement that "98% of cancer cells are killed in 48 hours" is obviously a misreading and exaggeration of the experimental results.
The main significance of this study is that it provides a research direction for dandelion extract as a potential anti-cancer drug, but it is far from reaching the stage of clinical application.
Finally, the rumors about dandelion fighting cancer remind people to be rational and cautious when facing health information online. The content of the rumors, while partly based on real scientific research, is presented in a misleading way.
The results of scientific research are often preliminary, and the results of test-tube experiments do not mean that they can be directly applied to the human body. When the public obtains health information, they should rely more on professional doctors and authoritative medical institutions, rather than trusting unverified home remedies.
Precautions for dandelion use
Although dandelion is not an effective means of treating cancer, it does have its appropriate application as a medicinal and edible plant. When drinking dandelion tea or using dandelion products, you should pay attention to the following:
Drink in moderation: Dandelion tea has a certain diuretic and heat-clearing effect, and drinking it in moderation is beneficial to health.
However, excessive consumption may lead to excessive cold in the body, triggering gastrointestinal discomfort such as diarrhea, acid reflux, nausea and other symptoms. Especially for people with weak and cold constitution, they should avoid drinking dandelion tea in large quantities for a long time.
Avoid mixing with certain medications: Dandelion may interact with certain medications, especially diuretics, antihypertensive drugs, or hypoglycemic medications. Therefore, patients who are taking these medications should consult a doctor before consuming dandelion tea to ensure its safety.
Allergic reactions: A small number of people may have an allergic reaction to certain ingredients in dandelion, which is manifested as itching, redness, and swelling of the skin. If allergy symptoms occur, discontinue use immediately and seek medical advice.
Pregnant women and special populations: pregnant women, lactating women, children, and people with weak spleen and stomach should be cautious about using dandelion products to avoid adverse reactions due to its cold characteristics.
summary
Cancer treatment is complex and rigorous, relying on scientific medical methods rather than unproven folk remedies.
Misbelieving these rumors can not only delay treatment, but can lead to more serious consequences. Therefore, patients should choose the appropriate treatment plan under the guidance of their doctors, rather than believing false information on the Internet.
A scientific and rational attitude is the most powerful weapon against disease.
Resources
"The Internet rumors of "turning crazy" are deep, don't take it seriously! Hebei News Network