Shark Cartilage and Cancer

Other than being a popular sea food, shark species are also popular for the alleged health benefits of its various organs - especially its cartilage. A cartilage is a type of connective tissue which forms the skeletal system of this cartilaginous fish species. Shark cartilage is believed to be effective in the treatment of ailments such as cancer, arthritis etc. These alleged benefits of shark cartilage results in massacre of millions of sharks year after year. In fact, estimates suggest that the shark cartilage industry is a multi-million dollar industry which has its roots in almost all the corners of the world - and that too with no concrete evidence to suggest any relationship between shark cartilage and cancer cure whatsoever.

Shark Cartilage for Cancer Cure

The use of shark cartilage for cancer treatment can be traced back to 1970s, when a number of studies about the alleged health benefits of shark cartilage for arthritis and cancer cure were made public. These studies highlighted that sharks are immune to cancer, and hence administering various products made from the cartilage of this species could play a crucial role in boosting immune system and facilitate cancer treatment. The relationship between shark cartilage and cancer treatment can also be attributed to the belief that this cartilage contains a substance which restricts the growth of new blood vessels which are likely to grow into a tumor eventually. These cartilages are crushed into fine powder and made available as over the counter shark cartilage supplements (powder as well as capsules) for cancer patients. If estimates are to be believed, the annual turnover for these shark cartilage products is somewhere around US$25-US$50 million.

Does Shark Cartilage for Cancer Cure Work?

Basically, the relationship between shark cartilage and cancer cure is based on the assumption that sharks are immune to cancer, but when you realize that the basis on which these claims are made is itself false, you realize that the entire concept is a mere myth. Yes, sharks do suffer from cancer, as well as various other ailments, though not many people are aware of this. Recent studies on shark cartilage benefits for cancer patients have revealed that cartilage products neither help in curing cancer, nor do they restrict the spread of this ailment to other parts of the body. More importantly, sharks also suffer from parasitic infections, which means that their immune system is not as amazing as the manufacturers of these shark cartilage products claim, it is.

None of the clinical trials carried out by eminent health organizations of the world over the past decade or so, have yielded any positive results claiming the effectiveness of these products for cancer cure. On the contrary, some reputed health publications - including the Cancer magazine, have outright dismissed the claim that shark cartilage or that of any other species, is effective for the treatment of cancer, arthritis or any other such ailment. This highlights the fact that use of shark cartilages as alternative treatment for cancer is a mere myth. In fact, administration of these cartilage products is known to cause more harm to human health than any good. Those people who have been using these products are known to experience side effects such as nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, constipation etc.

Even though there is no concrete evidence to believe that shark cartilage and cancer cure are related to each other, more than 50 percent cancer patients in the United States of America continue to use these products as alternative method of treating cancer. Over the last decade or so, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has come down heavily on the fish cartilage product manufacturers, thus forcing them to stop selling their products by resorting to false claims. That, however, has done very little in saving sharks across the world. The marine species continues to bear the brunt of human gullibility, as millions of them continue to be slaughtered every year to meet the ever-increasing demand for shark cartilage products.