Cancer kills approximately 8 million people every year, with about 14 million people discovering they have cancer annually. Because of this, a lot of information about cancer has spread online. It is therefore very vital to distinguish which pieces of information are facts and which ones are myths about cancer.
Medical Daily has gathered a list of the strangest cancer myths all people should know about. Knowing what is fact and what is fiction could make a big difference on a person's health and wellbeing.
One of the cancer myths exposed is that antioxidants can treat cancer. Although it is true that it can prevent cellular damage that leads to cancer, it is actually not very effective in treating cancer.
Another cancer myth is that eating food with sugar increases the risk of cancer by providing cancer cells with the glucose it requires in order to grow. "But studies have since shown cancer cells have access to sugar whether you eat it or not," the article reveals.
Next on the list are shark supplements that can treat cancer. This myth started when a study showed that injecting cancer-causing substances into sharks did not cause the development of the disease in the animals. But according to Medical Daily, the most probable reason why the sharks did not develop cancer is because these animals are mostly made up of cartilage. Cartilage has certain chemicals that can prevent the formation of blood vessels that feed tumors.
Lastly, the belief that cancer is a new disease is also a myth. "Cancer has been found in 3,000-year-old human remains and even in dinosaurs, making it an ancient and omnipresent disease," the report shared.
According to Cancer Research U.K., almost half of cancer cases could be avoided by introducing some important changes in lifestyle such as not smoking, maintaining an ideal body weight, avoiding alcohol, eating a healthy diet, being physically active, avoiding certain infections such as HPV, putting sun protection when going outdoors, and avoiding exposure to toxic chemicals and substances.
