Why Would Alkaline Cure Cancer?

• Our bodies have a natural pH balance, which is the balance between acid and alkaline. According to Lymphoma Nation, various test tube studies have shown that tumors and cancer cells tend to grow faster in acidic environments, and that chemotherapy works better on tumors surrounded by an alkaline environment. Therefore, those who believe in alkaline cures believe that we can make our bodies more alkaline and less acidic by eating alkaline foods and refraining from eating acidic foods. The belief is that by creating an alkaline environment, the cancer will be less likely to grow and cancer treatments will be more effective.
  
  

How does the Alklaine Cure work

• Proponents of the alkaline cure believe that the acid/alkaline pH balance in the body can be affected by diet. Patients are advised to eat onions, lettuce, ginger, broccoli, carrots, celery, tomatoes, peppers, squash, garlic, cucumber, parsley, basil, kidney beans, squash, olive oil, lemons, limes and watermelon because these are considered alkaline foods. Patients are advised to refrain from eating meat, dairy products, sugar, white flour, wheat and pasta because these are acidic foods. This diet will allegedly change the pH balance of the body, creating an inhospitable environment for cancer.
  
  

Does it Work?

• Some medical professionals do not believe the alkaline cure is an effective cure for cancer. Lymphoma Nation suggests that the fundamental premise behind the cure--that tumors thrive in acidic environments and fail in alkaline environments--is unproven. Lymphoma Nation states that just because this result has been observed in test tubes, there is no reason to suggest it can be recreated in humans. Furthermore, doctors at Bringham and Women's Hospital, which is a teaching hospital associated with Harvard University, argue that diet will not have a lasting impact on the acid/base pH balance in the body, because the body self regulates its pH balance using breathing and the excretory system.
  
  However, According to Cancer Cure.org, there are medical professionals, most notably Carl J. Reich, M.D. and Bob Barefoot, who endorse the alkaline diet as an effective alternative therapy for cancer.