Benefits of shark cartilage

Shark cartilage is a popular supplement used in alternative medicine to cure a number of ailments and to improve the overall health. Its popularity is owed to the incorrect notion that sharks cannot get cancer, so it is believed that using shark cartilage can have the same effect on humans as well. Positive effects of shark cartilage on cancer in humans are still to be scientifically proven.

About shark cartilage

Shark cartilage is a dietary supplement whose main active ingredients is a powder made of dried and ground cartilage of sharks. Cartilage is a part of the skeleton, which is a dense form of the connective tissue. It is composed of proteins, calcium, collage, sulfur and mucopolysaccharides.

Some of the brand names of this supplement include Carticin, Cartilade and BeneFin. The idea of exploring the effects of shark cartilage on cancer in humans came in 1992, soon after the best-selling book “Sharks Don’t Get Cancer” by Dr. William Lane was published. Lane promoted this on CBS’s 60 minutes as well, basing on a footage of a Cuban study in which terminally ill cancer patients fully recovered after the treatment with shark cartilage.

Shark cartilage supplement, is not FDA-approved and, in fact, this agency had ordered the manufacturers of this supplement to stop advertising it as a cure for cancer or as a means to prevent it.

One of the dangerous side effects associated with the intake of shark cartilage as a supplement is a disease called hypocalcaemia.

Benefits of shark cartilage

Those who advocate the beneficial effects of shark cartilage claim that this supplement is not only effective against a number of ailments, including cancer, but that it also improves the overall health and promotes well-being.

Shark cartilage is thought to have anti-inflammatory effects and it is recommended for people who suffer from arthritis, joint pain and asthma.

It can also be effective against skin problems like eczema, psoriasis and acne, and it is believed to greatly improve the immune system and its response to harmful agents and infections.

Shark cartilage supposedly helps rebuild the intestinal walls, which can often become damaged due to toxins found in the food.

In addition, shark cartilage can help glaucoma patients by reducing the backed-up fluid pressure in the eye.

As for the cancer, shark cartilage is believed to work by disabling the formation of blood vessels that feed the tumors. That way, instead of growing, a tumor shrinks and disappears. Unlike in evasive traditional treatments for cancer, like radiation therapy, the surrounding tissues remain undamaged and healthy.