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Does drinking water quench cancer?


Does drinking water quench cancer?

This scientific article by Yair Bar David et. al. (http://ascopubs.org/doi/full/10.1200/jco.2004.99.245) summarises the studies that demonstrate the cancer prevention effect of drinking water. In summary,

• D. Michaud et al (http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199905063401803) found a statistically significant correlation between total fluid intake and the risk of bladder cancer in their prospective study with 47,909 participants during a period of 10 years. The total daily fluid intake was inversely associated with the risk of bladder cancer.

• J. Shannon et al (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8827352?dopt=Abstract) observed an association between food groupings including water intake and the risk for adenocarcinoma of the colon in men and women aged 30 to 62 years. Water intake alone was significantly associated with reduced risk of colon cancer.

• In a hospital-based case-control study on a total of 163 patients (age 33 to 80 years) with histologically confirmed primary colorectal cancer in Taiwan, Tang et al (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10404059?dopt=Abstract) found an inverse dose-response relationship between water intake and colorectal cancer even after adjustment for total calories, dietary factors, and smoking status.

• Stookey et al (http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/6/8/657.long) conducted a hospital-based case-control study to investigate the hypothesis that water drinking protects against breast cancer.

The possible cancer-fighting qualities of water include:

• Eliminating toxins and detoxifying the body. (1)

• Promote the healthy growth, survival, and reproduction of the body’s cells. (1)

• Chemotherapy has side effects and causes evere dehydration. Drinking water makes the recovery a smoother process. (1)

• Drinking lots of water may reduce your risk of bladder cancer by diluting the concentration of cancer-causing agents in urine and helping to flush them through the bladder faster. (2)

As with all risk association studies, they only prove that drinking water reduces the risk of certain type of cancer in the general population. It does not guaranteed that drinking your 8 glasses of water a day will keep the cancer away, as there are many other factors (environment, lifestyles, diet, genetics) that affects these complex disease.

Regardless of whether water is effective in preventing cancer, there is no known harm to drinking water besides the need to run to the loo more often. However, please do not do this excessively as it might lead to water intoxication (5).

For other ways to fight cancer, read up on the references below.

Reference:

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