Ayurveda is an ancient Indian system of medicine. It uses a wide range of treatments and techniques. There is no reliable evidence to support its use as a treatment for cancer.
Summary
Ayurvedic medicine uses a range of treatments and techniques
Some techniques might help with the symptoms of cancer or its treatment
Ayurvedic medicine as a treatment for cancer is not backed up by research
Some of the treatments might have severe side effects
Possible side effects of Ayurvedic medicine
You might have some side effects depending on which treatments you have. Herbal treatments, diets and bowel cleansing can have harmful side effects.
There is little published information about the herbal remedies used by Ayurvedic practitioners. Some common herbs might have dangerous side effects when you take them with cancer drugs or radiotherapy.
Following certain diets when you have cancer is not always safe either.
We advise anyone with cancer not to rely entirely on Ayurvedic medicine. Talk to your doctor if you are thinking of giving up conventional medical treatment.
There are different detoxing methods used in Ayurvedic medicine. They all can have serious side effects. And are not often used by therapists.
Enemas and laxatives
Some Ayurvedic practitioners will recommend getting rid of toxins. They might cleanse the bowel (intestines). They might put liquid into your back passage (enemas). Or, they might suggest taking medicines to make the bowel work more quickly (laxatives).
Regular enemas and laxatives can cause many side effects. Some of these can be serious and potentially fatal.
Side effects include:
infections
constipation
bowel inflammation
salt and other mineral imbalances in the body
Never use enemas or laxatives to clear your bowel if you have abdominal pain, vomiting or feel sick. Always ask your doctor first.
Bloodletting
Another cleansing method includes drawing blood from the body (bloodletting). This method can be harmful. Most therapists don’t use this method.
Bloodletting can be dangerous for anyone, but especially for people with cancer. You might already have low levels of blood cells because of cancer or your treatment.
Low blood cell counts can cause tiredness (fatigue), breathlessness and other symptoms. Removing blood will make these symptoms worse.
Forced vomiting
Forced vomiting is unhealthy and can upset the levels of salt and minerals in your body. This can be harmful and most therapists do not use this method.
Research into Ayurvedic treatment
Researchers have found that some Ayurvedic treatments can help relieve cancer symptoms. It can also improve quality of life.
For example, massage can lower stress and help you to relax. Meditation can reduce anxiety, lower blood pressure, and boost general wellbeing.
Studies have shown that yoga helps lymphoma patients sleep better. It also reduces stress in people with breast or prostate cancer.
Ayurvedic medicine uses more than 200 herbs and plants. Researchers have looked at some compounds used in Ayurvedic medicine in the laboratory. They tested them on animals.
They found that some might help to slow the growth of cancer in animals. But, there is no evidence that Ayurvedic medicine can prevent, treat or cure cancer in humans.
We won't know until we carry out large randomised clinical trials.
In 2011, US researchers looked at Withaferin A (WA). It is a compound from the Ayurvedic medicinal plant Withania somnifera. They found that Withaferin A stopped the growth of some types of breast cancer cells in test tubes. It also stopped the growth of breast cancer in mice. Several other studies support these findings.
In 2017 researchers looked at Withania somnifera root extract (Viwithan) They found that it could help to make a type of chemotherapy, called cisplatin, work better.
In a 2018 laboratory study, researchers also looked at Withania somnifera root extract. They found that it could cause the death of melanoma cancer cells (apoptosis). The researchers said that they need to do more studies.
An Indian study in 2011 looked at selaginella bryopteris. It is a traditional Indian herb known as Sanjeevani. It found that compounds taken from the herb stopped the growth of cancer cells in test tubes. It also reduced the development of skin tumours and ovarian cancer cells in mice.
A US research study in 2011 looked at acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid (AKBA). It is a substance taken from the gum resin of the boswellia serrata. It is also known as salai guggal or Indian frankincense. Ayurvedic medicine uses it to treat inflammatory conditions. The researchers found that AKBA slowed the growth of bowel cancers in mice. It also made the cancer less likely to spread.
A 2017 laboratory study also looked at Boswellia serrata extract. It found that it slowed down the growth of triple-negative breast cancer cells. But we need more research.
The mangosteen fruit has a long history in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine. Researchers took the compound alpha mangostin from the outside layer of the fruit. It showed that it could kill various types of cancer cells in laboratory studies.
Japanese researchers tested alpha mangostin in mice. The substance slowed the growth of breast cancer in mice, and it was much less likely to spread to the lymph nodes.
A 2018 laboratory study also looked at alpha mangostin. It found that it could help to reduce resistance to treatment in primary liver cancer cells. But we need more research.
Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a sacred fruit in some world religions. Many cultures and systems of medicine use it for various health problems. Early laboratory research showed that pomegranate extracts might have anti-cancer properties. The researchers looked at cancers like prostate, bowel and liver cancer.
A 2018 laboratory study looked at pomegranate peel extract. It showed that it caused triple negative breast cancer cells to die. It also played a role in the genetics of the cancer cell. It stopped it from spreading. But we need more research.
A 2021 small study involved 30 men with prostate cancer. They were treated with pomegranate fruit extract or placebo every day for twelve months. The pomegranate was well-tolerated by the patients. But there was no difference found between taking it or not.
A 2013 study found that there was no difference in pain for cancer patients who drank pomegranate juice compared to those who didn’t.
Pomegranate is a good source of fibre and vitamins and fine to include in a healthy diet.
Carctol is an Ayurvedic herbal mixture consisting of eight herbal extracts. It was developed in India. It claims that it cures cancer. And makes side effects caused by chemotherapy and radiotherapy less severe.
There is no evidence at all to support these claims. The safety of Carctol has also not been tested.
It is understandable that you might want to try anything if you think it might help treat or cure your cancer. Only you can decide whether to use an alternative cancer therapy such as Ayurvedic medicine.
You could harm your health if you stop your cancer treatment for an unproven treatment.
Some websites might promote Ayurvedic medicine as a cure for cancer. But no reputable scientific cancer organisations support any of these claims.
The APA regulates and maintains a list of Ayurvedic practitioners and therapists. All therapists have professional indemnity insurance and abide by the APA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct.
The website has helpful information and explains the difference between practitioners and therapists.
APA
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This page is due for review. We will update this as soon as possible.
Integrative Therapies During and After Breast Cancer Treatment: ASCO Endorsement of the SIO Clinical Practice Guideline
G Lyman and others
Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2018. Volume 36, Issue 25, Pages 2647-2655
Viwithan, a Standardized Withania somnifera Root Extract Induces Apoptosis in Murine Melanoma Cells
H Sudeep and others
Pharmacognosy Magazine, 2017. Volume 13, Supplement 4, Pages 801-806
Pre-Clinical Validation of Mito-Targeted Nano-Engineered Flavonoids Isolated From Selaginella bryopteris (Sanjeevani) As A Novel Cancer Prevention Strategy
A Bhargava and others
Anticancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry, 2017. Volume 18, Issue 13, Pages 1860-1874
Transcriptomic Profiling of MDA-MB-231 Cells Exposed to Boswellia Serrata and 3-O-Acetyl-B-Boswellic Acid; ER/UPR Mediated Programmed Cell Death
E Mazzio and others
Cancer Genomics Proteomics, 2017. Volume 14, Issue 6, Pages 409-425
Gene Expression Changes in Pomegranate Peel Extract-Treated Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells
N Ahmadiankia and others
Reports of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2018. Volume 7, Issue 1, Pages 102-109
The information on this page is based on literature searches and specialist checking. We used many references and there are too many to list here. Please contact patientinformation@cancer.org.uk if you would like to see the full list of references we used for this information.
