How pH Balance and Hydrogen Ions May Affect Cancer Development
- Authors
- Salvador Harguindey
- Journal
- Medical and Pediatric Oncology
- Year
- 1982
- DOI
- 10.1002/mpo.2950100302
- Study Type
- clinical
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- United States
- Health Condition
- Cancer
- Body System
- Cellular Metabolism
TL;DR
The acid and base levels in your body's cells might be super important for how cancer develops and spreads, which could help scientists figure out new ways to prevent and treat it—but scientists need to do more research to prove it actually works.
Key Finding
Hydrogen ion dynamics and acid-base balance may play fundamental roles in cancer development and progression, though the evidence presented is preliminary and requires further empirical research.
Summary
This review article examines how the concentration of hydrogen ions (charged hydrogen atoms) in the body affects cancer development and progression. The authors propose that understanding hydrogen ion balance may help explain how cancer cells behave and grow, and suggest it could eventually inform cancer prevention and treatment strategies. However, the article presents preliminary ideas rather than new experimental results, and the authors acknowledge that more research is needed to prove these connections.
Practical Takeaway
This is a theoretical review article, not a study testing hydrogen water or hydrogen gas in humans. It does not provide evidence about hydrogen water's effects on cancer. The article's focus on hydrogen ions in general biochemistry is distinct from molecular hydrogen (H₂) used in hydrogen water products, so this review does not directly inform decisions about hydrogen water consumption.
Abstract
The concentration of hydrogen ions plays a critical role in all biochemical processes, including multiple enzymatic reactions, and in the regulation of metabolism. The acid-base aspects of metabolism as applied to cancer are considered. Preliminary data are presented. The primary concept of hydrogen ion dynamics is related to prevention, development, and etiology of carcinogenicity, as well as to the regression of certain malignant malignant tumors. The present overview summarizes, in terms of H+ dynamics, many related concepts in oncologic research and associates and integrates a variety of basic and clinical observations toward better understanding of cancer cell behavior, biology, and host-tumor relationships.