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As 'miracle cure,' hydrogen peroxide is more of a nightmare

                               

Dear Dr. Blonz, I am interested in helping my immune system fight cancer, and I read one way is therapy with food-grade hydrogen peroxide. I have read you can purchase 35 percent food grade, which then needs to be diluted with distilled water before consumption. The idea is, taking hydrogen peroxide orally raises tissue oxygen-saturation levels, which helps kill the cancer cells. Do you have any experience or knowledge about how to use this compound? - S.F., Charleston, W.V.

DEAR S.F., We are all interested in finding ways to help the body fight cancer, but we need to consider our weapons carefully. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), a water molecule with loosely attached extra oxygen on board, is a powerful oxidizer -- more powerful than chlorine. It is corrosive to the nose, throat and lungs and can cause irreversible tissue damage to the eyes, including blindness.

To give an idea of how strong it is, hydrogen peroxide at high concentrations is used to help decontaminate industrial waste. Not exactly the kind of substance you want to take into your body. A very dilute solution (3 percent by weight) of hydrogen peroxide is sold as a topical antiseptic for use in first aid, but even at this dilution, it is for external use only. If diluted even further by mixing with an equal amount of water, this product can be used as a gargle and oral rinse, but even then there is to be no swallowing.

Hydrogen peroxide has been promoted as a "panacea" -- some claim it can cure a variety of ailments including cancer, AIDS and arthritis. Hydrogen peroxide, though, is not approved for human consumption, and its intake has resulted in deaths and serious injuries. As a result, the sale of hydrogen peroxide for these uses is illegal. A statement to this effect can be found online HERE..

As should be obvious, given all the inherent dangers, the idea that drinking dilute hydrogen peroxide can increase the oxygen level in cells and help the immune system to destroy cancer is ludicrous.

 

Dr Blonz Do you have a question that involves nutrition, health and wellness? Dr. Ed Blonz holds an M.S. and Ph.D. in nutrition, and has more than 25 years of experience in the fields of nutrition, foods and health. He is the author of seven books and writes the nationally syndicated column, "On Nutrition," available through United Features Syndicate.

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Copyright Ed Blonz, Ph.D.