WHAT WAS CLAIMED
Pumpkin juice kills cancer cells.
OUR VERDICT
False. There is no evidence that pumpkin juice can kill cancer cells.
AAP FACTCHECK - Pumpkin juice has not been shown to kill cancer cells, despite claims made in a post on social media.
While there is some evidence pumpkin might have certain cancer prevention properties, there is no reliable evidence pumpkin juice can kill cancer cells.
The claim is made in a widely shared Facebook post that features an image of two glasses of orange liquid along with text that reads: "Oncologist declared that this juice kills cancer cells, cures gastritis, diabetes and liver."
The caption features a similar claim: "Oncologist declared 'This juice is better than pills, it kills more cancer cells'...See More The recipe is Full recipe in the first-Comment."
The comment redirects readers to a page titled "The Health Benefits and Irresistible Recipes for Pumpkin Juice".
It features the same image as the Facebook post, but the article below doesn't support the cancer-killing claim, with no mention of cancer nor an oncologist's quote.
Instead, it features a list of general health benefits and two recipes for pumpkin juice.
The National Foundation for Cancer Research explains that pumpkins contain certain nutrients, such as beta-carotene, vitamin A and fibre, that can reduce the risk of developing some cancers.
However, there is no suggestion pumpkin juice can be an effective treatment for cancer, or that it can kill existing cancer cells.
Oncologist Ian Olver told AAP FactCheck the benefit of a diet that helps prevent cancer is often confused on social media with a particular food's ability to fight an already-present cancer.
"Most of the claims based on promoting alkalinity, the anti-inflammatory effect of Omega 3, the anti-oxidant properties of beta-carotene, would suggest that pumpkin juice may have potential as part of a diet to prevent cancer, although this would need to be formally investigated," he said.
Professor Olver did point to a 2016 Austrian paper that recorded promising results in relation to pumpkin seed extract inhibiting the proliferation of some cancer cells.
However, this was done in a laboratory environment and the authors do not claim the extract can kill cancer cells in humans.
Both the study authors and Prof Olver say more evidence is needed to assess if these cell studies would apply to in-situ cancer cells.
Cancer Council Australia said such claims prey on people's hope for a simple and easy cure for cancer.
Danielle Spence, from Cancer Council Victoria, said the organisation is unaware of any robust, scientific evidence-based, peer-reviewed studies that support the use of pumpkin juice as an effective cancer therapy.
Indian fact-checking organisation The Healthy Indian Project (THIP) has also debunked the same claim, coming to the same conclusion.
Experts told THIP that even if studies showed promise in laboratory conditions, this doesn't guarantee the same results in real-life patients.
AAP FactCheck searched for the quote, attributed to an oncologist in the Facebook post: "This juice is better than pills, it kills more cancer cells."
There is no evidence of the quote being attributed to a named oncologist.
However, AAP FactCheck discovered the exact quote attached to other drinks, namely a sweetcorn juice.
A Facebook post seemingly promoting ear drops features a similar quote from an unnamed oncologist.
AAP FactCheck has previously debunked a range of unproven cancer cures related to various foods and remedies, including dandelion tea, sugar and watermelon seeds.
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