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FACT BRIEF

Does dandelion root kill 98% of cancer cells?

By Christiana Dillard
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NO

Dandelion root was mistakenly touted as a miracle cure starting in 2012 when Canadian oncologist Caroline Hamm publicly discussed promising lab results showing that dandelion tea killed cancer cells. 

However, Hamm later clarified that there is no compelling evidence that dandelion tea is a cancer cure, and she warned patients not to treat it as such.

The Dandelion Root Project, launched by the University of Windsor in Canada in 2009, has conducted in vitro and animal model studies that point to dandelion root's potential as a cancer-fighting herb. 

Other lab studies done in vitro (petri dish or test tube work not using living bodies) have shown a potential for dandelion root to kill cancer cells. However, those studies are not human clinical trials that prove that dandelion root is effective in the body.

See a full discussion of this at Lead Stories
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
University Of Windsor The Dandelion Root Project
National Institutes of Health Dandelion
Lead Stories Fake News: There Is NO Herb That Is 100 Times Stronger Than Chemo Drugs And Kills Cancer In Two Days
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Lead Stories
Lead Stories is a fact checking and debunking website at the intersection of big data and journalism that launched in 2015. It scouts for trending stories, images, videos and posts that contain false information in order to fact check them as quickly as possible. It actively monitors the fake-news ecosystem and doesn’t wait for reader tips or reports before getting started on a story.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.