Do dates prevent the development of colon cancer?

As Ramadan is here and the market shelves are filled with dates, you may have heard that dates stop the proliferation of colon cancer cells.

And what is the truth?

Study doesn’t say dates suppress cancer for sure

The posts refer to a study conducted at the University of Reading. The University of Reading has conducted two studies on dates and cancer. The first was conducted in the laboratory in 2014.

How did they do it?

The researchers set up a two-stage experiment in the laboratory. First, they put date extracts into a container that mimics the human gut. Using bacteria from human feces in this environment, the researchers looked to see if the dates changed the growth of these bacteria.

In the second stage, the substances obtained from this medium were applied to a cell culture containing colon cancer cells. Thus, it was examined whether date extracts slow down the proliferation of cancer cells.

So the experiment is completely laboratory and cell cultures was conducted on.

Some of the key findings of the study are as follows:

• Date palm extract increased the growth of some beneficial gut bacteria, especially bifidobacteria. These bacteria are often associated with healthy gut flora.
• Also, when the bacteria break down the dates, some metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids are formed. These are compounds that are considered linked to good gut health.
• When the researchers applied the date extract to colon cancer cells, they found that under some experimental conditions, the rate of cell proliferation was reduced by around 40 percent compared to the control group. The phrase “43 percent suppression” circulating on social media may have derived from this laboratory measurement.
• At the same time, this effect was weakened after the dates were digested by bacteria.
  

At first glance, the claims seem to be true, but this study is an early-stage experiment in the laboratory, not a clinical trial proving the effect of dates on cancer .

Consuming dates and their fiber and polyphenol content can support gut health. However, this does not mean that dates directly prevent or suppress cancer.

Why are laboratory experiments alone not enough?

As you read the details of the study, you may have wondered what it means that the experiment was conducted in a “laboratory setting”.

Not all scientific studies have the same explanatory power and reliability of evidence. Scientific research follows a hierarchy of evidence. This means that the credibility of an article depends on both the evidence presented and the methodology of the research.

One of the least reliable studies according to the pyramid of evidence is cell culture experiments. That is, studies done with isolated cells in a petri dish in a laboratory. Just above them come animal experiments. Then there are small human studies, large clinical trials and, at the top, systematic reviews in which different studies are evaluated together.

This 2014 study on dates and colon cancer cells is at the bottom of the evidence pyramid. Because the study was conducted on colon cancer cells grown in a laboratory environment, not in real humans. Of course, such studies are not nothing, but an important first step for the world of science. It signals that “there is potential” for researchers to do more studies on this subject.

But according to this research, it is not possible to say that eating dates in daily life will suppress cancer cells. It is not yet known what effect it will have on people in real life.

Indeed, other laboratory studies emphasize that dates are still a candidate for being called “cancer preventive”.

Human studies on date consumption are limited

Human research looking directly at the relationship between date consumption and cancer is limited. One of the few studies we know of is a small experiment in which 22 healthy volunteers consumed about seven dates every day for three weeks .

In the process, the researchers observed an increase in bowel movements and a decrease in certain biomarkers in the stool. Dr. Michael Greger, founder of Nutrition Facts, summarizes the research as follows:

“As expected, the date group showed an increase in bowel movements and stool frequency due to the increase in fiber. But more interestingly, there was a decrease in the amount of ammonia in the feces and a decrease in the DNA-damaging potential of the liquid derived from human feces. In other words, the fecal water of the date palm eaters had lower genotoxicity, which means less potential damage to the lining of the colon.”

But the scope of the study is limited. The number of participants is low and the duration of the study is short. More importantly, the experiment was not conducted in cancer patients, so it did not measure tumors or cancer growth. So the results are not enough to say that dates directly prevent cancer or stop cancer cells.

No single food prevents cancer

In their guidelines on reducing cancer risk, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) do not mention a single “miracle food”. Instead, they suggest looking at the bigger picture. Eating a diet rich in fiber, limiting the consumption of processed meat, exercising, maintaining a healthy weight… It all makes sense together. So the key to cancer prevention is not a handful of dates or any other single food. It is often the combination of small habits that shape health. That’s why scientists recommend focusing on a balanced lifestyle that can be sustained over the long term, rather than attributing extraordinary powers to a single food. Because in real life, it is often not a single miracle that protects our bodies, but the combined effect of many small choices.

If you are undergoing cancer treatment or if you think it will support the treatment of a relative, there is no harm in consuming dates in moderation and in consultation with your doctor. However, you should not expect a miracle while consuming this fruit; at least until extensive research is done, it is necessary to know that dates alone will not cure cancer.