Is Lemon 10,000 Times Stronger Than Chemotherapy in Fighting Cancer?

A message purporting to be from the Institute of Health Sciences in Baltimore that claimed that lemon is a "miraculous product" that can kill cancer cells, is 10,000 times stronger than chemotherapy, and is "a proven remedy against cancers of all types" has been circulating on the internet for a while now.  Below is an example of such email:

Subject: FW: Lemon - kills Cancer Cells

The surprising benefits of lemon!

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Institute of Health Sciences, 819 N. L.L.C. Charles Street Baltimore, MD 1201.
This is the latest in medicine, effective for cancer! 

Read carefully & you be the judge. 

Lemon (Citrus) is a miraculous product to kill cancer cells. It is 10,000 times stronger than chemotherapy. 

Why do we not know about that? Because there are laboratories interested in making a synthetic version that will bring them huge profits. You can now help a friend in need by letting him/her know that lemon juice is beneficial in preventing the disease. Its taste is pleasant and it does not produce the horrific effects of chemotherapy. How many people will die while this closely guarded secret is kept, so as not to jeopardize the beneficial multimillionaires large corporations? As you know, the lemon tree is known for its varieties of lemons and limes. You can eat the fruit in different ways: you can eat the pulp, juice press, prepare drinks, sorbets, pastries, etc... It is credited with many virtues, but the most interesting is the effect it produces on cysts and tumors. This plant is a proven remedy against cancers of all types. Some say it is very useful in all variants of cancer. It is considered also as an anti microbial spectrum against bacterial infections and fungi, effective against internal parasites and worms, it regulates blood pressure which is too high and an antidepressant, combats stress and nervous disorders.

The source of this information is fascinating: it comes from one of the largest drug manufacturers in the world, says that after more than 20 laboratory tests since 1970, the extracts revealed that: It destroys the malignant cells in 12 cancers, including colon, breast, prostate, lung and pancreas ... The compounds of this tree showed 10,000 times better than the product Adriamycin, a drug normally used chemotherapeutic in the world, slowing the growth of cancer cells. And what is even more astonishing: this type of therapy with lemon extract only destroys malignant cancer cells and it does not affect healthy cells.

Institute of Health Sciences, 819 N. L.L.C. Cause Street, Baltimore, MD1201

This claim sounds too good to be true, so I tried to find out the truth about this claim. And here it is:

Studies have indicated that citrus limonoids, a compound found in citrus fruits (including lime) targeted and stopped neuroblastoma cells in the lab which makes the compound promising as a potential anti-cancer agent. Also, research by the Texas Agriculture Experiment Station scientists but the claim that flavonoids and limonoids – nutrient-packed pigments that give colour and taste to fruit – may work against cancer in any of three ways: prevent it from forming, slow the growth of existing cancer, or kill cancer cells.

Also, report on the medicinal uses of lemon by the University of Florida EDIS noted that:

Citrus flavonoids have potential antioxidant (prevents aging), anti-cancer, antiviral, anti-inflammatory activities, effects on capillarity, and cholesterol-lowering ability. The principal carotenoids in pink grapefruit are lycopene and beta-carotene. Lycopene-containing fruits and vegetables have been shown to contribute to a significant reduction in prostate and mammary cancer risk. Recent studies have further shown that limonoids inhibit the development of cancer in laboratory animals and in human breast cancer cells as well as reducing cholesterol. Researchers have also suggested that, if ingested, limonoids may not be absorbed in the large intestine, and therefore could be distributed throughout the body, with beneficial effects.

However, the claim that citrus fruits (especially lemon is 10,000 times stronger than chemotherapy has never been validated by a legitimate medical research.

Also, the email did not originate from the Health Sciences Institute of Baltimore as claimed by the widely circulated email. According to a spokesman of the institute, the information did not come from the institute. Below is his disclaimer in his own words (which is also available on their website):

The email and information in question did not come from the Health Sciences Institute. Whoever started this scam email did use some of our published material – which had nothing to do with lemons in any way – and inserted the information about lemons. It is erroneous and has caused us a great deal of trouble. However, most troubling is that it is giving false or un-tested medical advice to people suffering with cancer. Perhaps citrus fruits have some anti-cancer properties or perhaps they don’t (I’m not qualified to speak on that), but the one thing I know for certain is the provided “source” of this information – the Health Sciences Institute – did NOT publish this information. We had nothing to do with this email or the information it contains.

This alone put the integrity of the claim in serious doubt.

In conclusion, though scientific studies indicate compounds in citrus, including lemon, have real potential as anti-cancer agents, the message significantly exaggerates the potential of lemon as a cancer remedy, contains false and misleading information. Besides, for such important claims to be valid, it has to be validated by credible medical sources.

So, at best, the email is just another internet hoax!