Good Lifestyle

In the last century, researchers have been developing various methods and remedies to help in cancer treatment. However, many of these drugs are toxic to patients, and may affect healthy cells besides carcinogens. Because of this, many scientists have been studying ways to curb adverse effects of cancer and deal with the disease without having negative consequences for the rest of the body.

A study published in the journal Nature Imunology did just that, and eventually found that cooking salt (or NaCl) helps to promote combatant cancer activities in our body by preventing T cell exhaust, which are those that help destroy cells cancer.

Speaking about the discovery, one of those responsible for the study, Dr. Lugli said: “There were already data on the influence of various molecules - such as glucose, potassium, magnesium and fats - in the function and metabolism of immunity cells, and how these metabolites can regulate immunity against cancer. But we knew very little about the role of salt, especially in CD8+T cells. ” CD8+ T cells play a decisive role in the recognition and suppression of tumor cells.

The researchers used various technologies to investigate the effect of sodium ions on the regulation of genes and metabolic process of these cells. They treated human T cells with salt and mixed them with tumors, as well as experiments with rats.

This research brings the basis for solving a common concern in the universe of cancer treatment, which is the exhaustion of T cells. With kitchen salt, it would be possible to reprogram T cell metabolism, filling them with energy and enabling more effective treatments .

Cancer vaccine

Another study, this 2019, showed that salt may still have another use for cancer patients. According to research published in Advanced Materials magazine, it is possible to use sodium chloride nanoparticles to bring ions into the cancer cells in a kind of Trojan horse. When released, these ions can break the plasma membrane and affect the cell structure.

"This technology is suitable for localized destruction of cancer cells," said Jin Xie, study leader and member of the faculty of Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. "We hope she will find wide applications in the treatment of bladder, prostate, liver and head and neck cancer."

Jin Xie says that this mechanism is more toxic to cancer cells than for normal cells, as cancer cells already naturally have high sodium concentrations.

According to the results of the research, nanoparticles of sodium chloride reduced the growth rate of tumors by 66% compared to the control group. In a second part of this study, the researchers injected the cancer cells killed by the action of the "Trojan Horse" in rats, which later proved resistant to the development of new tumors. This could indicate a possible way to produce cancer vaccines.

So salt works to combat cancer?

According to the studies mentioned, yes. However, research has been done only on rats, and there is no proof that kitchen salt will help fight cancer in humans. In addition, it is important to highlight that the use of kitchen salt in these studies is done in the laboratory, with salt cell manipulation in one laboratory in a study and the insertion of salt in cancer cells in the other.

Thus, in neither case the salt was directly ingested or injected into the blood circulation. A diet with excess salt can actually end up being harmful to human health, having a direct relationship with some cancers, heart and kidney problems.