I’m a faithful listener to “Coast to Coast” and apparently, every single airing runs at least one or two ads for Carnivora. What really got my attention was that the ad (voiced-over by “Coast to Coast” host George Noory), claims that Carnivora can eradicate abnormal cells while sparing normal cells.
Carnivora is the name of a product that, according to its site (carnivora.com), is an extract of a species of venus flytrap known as Dionaea muscipula, and comes in capsule and liquid form.
Now, I’m not a physician, but correct meif I’m wrong: The description of what Carnivora does is the cure for cancer! It would be illegal for Carnivora International to outright state, “Carnivora can cure cancer.”
Instead the company masks this bold statement quite cleverly with their claim, but anyone familiar with what malignancy actually is can see right through their claim. Any company that makes a thinly veiled claim like that had better be able to back it up.
The product’s site makes it appear as though there’s been a lot of valid, replicated research showing that the product kills cancer cells. There are things, however, that the company doesn’t tell you, but the American Cancer Society certainly does.
According to the ACS site (the link concludes this article), there is no scientific evidence that Carnivora is effective at treating any kind of cancer. One of Carnivora’s claims is that it can reverse skin and other types of cancer.
The ACS site explains that a German physician patented Carnivora after taking liquids from the Venus flytrap and testing to see if they could digest abnormal proteins in cancer cells.
The ACS further says that in 1985, this physician claimed that 56 percent of 210 people with cancer experienced remission or stabilization after taking the extract. These findings were published in a “little-known German medical journal,” continues the ACS. The findings were never confirmed, either.
The active ingredient in the Venus flytrap is thought to be plumbagin. The ACS says that claims for what the Venus flytrap can do for malignancy cannot be supported with science.
The radio ad on “Coast to Coast” points out that former President Reagan used Carnivora successfully, but interestingly, the ad doesn’t say for what-apparently wanting listeners to connect the dots and assume he used it for his colon cancer. Yes, Reagan recovered from colon cancer, but he also received conventional medical treatment including surgery!
Another point of interest: The ACS says that most of the studies involving the Venus flytrap extract were done by the doctor who patented Carnivora. He had a huge financial stake in the clinic that administered the product, as well as in the manufacturer of this product!
The ACS states on its site regarding plumbagin:
“Although animal and laboratory studies show promise, further studies are necessary to determine whether the results apply to humans. It is important to remember that purified compounds such as plumbagin are not the same as the fresh plant extract, and study results would not be likely to show the same effects.”
