New study finds baking soda could help tackle cancer

Targeting cells inside a tumour could be made easier with baking soda, researchers have discovered.

Researchers at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research found consuming it could make cells in a tumour active and help chemotherapy drugs kill them, the Daily Mail reported.

A growing tumour blocks blood supply of cells inside it, which causes them to shut down.

"Cells don't want to make proteins or other biomolecules when they're under stress," study author Chi Van Dang is quoted as saying by the Daily Mail. "They want to slow things down and only awaken when things return to normal," he went on to further explain.

For the study, mice with breast and colon cancer tumours drank water with baking soda. The team found it helps boost cell activity in the tumours.

Baking soda could get the cells to act as normal and this helped the drugs to target them. Therefore, this could help cancer treatments like chemotherapy and immunotherapy target the tumours more effectively.

"The concept is so easy," said Dr Van Dang. Adding, "It's not some $100,000 per year drug. It's literally just baking soda."

The team is hoping the find could lead to a more affordable way to treat the deadly disease.