# Zeolite supplements (clinoptilolite, liquid zeolite)

Source: https://onco.cc/technologies/zeolite-supplements/  
OnCo record `zeolite-supplements` (Technology). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Zeolites are volcanic minerals sold as 'detox' and anti-cancer supplements. They have never been tested as a cancer treatment in people. They can bind medicines and stop them being absorbed, may interfere with chemotherapy, and one European product contained high levels of arsenic, lead and mercury.

## Summary

Zeolites are hydrated aluminium silicate minerals, natural or synthetic, marketed as heavy-metal detoxifiers, immune modulators, pH balancers and antioxidants. Memorial Sloan Kettering's About Herbs entry notes that a company patented a synthetic zeolite as a cancer drug in 2001 on the basis of laboratory, plant and animal data, with injection directly into the tumour, which rules out any benefit by mouth; zeolites have not been studied as a cancer drug in human clinical trials and supplements are not approved as safe or effective. Preliminary data suggest zeolite formulations used alongside standard treatment may reduce neuroendocrine tumour-related diarrhoea and chemotherapy neuropathy, which need confirmation. Risks: zeolites chelate and raise stomach pH, so they can reduce absorption of many drugs, including tetracyclines, quinolones and iron, and may break enteric coatings; MSK advises against taking them with any medication, with chemotherapy (possible antioxidant interference), or after transplant or with immunosuppressants (graft-versus-host reactions in animals). A European product contained high levels of heavy metals. Erionite, a fibrous zeolite, causes mesothelioma when inhaled; there is no evidence that other forms cause cancer.

## Fields

- Kind: Technology
- Status: negative
- Last checked: 2026-11-04
- Also known as: Clinoptilolite; Liquid zeolite; Volcanic mineral detox
- Tags: complementary; supportive-care; evidence:insufficient
- Principle: Porous cage-like minerals that exchange ions and bind molecules; in the gut they bind medicines as readily as toxins.
- Strengths: Preliminary adjunct data for neuroendocrine tumour diarrhoea
- Limitations: No human cancer trials; Binds and blocks absorption of medicines; Heavy-metal contamination found in one product

## Sources

- MSK About Herbs: Zeolite (page last updated 6 February 2023): https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/zeolite

## Connected records

- technologies: [Alternative medicine used instead of standard treatment](https://onco.cc/technologies/alternative-medicine-instead-of-treatment/), [Colloidal silver](https://onco.cc/technologies/colloidal-silver/), [Dietary supplements during cancer treatment: interactions and harms](https://onco.cc/technologies/dietary-supplements-treatment-interactions/), [DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide)](https://onco.cc/technologies/dmso-dimethyl-sulfoxide/)
- cancers: [Neuroendocrine tumours](https://onco.cc/cancers/neuroendocrine/)
- fronts: [Supportive Care & Survivorship](https://onco.cc/fronts/supportive-care/)
- terms: [Unproven diet claims (alkaline, juice, 'anti-cancer' diets)](https://onco.cc/terms/unproven-diet-claims/)
- bottlenecks: [Misinformation and unproven therapies](https://onco.cc/bottlenecks/b-misinformation/)

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