{"entity":{"id":"zeolite-supplements","kind":"technology","name":"Zeolite supplements (clinoptilolite, liquid zeolite)","aka":["Clinoptilolite","Liquid zeolite","Volcanic mineral detox"],"tldr":"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.","status":"negative","asOf":"2026-11-04","links":[{"label":"MSK About Herbs: Zeolite (page last updated 6 February 2023)","url":"https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/zeolite"}],"tags":["complementary","supportive-care","evidence:insufficient"],"related":["colloidal-silver","dmso-dimethyl-sulfoxide"],"cancers":["neuroendocrine"],"sections":["supportive-care"],"technologies":["alternative-medicine-instead-of-treatment","dietary-supplements-treatment-interactions"],"targets":[],"drugs":[],"companies":[],"institutions":[],"pathways":[],"terms":["unproven-diet-claims"],"trials":[],"people":[],"bottlenecks":["b-misinformation"],"keyPapers":[],"journals":[],"dependsOn":[],"notes":[],"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"]},"route":"/technologies/zeolite-supplements/","neighbours":{"technology":[{"id":"alternative-medicine-instead-of-treatment","kind":"technology","name":"Alternative medicine used instead of standard treatment","route":"/technologies/alternative-medicine-instead-of-treatment/"},{"id":"colloidal-silver","kind":"technology","name":"Colloidal silver","route":"/technologies/colloidal-silver/"},{"id":"dietary-supplements-treatment-interactions","kind":"technology","name":"Dietary supplements during cancer treatment: interactions and harms","route":"/technologies/dietary-supplements-treatment-interactions/"},{"id":"dmso-dimethyl-sulfoxide","kind":"technology","name":"DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide)","route":"/technologies/dmso-dimethyl-sulfoxide/"}],"cancer":[{"id":"neuroendocrine","kind":"cancer","name":"Neuroendocrine tumours","route":"/cancers/neuroendocrine/"}],"section":[{"id":"supportive-care","kind":"section","name":"Supportive Care & Survivorship","route":"/fronts/supportive-care/"}],"term":[{"id":"unproven-diet-claims","kind":"term","name":"Unproven diet claims (alkaline, juice, 'anti-cancer' diets)","route":"/terms/unproven-diet-claims/"}],"bottleneck":[{"id":"b-misinformation","kind":"bottleneck","name":"Misinformation and unproven therapies","route":"/bottlenecks/b-misinformation/"}]}}