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Shark Cartilage

General Description:

Shark cartilage is made from powdered shark skeleton. Sharks have no true bone: Their skeletons are composed of cartilage. Shark cartilage is white in color with a fishy odor and taste.

Shark cartilage has been touted as an agent to prevent or treat cancer. However, multiple studies have demonstrated that shark cartilage does not alter the course of established cancer or decrease the risk for any type of cancer.

Known ingredients of shark cartilage include:

  • Mucopolysaccharides

  • Calcium

  • Phosphorus

Medically Valid Uses:

There is no evidence that shark cartilage has any beneficial medical effect for any condition.

Unsubstantiated Claims:

Please note that this section reports on claims that have NOT yet been substantiated through scientific studies.

Studies are currently ongoing to determine the value of shark cartilage as an angiogenesis inhibitor (stops the development of new blood vessels). This, in theory, may help fight certain cancers by cutting off their blood supply. Although shark cartilage contains agents that decrease angiogenesis, any effect on cancer has not yet been confirmed by appropriate scientific studies. Angiogenesis inhibitors are currently being evaluated in the treatment of cancer. However, the agents used are much more potent than those present in shark cartilage and are not derived from shark cartilage. Even these newer more potent agents have no clearly demonstrated effectiveness against cancer. In addition, should they later prove effective, it will be against select cancers that produce solid tumors.

Other claims: Shark cartilage may boost the immune system and help in the management of many diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, skin conditions such as psoriasis, retinopathies such as diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration, bowel inflammation, Kaposi's sarcoma, and cancer of the breast, cervix, uterus, ovary, prostate, kidney, liver and central nervous system.

Dosing Format:

There is no current recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for shark cartilage. Shark cartilage is available in capsules and powder form. With shark cartilage, it is important to ensure a reliable processing method of the product from a reputable manufacturer. The normal suggested daily intake of shark cartilage is about 60 grams. However, a patient following this recommendation would need to take 80 capsules per day.

Side Effects, Toxicity and Interactions:

There are no known side effects or significant food or drug interactions associated with shark cartilage.

Additional Information:

Click here for a list of reputable Web sites with general information on nutrition.

References:

  1. Greenblatt M, Shubik P. Tumor angiogenesis: transfilter diffusion studies in the hamster by the transparent chamber technique. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 1968;41:111-13.

  2. Folkman J. Tumor Angiogenesis: Therapeutic Implications. New England Journal of Medicine. 1971;285:1182-86.

  3. Bicknell R, Harris AL. Novel growth regulatory factors and tumour angiogenesis. European Journal of Cancer. 1991;27:781-85.

  4. Lee A, Langer R. Shark cartilage contains inhibitors of tumor angiogenesis. Science. 1983;221:1185-7.

  5. Miller DR, Anderson GT, Stark JJ, Granick JL & Richardson D. Phase I/II trial of the safety and efficacy of shark cartilage in the treatment of advanced cancer. J Clin Oncol. 1998 Nov;16(11):3649-55.

  6. Horsman MR, Alsner J, Overgaard J. The effect of shark cartilage extracts on the growth and metastatic spread of the SCCVII carcinoma. Acta Oncol. 1998;37(5):441-5.

  7. Berbari P, Thibodeau A, Germain L, Saint-Cyr M, Gaudreau P, El-Khouri S, Dupont E, Garrel DR. Antiangiogenic Effects of the Oral Administration of Liquid Cartilage Extract in Humans. J Surg Res. 1999 Nov;87(1):108-113.

  8. Sheu JR, Fu CC, Tsai ML & Chung WJ. Effect of U-995, a potent shark cartilage-derived angiogenesis inhibitor, on anti-angiogenesis and anti-tumor activities. Anticancer Res. 1998 Nov-Dec;18(6A):4435-41.

Date Last Modified: 4/6/2004