Did Tasuku Honjo And James Allison Receive The Nobel Prize In Medicine For The Idea That Ekadashi Fast Can Prevent Cancer?

A message is going viral on social media regarding the Ekadashi Fast. The message reads, “If you keep ‘Ekadashi Fast’ then you will never get cancer. If a person remains without food or drink for at least 20 days in a year for 10 hours, his chances of getting cancer are 90% less. Because when the body is hungry, the body starts destroying those cells which cause cancer. This thinking has received the ‘Nobel Prize for Medicine’ this year. There is no answer to the scientificity of ‘Sanatan Dharma'”. 

The same message (an image file) was sent to our 24X7 Factline number 9049053770. Along with the text, there were two photographs of two persons attached to the text. The names written under the photographs were Tasuku Honjo (Japan, Professor, Kyoto University) and James Allison (US, Professor, University of Texas).

Archived Link.

However, as we investigated, we came to know that the viral message was false. Here’s the fact check.

Fact Check 

The message claimed that ‘Ekadashi Fast’ can prevent cancer. The chances of getting cancer are reduced by 90% for those who keep the ‘Ekadashi Fast’ and this year’s Nobel Prize for Medicine was given to this idea. 

By using relevant keywords, we came to know that this year’s (2024) Nobel Prize has not been announced yet. This year’s Nobel Prize announcements will take place from 7-14 October. The Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology will be announced on 7 October 2024.

Moving forward, we searched for names mentioned in the viral message. Then we got to know that Tasuku Honjo and James P. Allison were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly in the year 2018 for their discovery of cancer therapy by inhibition of negative immune regulation.

Various reports were published on this. Please read here, here and here.

Conducting a keyword search on YouTube we found a video streamed live on the official channel of The Nobel Prize on 1 October 2018. The caption of the video reads, “Announcement of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2018”.

The description of the video reads, “The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2018 was awarded jointly to James P. Allison and Tasuku Honjo “for their discovery of cancer therapy by inhibition of negative immune regulation.” 

The announcement was made by Professor Thomas Perlmann, Secretary of the Nobel Committee for Physiology or Medicine, on 1 October 2018″. Nowhere it was mentioned that they received the Noble Prize in Physiology or Medicine for a theory that says keeping “Ekadashi Fast” can prevent/cure cancer.

What is Immunotherapy?

Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that helps your immune system fight cancer. The immune system helps your body fight infections and other diseases. It is made up of white blood cells and organs and tissues of the lymph system.

Immunotherapy is a type of biological therapy. Biological therapy is a type of treatment that uses substances made from living organisms to treat cancer.

Please read here and here.

We contacted Dr Bikash Das, a senior doctor of medicine, to find out if Ekadashi Fast can cure cancer. He said, “The above statement is not true as there is no scientific research evidence till now. Although some studies have shown beneficial effect of intermittent fasting in our body. It reduces free radical mediated oxidative injury to our cells and hence some protection against cancer, but chances of reducing cancer by to the extent of 90% with Ekadashi fasting is mere simplification and not exactly true.”

Conclusion 

From our investigation, we can say that the viral message is false. This year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has not been announced yet. Tasuku Honjo and James Allison were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly in the year 2018 for their discovery of cancer therapy by inhibition of negative immune regulation. This has no link with the Ekadashi Fast.