> Markdown version of https://haygoodhealth.com/ for AI agents. You are welcome here, and welcome back anytime. What an agent can do: https://haygoodhealth.com/agents . # Haygood Health A knowledge clinic for families [Haygood Health](/) A knowledge clinic for families # Somebody told you it works. Here is what the evidence actually shows. Diets, repurposed drugs, supplements, devices, and the standard of care - each one graded twice, in the open, with the sources attached. Not to sell you anything. So you can walk into the next appointment knowing which questions are worth asking. **Use this with your doctor, not instead of one.** Nothing here is medical advice, and nothing here should delay treatment. No dosing instructions appear anywhere on this site. Plenty of what is graded well below is used by people alongside standard care who never stopped that care - that distinction is the entire point. You will find things here graded weak that somebody you trust swears by. That is not a judgement of them. It means the human evidence is not in yet, and we would rather tell you that than sell you certainty. Start here ## Three ways in [1 Look up something you heard about Fenbendazole, keto, ivermectin, vitamin C, hyperbaric oxygen. Find it in the list below and see both grades side by side. See what is graded →](#topics) [2 Search the actual research PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov in one search box. We never host papers - every result links to the source so you can read it yourself. Search the research →](/search) [3 Learn to read a grade Two minutes on what "plausible mechanism, no human outcome data" means - the single most useful thing on this site. How we grade →](#grades) How we grade ## Two questions, asked separately, about everything Most health arguments go wrong by collapsing two different questions into one. We keep them apart, because the honest answer is usually "yes to the first, not yet to the second." ### Does the biology make sense? Is there a real, demonstrated mechanism - something measured in a lab, not just a story about how it might work? **Established** means textbook biology, reproduced by different labs. **Plausible** means shown in cells or animals. **Speculative** means proposed but never demonstrated, or at odds with what we know. ### Did people actually do better? Separate question, and the harder one. Did people who did this measurably live longer, or respond better, than people who did not? **A** and **B** mean randomized trials. **C** means uncontrolled studies - safety, not proof. **D** means case reports: anecdote, however many of them. **None** means no human outcome data exists. ### Why something can be both real and unproven A beautiful mechanism with no outcome data is not a contradiction. It is the normal state of an untested idea, and it is where most of the internet's confident health advice actually sits. When that is the honest answer, this site says so - even when the story is moving and the person telling it means well. What we have looked at so far ## The list, at a glance Every row is graded on both questions above. Click any entry further down the page for the sources behind its grade, including the ones that argue the other way. WhatDoes the biology make sense?Did people do better? [Ketogenic diet](/c/keto) ESTABLISHED C, some B Pooled trials show reliable metabolic effect (glucose, insulin, IGF-1) and safety; no RCT has shown survival benefit yet. ERGO2 was feasi... [Carnivore diet](/c/carnivore) PLAUSIBLE NONE Zero published cancer studies of carnivore diet exist. [Glutamine restriction and green tea (EGCG)](/c/glutamine) PLAUSIBLE NONE No human trial has shown green tea, EGCG, or dietary glutamine restriction changes a cancer outcome. [Mebendazole](/c/mebendazole) PLAUSIBLE C Multiple phase 1/2a trials always added to chemo; built for dose and safety, not to prove benefit. [Fenbendazole](/c/fenbendazole) PLAUSIBLE D Poor human bioavailability. Famous case was also on trial immunotherapy so cannot be credited to fenbendazole. [Ivermectin](/c/ivermectin) PLAUSIBLE D Only human outcome study is uncontrolled, unblinded, self-reported, and authored by the protocol's advocates. [Tumor treating fields (Optune)](/c/ttf) ESTABLISHED A (glioblastoma) Phase 3 EF-14 RCT showed survival benefit; FDA approved since 2015. Not shown for other gliomas. [Light: photodynamic therapy](/c/light) ESTABLISHED A/B (specific cancers) Approved for certain skin, esophageal and lung lesions. Not a general light cure; red-light panels are not this. [Heat: hyperthermia](/c/heat) ESTABLISHED B (with radiation) Randomized trials in cervical cancer (Dutch Deep Hyperthermia Trial) and sarcoma (EORTC). [BEMER and PEMF mats](/c/bemer) SPECULATIVE NONE No cancer outcome data of any kind. [Alkaline water and pH](/c/ph) SPECULATIVE NONE Bottled alkaline water does not reach the tumor; the research direction (oral bicarbonate) is not the consumer product. [Sound and "frequency" devices](/c/sound) SPECULATIVE NONE No outcome data. Rife machines and sound baths have never been trialed. Standard of care ## The conventional treatments, graded the same way Held to exactly the rubric above, with the same sourcing. A site that only grades alternatives is not being even-handed, it is campaigning. WhatDoes the biology make sense?Did people do better? [Surgery](/c/surgery) ESTABLISHED A Curative for most solid tumors caught before spread. [Radiation](/c/radiation) ESTABLISHED A Curative alone in some cancers; controls recurrence in many others. [Chemotherapy](/c/chemotherapy) ESTABLISHED A Curative in testicular cancer, many lymphomas including Hodgkin's, and childhood leukemias; life-extending in many others; brutal in most. [Immunotherapy](/c/immunotherapy) ESTABLISHED A Turned some metastatic melanomas and lung cancers from fatal into long-term survivable. Works spectacularly for some, not at all for others. [Targeted therapy](/c/targeted-therapy) ESTABLISHED A For a patient whose tumor has the matching mutation, often the best option that exists. [Watchful waiting](/c/watchful-waiting) ESTABLISHED A For some prostate, thyroid and low-grade cancers, doing nothing yet is the evidence-based choice. Bring this to your appointment ## Questions worth asking a doctor You do not need to win an argument with your clinician. You need better information out of a short appointment. These four questions do most of that work: - What is the realistic benefit of the treatment you are recommending, in numbers rather than adjectives? - What would you want to know before adding anything to it? - Is there anything I am already taking that interacts with this? - If this were your family, what would you want checked first? The detail ## Every entry, with its sources ### [Ketogenic diet](/c/keto) MechanismESTABLISHEDOutcomeC, some B Claimed Starving the body of carbohydrate drops blood glucose and insulin, forces normal cells onto ketones, and leaves glucose-dependent tumors short of fuel. What holds up Textbook Warburg-effect biology; reproduced across labs. What it does not show Pooled trials show reliable metabolic effect (glucose, insulin, IGF-1) and safety; no RCT has shown survival benefit yet. ERGO2 was feasibility, not efficacy. Evidence for Voss et al., ERGO2, Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2020, Kamali et al., umbrella review of systematic reviews, Integr Cancer Ther 2026, Rieger et al., ERGO pilot, Int J Oncol 2014, Diet2Treat phase II, ClinicalTrials.gov Sources PENDING Voss et al., ERGO2, Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2020. PENDING Kamali et al., umbrella review of systematic reviews, Integr Cancer Ther 2026. PENDING Rieger et al., ERGO pilot, Int J Oncol 2014. PENDING Diet2Treat phase II, ClinicalTrials.gov. ### [Carnivore diet](/c/carnivore) MechanismPLAUSIBLEOutcomeNONE Claimed A zero-carbohydrate, all-animal diet produces deeper and more sustained ketosis than keto, with fewer plant compounds to manage. What holds up Metabolically a ketogenic diet; shares keto's mechanism. What it does not show Zero published cancer studies of carnivore diet exist. Evidence for Carnivore Diet: A Scoping Review of the Current Evidence, PMC 2025, Low Carbohydrate Diets in Cancer Therapeutics, PMC 2021 Sources PENDING Carnivore Diet: A Scoping Review of the Current Evidence, PMC 2025. PENDING Low Carbohydrate Diets in Cancer Therapeutics, PMC 2021. ### [Glutamine restriction and green tea (EGCG)](/c/glutamine) MechanismPLAUSIBLEOutcomeNONE Claimed Cutting glutamine starves the tumor's second fuel; EGCG from green tea blocks the enzyme glutamate dehydrogenase and so blocks glutamine use. What holds up Glutamine addiction is real, a live pharma target; EGCG inhibits glutamate dehydrogenase in cells. What it does not show No human trial has shown green tea, EGCG, or dietary glutamine restriction changes a cancer outcome. Evidence for Targeting glutamine metabolism as a potential target for cancer treatment, PMC 2025, An alternative mechanism of glutamate dehydrogenase inhibition by EGCG, PMC 2025, Targeting cancer hallmarks with EGCG, PMC 2024 Sources PENDING Targeting glutamine metabolism as a potential target for cancer treatment, PMC 2025. PENDING An alternative mechanism of glutamate dehydrogenase inhibition by EGCG, PMC 2025. PENDING Targeting cancer hallmarks with EGCG, PMC 2024. ### [Mebendazole](/c/mebendazole) MechanismPLAUSIBLEOutcomeC Claimed The human anti-parasitic cousin of fenbendazole disrupts microtubules in dividing cancer cells and crosses into the brain. What holds up Microtubule disruption mechanism, human trials exist unlike most benzimidazoles. What it does not show Multiple phase 1/2a trials always added to chemo; built for dose and safety, not to prove benefit. Evidence for Gallia et al., Neuro-Oncology Advances 2021;3(1):vdaa154, Kars et al., Cancer Medicine 2020, DOI 10.1002/cam4.3094, Mansoori et al., Scientific Reports 2021, Hegazy et al., Life Sciences 2022 (often miscited as 'Touti'), Nygren and Larsson, Acta Oncologica 2014, a case report, not a trial Sources VERIFIED Gallia et al., Neuro-Oncology Advances 2021;3(1):vdaa154. VERIFIED Kars et al., Cancer Medicine 2020, DOI 10.1002/cam4.3094. VERIFIED Mansoori et al., Scientific Reports 2021. VERIFIED Hegazy et al., Life Sciences 2022 (often miscited as 'Touti'). VERIFIED Nygren and Larsson, Acta Oncologica 2014, a case report, not a trial. ### [Fenbendazole](/c/fenbendazole) MechanismPLAUSIBLEOutcomeD Claimed A dog dewormer that kills cancer cells through microtubule disruption, p53 and several other pathways, made famous by a rancher's stage 4 lung cancer story. What holds up Real mechanism list in cells and mice, cataloged in a 2024 review. What it does not show Poor human bioavailability. Famous case was also on trial immunotherapy so cannot be credited to fenbendazole. Evidence for Nguyen et al., Anticancer Research 2024;44(9):3725, Yamaguchi et al., Clinical Case Reports 2016 Sources VERIFIED Nguyen et al., Anticancer Research 2024;44(9):3725. VERIFIED Yamaguchi et al., Clinical Case Reports 2016. RETRACTED 'Stanford Fenbendazole Protocol': no such publication. RETRACTED 'University of Kentucky glioblastoma study': not found. ### [Ivermectin](/c/ivermectin) MechanismPLAUSIBLEOutcomeD Claimed A Nobel-winning anti-parasitic that hits tubulin, mitochondria, p53 and HIF-1 in cancer cells, and, combined with a benzimidazole, 'attacks cancer twenty ways.' What holds up Broad preclinical literature across cancer types, including sensitizing lung cancer cells to paclitaxel. What it does not show Only human outcome study is uncontrolled, unblinded, self-reported, and authored by the protocol's advocates. Evidence for Hulscher, Marik, Makis et al., Anticancer Research 2026;46(6):3243, PMID 42203321, Rockwell et al., JAMA Network Open 2026;9(5):e2616780 (demand study, not efficacy), Sulik et al., Eur J Med Chem Reports 2024, Hayashi et al., Anticancer Research 2024;44(12):5271 Sources VERIFIED Hulscher, Marik, Makis et al., Anticancer Research 2026;46(6):3243, PMID 42203321. VERIFIED Rockwell et al., JAMA Network Open 2026;9(5):e2616780 (demand study, not efficacy). VERIFIED Sulik et al., Eur J Med Chem Reports 2024. VERIFIED Hayashi et al., Anticancer Research 2024;44(12):5271. VERIFIED Factually / The Conversation evidence review, May 2026. ### [Tumor treating fields (Optune)](/c/ttf) MechanismESTABLISHEDOutcomeA (glioblastoma) Claimed Alternating electric fields at a specific frequency, delivered through scalp electrodes, disrupt cell division in tumors. What holds up What a 'frequency' therapy looks like when real. What it does not show Phase 3 EF-14 RCT showed survival benefit; FDA approved since 2015. Not shown for other gliomas. Evidence for Stupp et al., JAMA 2017, EF-14 trial, Real-world meta-analysis, ASCO Daily News summary, Tumor-Treating Fields in Glioblastomas: Past, Present, and Future, PMC 2022 Sources PENDING Stupp et al., JAMA 2017, EF-14 trial. PENDING Real-world meta-analysis, ASCO Daily News summary. PENDING Tumor-Treating Fields in Glioblastomas: Past, Present, and Future, PMC 2022. ### [Light: photodynamic therapy](/c/light) MechanismESTABLISHEDOutcomeA/B (specific cancers) Claimed Light can heal tissue and kill cancer. What holds up Light-activated drug plus matching-wavelength laser; decades of trials for specific lesions. What it does not show Approved for certain skin, esophageal and lung lesions. Not a general light cure; red-light panels are not this. Evidence for NCI PDQ summary on photodynamic therapy. Specific trial citations to be added and verified. Sources PENDING NCI PDQ summary on photodynamic therapy. Specific trial citations to be added and verified.. ### [Heat: hyperthermia](/c/heat) MechanismESTABLISHEDOutcomeB (with radiation) Claimed Heating a tumor to around 40 to 43 degrees Celsius weakens cancer cells and makes radiation and some chemotherapy work better. What holds up Tumor brought to measured temperature; standard in some European centers. What it does not show Randomized trials in cervical cancer (Dutch Deep Hyperthermia Trial) and sarcoma (EORTC). Evidence for van der Zee et al., Lancet 2000, Issels et al., Lancet Oncology 2010 and JAMA Oncology 2018 follow-up Sources PENDING van der Zee et al., Lancet 2000. PENDING Issels et al., Lancet Oncology 2010 and JAMA Oncology 2018 follow-up. ### [BEMER and PEMF mats](/c/bemer) MechanismSPECULATIVEOutcomeNONE Claimed Pulsed electromagnetic fields increase microcirculation dramatically, flooding the body with oxygen that cancer cannot tolerate. What holds up FDA-cleared narrowly for local circulation/muscle stimulation, not cancer; no published 800% figure exists. What it does not show No cancer outcome data of any kind. Evidence for Independent reviews: Biology Insights, ScienceInsights 2026 Sources PENDING FDA 510(k) K231368, K210174, K151834 (narrow indication, no cancer claim evaluated). PENDING Independent reviews: Biology Insights, ScienceInsights 2026. ### [Alkaline water and pH](/c/ph) MechanismSPECULATIVEOutcomeNONE Claimed Cancer thrives in acid; alkaline water makes the body inhospitable to it. What holds up Tumor microenvironments really are acidic, but blood pH is tightly regulated regardless of what you drink. What it does not show Bottled alkaline water does not reach the tumor; the research direction (oral bicarbonate) is not the consumer product. Evidence for Tumor alkalization therapy review, Frontiers in Oncology 2024, Plasma-activated water mouse study, Applied Physics Letters 2022 (previously miscited as AIP Advances) Sources PENDING Tumor alkalization therapy review, Frontiers in Oncology 2024. VERIFIED Plasma-activated water mouse study, Applied Physics Letters 2022 (previously miscited as AIP Advances). ### [Sound and "frequency" devices](/c/sound) MechanismSPECULATIVEOutcomeNONE Claimed Specific audio or radio frequencies shatter cancer cells the way a note shatters glass. What holds up No demonstrated mechanism at the energies involved; contrast with TTFields, a real electric-field therapy. What it does not show No outcome data. Rife machines and sound baths have never been trialed. Evidence for None on file. Sources PENDING Focused ultrasound: to be cited. No supporting literature exists for Rife-type devices to cite.. Want to hear what's next for Haygood Health? Email me about it Add my name and number (optional) No spam. One email when there is something to show, and you can reply to a real person.