Based on very weak evidence, shark cartilage has also been suggested as a treatment for psoriasis . There is no good clinical evidence yet that cartilage can cure or relieve symptoms of any disease. A number of test-tube experiments have found that shark cartilage extracts prevent new blood vessels from forming in chick embryos and other test systems. 2,3,4 Developing drugs to prevent blood vessels from forming in tumors is an exciting new approach to treating cancer. Unfortunately, we don t have any research data on human subjects, so we can t say whether shark cartilage really has any effect on tumors in human beings.
More study is needed.
Because cartilage is just common, ordinary gristle, it is presumably safe to consume. Dupont E, Savard PE, Jourdain C, et al. Dupont E, Savard PE, Jourdain C, et al. Sheu JR, et al. Davis PF, et al.