HemoHIM and Cancer: What the Research Actually Shows

Short answer: HemoHIM is not a cancer treatment. No human study shows that it prevents, treats or cures cancer, or that it helps people during chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The research linking HemoHIM to cancer is laboratory and animal work only. If you have cancer or are in treatment, speak to your oncologist before taking HemoHIM or any other supplement.

HemoHIM is a liquid herbal supplement (Angelica gigas, Cnidium officinale and peony root) developed by the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) and sold by Atomy. In South Korea its approved claims are that it “may help improve immune function” and “may help reduce fatigue” — nothing about cancer. See what is HemoHIM.

Why HemoHIM gets connected to cancer

There are three reasons people search for “HemoHIM cancer” or “HemoHIM chemotherapy”:

• Its origin: KAERI developed the formula while studying recovery after radiation. In irradiated animals, the extract was reported to help immune and blood-forming cells recover — and radiation is also a cancer treatment.

• Chemotherapy animal studies: animals were given HemoHIM together with chemotherapy drugs such as cisplatin and compared with animals given the drug alone. These were not studies in patients.

• Immune markers: two small human studies reported changes in NK-cell activity, and NK cells help defend against abnormal cells. That link is easily overstated.

What the human studies actually measured

Two small KAERI studies (2006, 38 participants; 2007, 88 participants) reported changes in immune markers such as NK-cell activity over about two months. Later trials looked at fatigue and safety in adults without cancer. No HemoHIM study has included cancer patients or measured anything about cancer. In the 2007 study, NK-cell activity and some immune signalling molecules increased over two months; in the smaller 2006 study, the increase was significant only in one subgroup. See HemoHIM clinical studies.

A change in an immune marker is not the same as fighting cancer. Tumours can evade immune responses in many ways, so results like these cannot be stretched into claims about prevention or treatment.

Radiation and chemotherapy research: animal and laboratory only

The radiation-recovery findings and the studies alongside drugs such as cisplatin were all done in animals or in the laboratory. Animal results often do not carry over to people, and they do not show that HemoHIM makes cancer treatment safer or more effective. More on the cisplatin work: HemoHIM kidney research.

What HemoHIM cannot do

• It has not been shown to kill cancer cells, shrink tumours or prevent cancer in people.

• It is not a substitute for surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy or any other medical treatment.

• It has not been shown to reduce the side effects of cancer treatment in patients.

Claims that HemoHIM treats or prevents cancer are not supported by evidence, and acting on them instead of proven treatment can be dangerous.

If you have cancer: talk to your oncologist first

Anyone with cancer, or receiving chemotherapy, radiotherapy or immunotherapy, should talk to their oncologist before taking any supplement, including HemoHIM. Never delay, reduce or replace your treatment because of a supplement.

• Supplements can interact with cancer treatment, for example by changing how the body handles medicines.

• HemoHIM is promoted for immune function; whether that matters for immunotherapy has not been studied.

• The Korean label advises people on blood thinners to consult a professional first — relevant before surgery or when blood counts are low.

• In 2021 Hong Kong and Taiwan told consumers to stop using HemoHIM after methoxsalen, an undeclared prescription drug, was found in samples and four liver-injury cases were reported in Hong Kong. Causation is debated, but liver health matters greatly during treatment. As of October 2026, HemoHIM is sold again in Atomy’s Singapore mall and, as HemoHIM G (艾多美 煥力飲G), in Atomy’s Taiwan mall; it is still not sold in Hong Kong. See our HemoHIM liver safety analysis.

Tell your care team about every supplement you take, and bring the ingredient list to your appointment.

Bottom line

HemoHIM is not a cancer treatment; research on cancer, radiation and chemotherapy is limited to animals and the laboratory. For people with cancer, medical treatment comes first and any supplement should be agreed with the oncologist. See also HemoHIM side effects and safety. This site is run by an independent Atomy distributor.