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Posted on Jan 30, 2004, 5 a.m.
By Bill Freeman
Recent study results suggest that ginger, tea, and a Chinese herb called Scutellaria barbata or Ban Zhi Lian could all help to prevent cancer. Researchers Ann Bode and Zigang Dong of the University of Minnesota fed mice infected with human colon cancer cells a compound called gingerol
Recent study results suggest that ginger, tea, and a Chinese herb called Scutellaria barbata or Ban Zhi Lian could all help to prevent cancer. Researchers Ann Bode and Zigang Dong of the University of Minnesota fed mice infected with human colon cancer cells a compound called gingerol &endash; the compound responsible for making ginger spicy. Results showed that just four mice fed the ginger extract developed tumors, compared with 13 mice that were fed a normal diet. Meanwhile, another group of researchers from the Arizona Cancer Center in Tucson asked 118 heavy smokers to drink at least four cups a day of both green and black tea. The researchers also monitored the participants blood levels of a chemical called 8-OHdG, which the body releases in response to cancer-causing DNA damage. Results showed that 8-OhdG levels in those who drank green tea for four months dropped by 31%, however no change in 8-OhdG levels was observed in those who drank black tea. Lastly, a study of the Chinese medicinal herb, Scutellaria barbata or Ban Zhi Lian, conducted at Union College in Nebraska, revealed that the herb slowed the growth of prostate cancer tumors in mice.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Reported by www.reutershealth.com on the 28th October 2003.
