According to research done by the University of Michigan and funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and the NIH, ginger may be a beneficial tool in the fight against ovarian cancer.
Ginger has a long history of medicinal use that dates back to the ancient days.
Throughout the centuries, the Japanese, Greeks, Italians, Chinese, and the Americans used it on a daily to boost their digestion, to alleviate menstrual cramps, relieve toothache, flu symptoms, and hangover, as well as a natural aphrodisiac.
Nowadays, it still remains to be one of the most popular natural remedies and it’s often part of different researches and studies to test its numerous potential healing properties.
Ginger: A Powerful Tool in the Fight against Cancer?
The research indicates that ginger may be beneficial in the fight against ovarian cancer. Ginger contains bioactive phenolic and non-volatile pungent compounds, as well as anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and antioxidant characteristics.
The research also notes that along with ginger, one should also consume a variety of veggies and fruits on the daily to help lower the cancer risk.
How Was the Study Performed?
For a period of 8 weeks, the team of researchers fed lab mice with tumors with ginger. During this period, there was a major reduction in the tumors’ size due to apoptosis or “self-suicide” of the cancerous cells.
The cells of the tumor begin to attack each other when they come into contact with ginger. The study was done three times and the results were always the same. The study also tested the body toxicity and ginger didn’t have any toxic effect, even when taken in larger doses.
Plus, ginger is an easy product to be presented in the form of capsules and used as supplementation.
If ginger is able to cause apoptosis, it may help avert chemo resistance, a common occurrence in patients with ovarian cancer. But, the researchers note that further research is needed in order to see if the same results will be seen in humans.
What about Ginger’s Effect on Prostate Cancer?
In a research published in the British Journal of Nutrition and done by a group of American scientists, ginger extracts were used against human prostate cancerous cells and the healthy surrounding tissue in the prostate wasn’t harmed.
The ginger extract successfully reduced the cancerous tumors by an amazing rate of 56 percent.
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