Ginger (Latin name: Zingiber officinale) is a root that has been used in folk medicine for millennia. We usually add it to give our meals a stingier flavor, but the root has incredible health benefits as well, treating various ailments ranging from colds and the flu to cancer.
For years, ginger has mostly been used to naturally treat digestive problems. Studies have been done on ginger in order to determine what exactly makes it so powerful, and they’ve been able to identify potent antioxidant within the root which have anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties.
A powerful anticancer agent
Recently, The University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center conducted a research on ginger’s anticancer effects which discovered that the root can prevent proliferation of cells and improve the efficiency of common cancer treatments such as chemo. The main “culprits” behind the anticancer properties were identified as gingerols, paradols and shogaols, phytochemicals that scientists are hoping to study even more in the search for the elusive cancer cure.
Recently, The University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center conducted a research on ginger’s anticancer effects which discovered that the root can prevent proliferation of cells and improve the efficiency of common cancer treatments such as chemo. The main “culprits” behind the anticancer properties were identified as gingerols, paradols and shogaols, phytochemicals that scientists are hoping to study even more in the search for the elusive cancer cure.
Ginger vs. prostate cancer
One of the studies examined ginger’s effects on mice suffering from prostate cancer. The rodents were fed 100 mg. of ginger extract per kg. of bodyweight, and the results have been incredible. In 56% of the mice, the extract was able to reduce the size of the tumors and stopped the progression of the disease. Both in vivo and in vitro studies have shown that the extract doesn’t have any adverse side-effects.
Ginger vs. breast cancer
Another study put ginger against breast cancer, and the results were more than promising. Besides destroying a great number of breast cancer cells, ginger was also able to reduce the number of signal molecules inside these cells which were responsible for their spread. The scientists were surprised by the results and are calling for more research on the matter in order to see if ginger can potentially become a future breast cancer cure.
Ginger vs. ovarian cancer
The results were similar when ginger was tested against ovarian cancer. It induced apoptosis (or programmed cell death) in the cells, and also helped the patients recover from chemotherapy faster.
In conclusion, the studies have shown that ginger does have great anticancer potential and could become the base for further researches which may produce a cure for these deadly disease. For now, scientists are suggesting adding ginger into your daily diet as a preventative step against cancer. They recommend consuming 4 gr. of ginger per day for adults, and 1 gr. of the root for pregnant women and children.
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