A study done by researchers at Georgia State University found that numerous natural plants have been able to help take the fight to the cancerous cells in a specific organ without causing much more harm to the rest of the body. In this particular study, it was found that ginger actually fought a specific cancer within the prostate. This kind of cancer is common in many males (happening within females as well) and produces plenty of deaths per year.
The Research
The researchers used a specific batch of ginger to attack male prostate cancer cells in in vitro (test tubed) and in vivo (living normally) mice. Researchers noted, “The present study reports a novel finding that oral consumption of the extract of whole ginger, a commonly consumed vegetable worldwide, significantly inhibits prostate tumor progression…” This is done because ginger naturally inhibits cell progression and alters the normal growth rate of cancer cells. Instead of allowing the cancer cells to grow and reproduce at their rapid rate, ginger caused apoptosis — or death due to a normal part of an organisms growth — of the cell. Instead of allowing the cancer cells to run freely and cause rampage in the prostate, ginger had them self destruct and would shrink the size of cancer ridden prostate. As if this evidence wasn’t beneficial enough, ginger is non-toxic, contrasting highly with normal chemotherapy options which can be toxic, causing people to lose hair, fingernails and strength.
Ginger and it’s abilities.
As showcased by the evidence above, ginger clearly has a positive role to play in future studies about fighting cancer, but what is ginger exactly? It is a rhizome (part of the root) that is mainly used as a spice in most stir fries and fruit and vegetable dishes. It’s attributes as a medicinal power has been shown for years, having multiple uses an anti inflammatory, an a relief for gastrointestinal issues and even helping cause cancer cell death in ovarian cancer. It seems that ginger naturally have potent compounds called gingerols that allow for inflammation relief. In the study about mice and the prostate cancer, these gingerols would prove to be beneficial as well in perturbing the cell growth as a chemopreventive strategy. This in turn would show ginger as an effective way to shrink the size of the prostate (killing cancer cells) and providing a sensual relief by causing the inflammation to go down (in turn also helping shrink the prostate). Most commonly ginger is used as a powder or paste in food, and the researchers believe that adding ginger to the normal diet might have a use of never allowing for cancer to settle in the human body at all. Ginger’s powerful effects are reimagining the conversation of using fruits and vegetables as ways to fight disease, taking the idea back to the days of old when more natural processes and remedies were used to cure the ill. Featured photo credit: http://www.seriouseats.com/images/2014/09/ginger-shutterstock_127542449.jpg via seriouseats.com
