Got Ginger? Ginger Fights Cancer

By Dr. Baruch

Ginger can kill ovarian cancer cells while the compound that makespeppers hot can shrink pancreatic tumors, researchers told aconference. Their studies add to a growing body of evidence that atleast some popular spices might slow or prevent the growth of cancer.Dr. Rebecca Liu, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology atthe University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, and colleaguestested ginger powder dissolved in solution by putting it on ovariancancer cell cultures. It killed the ovarian cancer cells in twodifferent ways. First, through a self-destruction process calledapoptosis and second, through the process of autophagy in which cancercells digest themselves, the researchers told a meeting of the AmericanAssociation for Cancer Research. There is "some support" for an association between ovarian cancer andthe consumption of milk products, Swedish researchers report in theInternational Journal of Cancer. From 1991 through 1998 in our nation’s capital, African American womenrepresented two-thirds of all deaths from ovarian cancer, while farmore cases were diagnosed in Caucasian women.Ovarian cancer kills 16,000 out of the 22,000 U.S. women who arediagnosed with it every year, according to the American Cancer Society.Ginger has been shown to help control inflammation, which can contributeto the development of ovarian cancer cells. “In multiple ovarian cancer cell lines, we found that ginger-inducedcell death at a similar or better rate than the platinum-basedchemotherapy drugs typically used to treat ovarian cancer,” said Dr.Jennifer Rhode, who helped work on the study. Ginger Mint Dressing made with the Wholefood Farmacy’s Heart of Gold isa great way to add ginger to your daily meal plan.

Heart of Gold Ginger Mint Dressing:½ cup freshly grated ginger1 ½ cups Heart of Gold 1 ½ cups fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice1 cup finely chopped fresh mint Combine ingredients and blend for 30 seconds in a blender. Add moremint or your favorite spices to taste. Great on salads, great for tossing with steamed veggies or drizzlingover fresh veggies!