Ginger can fight cancer, scientists have established.
Kencur (Kaempferia galanga L), a tropical plant in the ginger family, suppresses cancer cell growth, say scientists from Osaka Metropolitan University. Its active component, EMC (ethyl p-methoxycinnamate), has a ‘significant’ impact on the disease, and blocks mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM), a biological process that enables cancer to spread.
It’s the first time that scientists have directly witnessed the impact of EMC on TFAM processes. “It’s highly expected that TFAM will become a new marker for anti-cancer effects in the future as research advances in related fields,” said Akiko Kojima, one of the researchers.
Kencur is traditionally used in cooking and as a remedy for upset stomachs, but now it can also be harnessed as a cancer fighter.
