Cinnamon may prevent cancer!

WASHINGTON: A compound derived from cinnamon is a potent inhibitor of colorectal or bowel cancer, a study shows.The study found that adding cinnamaldehyde, the compound that gives cinnamon its distinctive flavour and smell, to the diet protected mice against colorectal cancer.The animals’ cells had acquired the ability to protect

By our correspondents
June 19, 2015
WASHINGTON: A compound derived from cinnamon is a potent inhibitor of colorectal or bowel cancer, a study shows.
The study found that adding cinnamaldehyde, the compound that gives cinnamon its distinctive flavour and smell, to the diet protected mice against colorectal cancer.
The animals’ cells had acquired the ability to protect themselves against exposure to a carcinogen through detoxification and repair. “This is a significant finding,” said Donna Zhang at University of Arizona College of Pharmacy and Cancer Centre.
“Because colorectal cancer is aggressive and associated with poor prognoses, there is an urgent need to develop more effective strategies against this disease,” Zhang noted.
Since cinnamon is a common food additive already considered safe—it’s not a synthetic, novel drug—a study in humans may not be too far off. The study appeared online in the journal Cancer Prevention Research.