By: Svetlana Pasarić |
Oregano oil could become a part of cancer treatment |
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The aromatic herb that is often used as a pizza spice contains an active ingredient that kills cancer cells – according to the latest laboratory research.
Scientists have tested the effect of carvacrol, the active ingredient of oregano oil, on prostate cancer cells.
It turns out that carvacrol causes a process called "apoptosis" – a programmed self-destruction of cancer cells.
Apoptosis is one of the ways in which the body breaks down non-functional or malignant cells, such as those found in tumors.
An American researcher tried to understand how this process takes place in the body.
Dr. Supriya Bavadekar, from Long Island University in New York says: "The advantage of oregano is that it is a frequently used plant and that its use is safe for health."
"Some earlier studies showed that regular consumption of pizza reduces the risk of cancer. Those effects were always attributed to lycopene - the active ingredient of tomato, but it seems that lycopene itself is not responsible for that positive effect, but oregano."
"If the research continues to show a positive result, oregano oil could become a part of cancer therapy."
The research was presented in April at the Experimental Biology meeting in San Diego.
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