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Ginger has been effective in a majority of studies, including those that examined the alleviation of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy, digestive function, improvement in the expression level of markers for colorectal cancer risk, and anti-inflammatory functions.
2020 Nutrients Ginger on Human Health: A Comprehensive Systematic Review of 109 Randomized Controlled Trials Anh NH, Kim SJ, Long NP, Min JE, Yoon YC, Lee EG, et al.
Systematic Review Anti-Inflammatory Bowel Cancer Digestive Health
Ginger is a natural spice that is used in diverse regions to add a pungent flavor to food. Furthermore, ginger has been used as an herbal medicine for common health problems. This systematic review is the first study that has exclusively collected RCTs regarding the efficiency of ginger in several human health conditions. The clinical effects of ginger have been introduced as six subsections: nausea and vomiting, gastrointestinal function, pain, inflammation, metabolic syndromes, and other symptoms. Reportedly, ginger has been effective in a majority of studies, including those that examined the alleviation of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy, digestive function, improvement in the expression level of markers for colorectal cancer risk, and anti-inflammatory functions. Several other functions have also been regarded as beneficial in trials, with some confronting results. However, a few drawbacks regarding the quality of the trials, inconsistent evaluation systems or parameters, and the generally small size of the studies need to be noted. Therefore, systematically designed research with detailed descriptions of methodology and a sufficient pool of participants is necessary for future clinical trials to address the functional characteristics of ginger.
Coffee consumption shows a protective effect against colorectal and colon cancers, particularly among US subjects and European men.
2019 Nutrients Coffee Consumption and Risk of Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prospective Studies Sartini M, Bragazzi N, Spagnolo A, Schinca E, Ottria G, Dupont C, et al.
Systematic Review Bowel Cancer Coffee Colorectal Cancer
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 26 prospective studies was conducted to explore the relationship between coffee consumption and the risk of colorectal cancer. The studies included in the review were appraised for their quality using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale for Cohort studies, with only one study deemed to be of low quality. The analysis was stratified by ethnicity to determine if this variable could explain the heterogeneity of the studies.
In the discussion of the results, it was found that while coffee consumption didn't show a significant relationship with colorectal cancer overall, when stratified for ethnicity, a protective effect emerged in US subjects. This effect was especially pronounced when looking at colon cancer, with coffee showing a protective effect in men and women combined, and in men alone. When examined by ethnicity, there was a significant protective impact in European men and Asian women. However, there was no significant association found with rectal cancer. Decaffeinated coffee also exhibited a protective effect against colorectal cancer in both men and women combined.
Lemongrass extract has potential as a supplement to chemotherapy, reducing colon cancer growth, enhancing treatment effectiveness, and mitigating side effects like weight loss.
2019 Integrative Cancer Therapies Lemongrass Extract Possesses Potent Anticancer Activity Against Human Colon Cancers, Inhibits Tumorigenesis, Enhances Efficacy of FOLFOX, and Reduces Its Adverse Effects Ruvinov I, Nguyen C, Scaria B, Vegh C, Zaitoon O, Baskaran K, et al.
Experimental Study Anticancer Bowel Cancer Chemotherapy
The study utilized both human colorectal cancer models and APC transgenic mice to assess the effectiveness and potential preventive properties of lemongrass extract. The researchers initially tested the impact of the extract in vitro, observing its influence on cancer cells over time and in relation to does. Moreover, they analyzed the extract's effects when orally administered to mice with colon cancer xenografts. This was done to understand its effectiveness in handling colon cancer and potential negative impacts on healthy cells.
The latter part of the study focused on the interaction of lemongrass extract with two common chemotherapy treatments used for colon cancer, FOLFOX and Taxol. This was done not only to understand how the extract might influence the chemotherapy's results but also to assess if it could ameliorate any side effects of these potent treatments.
It was found that ethanolic lemongrass extract demonstrated a potent anticancer effect by inducing apoptosis (cell death) in colon cancer cells without negatively impacting the healthy cells. This effect was noticed to be both time and dose-dependent.
Moreover, when fed to mice with colon cancer xenografts, the extract not only inhibited cancer growth but was well tolerated by the animals. Significant implications were evidenced when the extract was given alongside FOLFOX. Not only did it enhance the effectiveness of this chemotherapy treatment, but it also actively countered weight loss, one of the common side effects.
Finally, the lemongrass extract effectively reduced intestinal tumors in APC transgenic mice, suggesting its potential role for preventative measures against colon cancer. Based on these results, the researchers concluded that lemongrass extract may be a promising supplemental treatment for colorectal cancer in the future.