An active compound in Chinese herbs called emodin could prevent colon cancer in mice, according to University of South Carolina School of Medicine researchers.. The study was published in the American Journal of Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, reports News-Medical..

The physiologists conducting the study say this is likely due to emodin's ability to reduce the number of pro-tumor macrophages (a type of immune cell that can promote tumorigenesis), according to Pannochka, an online publication for girls and women aged 14 to 35.. net According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, colon cancer is the third most common cancer in men and women and the third leading cause of cancer death in the U.S.. More than 52,000 people are expected to die from it in the US in 2022. According to the American Cancer Society, risk factors for colon cancer include:.

¦obesity,.

¦ hypodynamia,.

diets high in red meat.

¦smoking,.

the use of alcohol,.

¦age 50 and older.

“In addition to studying whether emodin could prevent colon cancer, the researchers specifically wanted to know if its anti-cancer properties could be explained by “acting on immune cells and especially macrophages,” said Angela Murphy, Ph.D., co-author of the study.. – In this rodent model, emodin has been shown to reduce both the number of polyps and their size. In addition, mice treated with emodin “showed lower protumorogenic M2-like macrophages in the colon.”.

According to Murphy, approximately 70% of colon cancers can be avoided by diet or other lifestyle factors.. This study raises hope that daily consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables containing emodin may prevent colon cancer in humans..

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