Q. I’m 68 years old and had my prostate removed in May, 2007. I have been cancer-free for seven years, but now the cancer has returned. I’m on Lupron to control it.
Several family members sent me an article indicating ginger root has been shown to cure prostate cancer. Is there reliable data to support this claim?
A. We know your family members want to help, but unfortunately, that claim is premature.
There are promising cell culture studies showing that various components of ginger can inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells (Anti-Cancer Drugs, online Sept. 19, 2014; Cancer Prevention Research, June, 2014; British Journal of Nutrition, Feb. 28, 2012).
But there aren’t clinical studies to show whether taking ginger would be beneficial, or whether it might interact with your Lupron. We also don’t know how much you might have to take.
If you would like suggestions on how to add ginger to your meals just in case it might be helpful, you will find many in our book, Recipes & Remedies from The People’s Pharmacy. It also contains a recipe for a “cancer-fighting curry” that contains many additional compounds that look potentially useful against prostate cancer based on laboratory research. Again, however, there are no clinical data, so we can’t make any promises.
