A 'super-nutrient' found in fruit and vegetables could reduce the risk of colon cancer, a new study has found.
Luteolin, a flavonoid or antioxidant, can be found in an array of everyday healthy foods including celery, carrots, olive oil, green peppers, thyme, chamomile tea, peppermint and rosemary.
The research, published in BMC Gastroenterology, found that the nutrient can block cell signal pathways, preventing cancer cells from instructing cells to grow and spread.
It is hoped that further research will uncover how the antioxidant can be used effectively in the fight against bowel cancer, which claims around 16,000 lives in the UK each year and is the second most common cause of death from cancer in the UK after lung cancer.
Team leader Professor Jung Han Yoon Park said: "Blocking these pathways stops cancer cells from dividing and leads to cell death.
"Our study, showing that luteolin interferes with cell signalling in colon cancer cells, is a step forward in understanding how this flavonoid works."