Christmas tradition could help beat cancer, scientists reveal

CHRISTMAS tree needles could help beat cancer.

They contain luteolin which can stop tumour growth.

Experts dried needles from discarded trees in an oven and ground them to extract the luteolin.

Added to mouth cancer cells, it cut rapidly-growing ones by more than half.

It also worked quickly, with the cell count falling by a quarter in 24 hours.

Luteolin is also a flavonoid found in Christmas veg.

Experts aim to add it to toothpaste or mouthwash to tackle tumours.

Dr Bartosz Tylkowski, who led the Spanish study, said: “Each year, millions of trees are thrown away when they could be a valuable and cheap source of luteolin.

“We proved it is very promising for oral health.”

More than 12,000 Brits a year are affected by mouth and throat cancers.

The Oral Health Foundation warned last month that mouth tumours are at a record high and have risen by a third in a decade.