Black Jelly Beans May Help Fight Cancer!

Scientists have spent decades searching everywhere for a cure for cancer, so wouldn’t it be a cruel twist of fate if it was hidden all this time in everyone’s least favourite jellybean?  (Yes, the black ones.)

A new study has found that a chemical in black licorice could help fight pancreatic cancer, one of the world’s deadliest cancers.  Experiments on mice have shown that a “flavonoid” in licorice root can kill pancreatic cancer cells.  Not the candy flavouring, but actual licorice root, which is an herb that’s widely used in traditional Chinese medicine.

Researchers also found it could make treatments like chemotherapy more effective.  So, it’s a very promising development.

But the research is still early, and doctors are warning people that they should NOT go out and consume large amounts of licorice.  The American Heart Association says eating a TON of black licorice can cause heart and kidney problems, that in extreme cases can be “life-threatening.”

And filling your mouth with black jellybeans is, well, NASTY.