It's been previously thought that food preservatives in general can harm one's body over time. But in a recent study, researchers discovered that one natural occurring food preservative might be used to fight cancer. You can read a list of common natural preservatives here.
A team of researchers from the University of Michigan has conducted a study, now published in a journal called Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, by using lab rats as study subjects. With the use of Nisin, a naturally occurring food preservative common among dairy products, the researchers studied the content to prove that it treats the cancer cells present in the rodent's bodies.
By feeding the rats highly purified nisin with a dosage of 800 mg/kg a day for 9 weeks straight, the scientists were able to observe that 70 to 80 percent of the head and neck tumors in their bodies were gone. Nisin was also able to extend their survival. This dosage is extraordinary considering that the usual amount found in foods that has Nisin in it has only around .25 to 37.5 mg/kg.
Nisin, which is a bacteriocin, acts like a terminator of other bacteria that can harm once the person eats a food. This particular bacterium is also responsible for turning milk into cheese, yogurt and other dairy products. Due to its effective preservative for dairy products, meat manufacturers have added it to their goods as a healthier option than using artificial ones.
The team of researchers also discovered that Nisin might be used to fight off other deadly bacteria that are immune to antibiotic. One of these bacteria that were of no use compared to the power of nisin is ethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus.
Nisin is very dangerous for these sorts of bacteria as it quickly attacks the static area, making a room for it to act as quickly as possible before the virus produces a self defense mechanism.