Vinegar could help to detect cervical cancer in women. Researchers in South Africa have found that washing the cervix or neck of the womb with the solution can help to see potentially cancerous cells and thereby give immediate treatment to such patients.
This new technique, which is as effective as pap smear, is promising in as much as it may pave the way for developing countries to introduce a cheap and effective screening programme for cervical cancer, the researchers believe.
According to a report in BBC, when vinegar, which is comprised of water and five percent acetic acid, is placed on the cervix, it turns the potentially cancerous tissue white. This enables nurses to offer patients an immediate diagnosis by simply looking at the cervix.
This cost-effective and much simpler method of screening could be used in developing countries that are unable to afford to implement a national screening programme for cervical cancer.
ANI