DHAKA: Pearls rich in essential minerals can help treat killer
diseases like cancer, a leading scientist has claimed. In a
series of experiments by Ajai Kumar Sonkar at the Pearl
Aquaculture Research Foundation in Port Blair, pearls produced
through special culture technique have been found to contain
traces of several metals and minerals which are known to have
major health benefits. "We have produced the pearls in a
controlled environment in the lab in most aseptic conditions.
They are found to contain traces of metal and minerals such as
zinc, copper, magnesium, iron, calcium, sodium and potassium,"
Sonkar said. "These micro-nutrients are essential for various
body functions such as metabolism, growth and immunity Of them,
zinc has been found to be playing a major role in preventing
fatal diseases like cancer," he told. A study, published
recently in the British Journal of Cancer, has also established
zinc`s anti-tumour role that prevents the growth of cancer
cells. Other studies have also found that zinc