Last year, Tung Ta-cheng, a professor emeritus at National Taiwan University, attracted a great deal of attention with a study that concluded that a species of bean native to Taiwan--the jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis) --could form "natural killer cells" which can repress cancer cells. The price of this heretofore neglected and inexpensive bean skyrocketed to NT $ 3000-5000 per kilogram. Crazes for anti-cancer gimmicks can reach bizarre levels.
去年，台灣大學名譽教授董大成研究發表報告，指出台灣土產的一種豆類﹘ ﹘白鳳豆，服用後可以在人體內形成自然殺手細胞，以抑制癌細胞，達到抗癌效果，立刻引起國人高度關注，使得原本無人問津、價格低廉的白鳳豆，一下子竟飆漲到每斤二、三千元。