CHRISTMAS tree needles could help beat cancer.
They contain luteolin which can stop tumour growth.
GettyChristmas trees could help to beat cancer, according to scientists[/caption]
Experts dried needles from discarded trees in an oven and ground them to extract the luteolin.
Added to mouth cancer cells, it cut rapidly-growing ones by more than half.
It also worked quickly, with the cell count falling by a quarter in 24 hours.
Luteolin is also a flavonoid found in Christmas veg.
Experts aim to add it to toothpaste or mouthwash to tackle tumours.
Dr Bartosz Tylkowski, who led the Spanish study, said: “Each year, millions of trees are thrown away when they could be a valuable and cheap source of luteolin.
“We proved it is very promising for oral health.”
More than 12,000 Brits a year are affected by mouth and throat cancers.
The Oral Health Foundation warned last month that mouth tumours are at a record high and have risen by a third in a decade.