At 80 years old, Virginia Cromwell doesn't have much to complain about. Just one nagging health problem she can't shake. She's battled sores in her mouth, some cancerous, for 20 years. Like weeds, they pop back up after each surgery. Soybeans contain a chemical called Bowman-Birk Inhibitor.
Doctors believe it prevents cancer cells from forming in the mouth.
Twice a day Virginia and 31 other study participants took a powdered-form of the chemical, holding it in the mouth for 60 seconds before swallowing. In just one month Virginia's lesion shrank 40 percent. I'd be happy. But to have it lessened was a real breakthrough. Red sores and white plaque are warning signs that oral cancer may develop.