Study finds anti-aging compound in folk medicine

TOKYO - In Japan, the slightly bitter leaves of the Ashitaba plant have long been considered healthy, and a new study has found the traditional belief may have good scientific grounds.

A natural substance in the plant appears to induce a key process that helps remove the "cellular garbage" that can build up as cells age and cause a range of diseases and disorders.

"It is always nice to find a scientific rationale for traditional medical folk tales," said Frank Madeo, a professor at the University of Graz's Institute of Molecular Biosciences, in Austria.