Turmeric can prevent and treat certain cancers
A recent study says that turmeric, is effective in the treatment of various types of cancer, including breast and ovarian cancer, which has risen 30 percent among women in the last decade.
The study conducted at BL Kapoor Memorial Hospital, New Delhi, says that turmeric has nearly 20 molecules with antibiotic property, 14 molecules with cancer preventive potential, 12 with anti-tumour effect.
‘At least 12 molecules in it have anti-cancer effect while 10 of them have anti-oxidant features. Overall, turmeric is known for it’s antibiotic, antiseptic, anti-cancer and anti-oxidant property. It is known to be a good digestive substance,’ said the study.
Turmeric contains curcuminoids which are the main component found to be effective in cancer treatment.
Curcumin, the principal curcuminoid of turmeric, is a cancer protective agent. Its potential has been tapped in head and neck cancers, breast, lung, gastro-intestinal cancer, ovarian cancer, melanoma, neurological cancers, sarcoma, leukemias and lymphoma.
Dr Tapaswini Sharma, Surgical Oncologist at BL Kapoor Memorial Hospital, said: ‘Curcumin suppresses all three stages of carcinogenesis: initiation, promotion and progression. It also has a role in neutralising substances and conditions which lead to cancer. By inhibiting the enzyme Topoisomerases, which is required for multiplication of cancer cells, it is able to arrest the growth of these cells,’ said Sharma.
Cancers cells too tend to become resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy with time, Sharma observed.
Curcumin sensitizes the cancer cells to chemotherapy drugs by increasing the pace of death of the cancer cells, she said.
‘Studies in advanced breast cancer have also shown that curcumin increases the effect of chemotherapy and prevents the spread of cancer cells to the lung,’ she said.
‘In lung carcinoma, when curcumin is added to the chemotherapeutic drug, it increases the effectiveness of the drug by promoting cell death of cancer cells. The efficacy of it has also been seen in the brain tumours where it sensitises the tumour cells to the cancer drugs,’ said Sharma.
The study also found that curcumin enhanced the effect of radiotherapy by inhibiting tumour regrowth per se, and also by suppressing new vessel formation.
Turmeric, being a powerful anti-oxidant, reduces the side-effects of radiotherapy by scavenging all the harmful free radicals induced by radiation exposure of cells.
It may be worthwhile to include turmeric in your foods on a daily basis as it has the potential to prevent cancers.
