Is it true thar turmeric can cure or prevent cancer?

Answer 1

Here's a study on the key ingredient in turmeric you might find interesting:

Oral curcumin may benefit patients with cancers of the gastrointestinal tract.

According to recent research from England, "curcumin is a polyphenol derived from the herbal remedy and dietary spice turmeric. It possesses diverse anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties following oral or topical administration."

R.A. Sharma and colleagues, Royal Marsden Hospital, noted, "apart from curcumin's potent antioxidant capacity at neutral and acidic pH, its mechanisms of action include inhibition of several cell signalling pathways at multiple levels, effects on cellular enzymes such as cyclooxygenase and glutathione S-transferases, immuno-modulation and effects on angiogenesis and cell-cell adhesion."

"Curcumin's ability to affect gene transcription and to induce apoptosis in preclinical models is likely to be of particular relevance to cancer chemoprevention and chemotherapy in patients. Although curcumin's low systemic bioavailability following oral dosing may limit access of sufficient concentrations for pharmacological effect in certain tissues, the attainment of biologically active levels in the gastrointestinal tract has been demonstrated in animals and humans."

"Sufficient data currently exist to advocate phase II clinical evaluation of oral curcumin in patients with invasive malignancy or pre-invasive lesions of the gastrointestinal tract, particularly the colon and rectum," researchers recommended.

Sharma and colleagues published their report in European Journal of Cancer (Curcumin: The story so far. Eur J Cancer, 2005;41(13):1955-1968).

Answer 2

There are some very good points raised in the "yes" answers above, and they all point out that research is still in very early stage, so your question about a definite cure or prevention cannot be answered.

I'd just like to add that knowledgeable sources differ on whether the quantity of culinary turmeric (curcumin) used in cooking is sufficient to make any medical difference. Furthermore, spices & herbs imported into North America have nearly always been irradiated at source to preserve them, and this irradiation process destroys medicinal properties.

Higher quantities of medicinally valid curcumin can be obtained in preparations such as Zyflamend sold in health food stores. I've seen this work well to lower inflammation in several patients.

Answer 3

As far as I understand, it is proven that turmeric contains some strong anti-oxidant compounds, that could IN PRINCIPLE prevent cancer and a range of other diseases and disorders.
However, as with so many natural compounds, the curative or preventive activity is not yet linked to enough data about cancer patients and control subjects to be able to make any definite statements about the significance of this activity.
In very short words: perhaps, yes.

I can look up some sources later, if you'd really like.
Regards,
Jasper

Answer 4

No. Turmeric is good for a lot of things, but it is not that good.
Read "How to Prevent and Treat Cancer with Natural Medicine" by Dr Michael Murray for a good discussion of alternatives which may be helpful.
Good luck!

Answer 5

please see link with someone asking the question and people replying ....

Turmeric contains an ingredient called curcumin that researchers say may help suppress and destroy the blood cancer multiple myeloma. A study done in Japan found that curcumin prevented cancer and stopped tumors from growing.

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http://www.divine-herbs.com/id25.html

Cancer
There has been a substantial amount of research on turmeric's anti-cancer potential. Evidence from laboratory and animal studies suggests that curcumin has potential in the treatment of various forms of cancer, including prostate, breast, skin, and colon. Human studies will be necessary before it is known to what extent these results may apply to people (3-9).

Prostate cancer
In two recent studies, scientists at New York's Columbia University researched curcumin's therapeutic potential against prostate cancer. In one case last year, the scientists discovered that curcumin had a powerful ability to induce apoptosis and inhibit prostate cell proliferation in vitro by interfering with the cells' protein
signaling pathways that typically begin the growth process.(3) Just recently, the researchers extended those findings to determine if they could achieve similar results in an animal model.(4) In their latest study, the researchers found that prostate cancer cells that had been injected subcutaneously into mice, which had been fed a diet of 2% curcumin for six weeks, were unable to develop extensively and underwent significant apoptosis. "Curcumin could be a potentially therapeutic anti-cancer agent, as it significantly inhibits prostate cancer growth and has the potential to prevent the progression of this cancer to its hormone refractory state," the study authors concluded.

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Answer 6

VITAMIN C: It can defeat cancer, after all
Thirty years after he put forward the theory, Linus Pauling’s claim that high-dose vitamin C can kill cancer cells has finally been proven. Researchers have finally established that very high doses of the vitamin can selectively kill cancer cells while leaving alone healthy ones.
Other websites who show treatments:
Patients testimonies are on this page to tell you HOW they are cured, (SPECIFICALY not purely by Turmeric)

With Wishes for Good Health to the patient

Answer 7

The preliminary studies suggest that there is a substance within curry which can act as a preventative when distilled and used medicinally. However, this in no way suggests that consuming curry regularly prevents cancer.

Answer 8

In chinese medicine viewpoints, one single ingredient can't cure or prevent cancer, because cancer can be due to various triggering factors and thus every cancer patient may have individual condtions.

See how chinese medicine helps cancer patients:
http://www.shen-nong.com/eng/exam/specialties_cancer.html

Answer 9

I think mushroom extracts have proven to be more effective. The Japanese have done lots of research in this area but if I had cancer I think I would do both plus a few more just to be safe.

Answer 10

Yes thts right. It's anti-carcenogic.
Have it in limited quantity in food.