The active component curcumin in the spice turmeric is shown to
prevent and retard cancer in hundreds of studies and research reports.
Many of the methods by which carcinogenesis (attack of carcinogens on
the DNA and cellular structure) progresses has been shown to be retarded
or short circuited by turmeric. A powerful carcinogenic agent TPA
(tissue polypeptide antigen) is known to cause cancer by increasing the
production of a substance in the body called protein kinase. Turmeric
appears to suppress the production of protein kinase. Turmeric is also
shown to lower the levels of oncogen which is a cancer causing gene
called c-jun. A team of scientists not only demonstrated these
suppressive effects but caused a 99% inhibition of TPA induced tumors on
rodents.
It is obvious that turmeric is shutting of some of the
cancer causing pathways and probably blocking of malignant tumors at the
initiation, promotion and progression stage itself. Turmeric is capable
of slowing or preventing genetic mutation in cells that are risk
factors for cancer. Mutation is a genetic change in the DNA -
Deoxyribonucleic acid of a cell that gets passed on to future
generations of the cells in the process of cell division. Although not
all DNA mutations are carcinogenic cancer has always followed DNA
mutation.
Couple of important studies has dramatically indicated
that this cancer causing DNA mutation pathway can be closed by turmeric.
In one study mutagenic changes in the bone marrow of mice were
significantly decreased by administration of turmeric extract. Another
study was dramatic because it was done on people. Normally such studies
are never done on people as it is illegal and unethical to inject people
with carcinogenic agents as in the case of animals used for laboratory
studies. Smokers are injecting themselves with wide range of
carcinogenic agents. A study was done on 100 smokers in India who
refused to quit against all warnings. They were given turmeric extract
pill for 30 days (Though diet in India regularly contains turmeric that
is not sufficient). During this period there was a startling 40%
reduction in the urinary extraction of tobacco related mutagens - a
byproduct of cell/DNA mutation. Clearly turmeric -curcumin detoxified
enough carcinogens in the lungs to cause such a reduction of mutation
process.
Turmeric tops the short list of really powerful cancer
preventive agents. Many government funded agencies like Nation Cancer
Institute, Medline Plus and American Cancer Institute have recognized
turmeric as one of the best means of prevention against cancer.
