Friday, October 30, 2009

A New Role for Curry (Tumeric): Cancer Killing!

Curries knock cancer dead Print E-mail


Malaysian Mirror, Friday, 30 October 2009 17:23


LONDON - Curries are good in more ways than one. curry.jpg


Cancer researchers are now saying that a substance found in the curry spice tumeric can kill cancer cells within 24 hours.

Scientists based at the Cork Cancer Research Centre treated oesophageal cancer cells with curcumin – a chemical found in the tumeric.

The researchers discovered that curcumin triggered lethal death signals in the cancer cells, killing them within a day. The cells also began to digest themselves and die.

The results of the study were published in the British Journal of Cancer on Wednesday.


Dr Sharon McKenna, the lead researcher, said the results might mean curcumin could be developed as an anti-cancer drug to treat oesophageal cancer.

Curcumin is what gives turmeric, which is related to ginger, its orangy-yellow colour.
Traditional medical practioners have long used turmeric to treat ailments as it has anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal properties and is said to lower cholestrol.

According to Cancer Research UK,  oesophageal cancer rates have gone up by more than a half since the 70s and this was thought to be linked to rising rates of obesity, alcohol intake and reflux disease.
It kills more than half a million people in the world each year and it is exceptionally deadly, with five-year survival rates of between 12% and 31%.

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