Herbs used in complementary and alternative medicine derive their medicinal properties from various active ingredients. Curcumin is the active agent in turmeric, a common spice used in food. It gives mustard, cheese and butter a golden color and gives curries a tantalizing golden hue. With more thorough research, curcumin might one day be known for the health benefits it offers cancer patients.
Origin
Curcumin is derived from the golden, finger-like roots of the turmeric plant. Turmeric was used in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine for digestive disorders, liver problems and wounds, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, Modern uses for turmeric extend to indigestion, stomach ulcers, ulcerative colitis, osteoarthritis, atherosclerosis, cancer, diabetes, uveitis and viral and bacterial infections.
What Curcumin Does
According to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, we don't exactly know how curcumin exerts its effects. Few studies have been conducted on people, but laboratory experiments suggest that curcumin has anti-inflammatory properties. Curcumin might protect the body by neutralizing free radials, which cause DNA damage, according to the center. It might also protect your kidneys from damaging toxins and stimulate bile flow in the gastrointestinal tract.
Curcumin and Cancer
Curcumin has been investigated most extensively for its effects on cancer, according to the UMMC. Test tube and animal studies suggest that curcumin might prevent several types of cancer, and that it might even keep them under control or eliminate them entirely. Clinical trials have not been conducted on curcumin, according to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, which goes on to state that studies are in progress to determine whether curcumin can be used as a complementary cancer treatment. Curcumin can interfere with certain chemotherapy drugs used to treat breast cancer, according to the center. It ultimately might prove to be of no use to those undergoing chemotherapy.
Preparations & Cautions
Turmeric is sold in various preparations, including capsules, fluid extracts and tinctures, according to the UMMC. It's safe to eat turmeric when it's used to prepare foods, but pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid taking turmeric or curcumin supplements. Don't take turmeric if you have gallstones, diabetes or obstruction of the bile passage until you talk to your doctor, cautions the UMMC. Turmeric supplements may interfere with certain medications, including blood thinners, antacids and diabetes medications. The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center also urges you to avoid turmeric supplements if you're taking chemotherapy drugs.
Bottom Line
Clinical evidence doesn't exist to support or disprove curcumin's benefits in treating other medical conditions, such as infections, kidney stones and intestinal gas, according to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. However, research does suggest it might reduce inflammation and improve function of the gall bladder. More research is needed to find out whether curcumin can help cancer patients. Cancer should always be addressed using conventional treatments, the UMMC stresses. Never use alternative treatments such as curcumin for this purpose.
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