The Science, Health, and Technology Room
Curcumin: A major breakthrough in cancer prevention and treatment?
Curcumin is the active ingredient in turmeric. It has long been used as an anti-inflammatory, and has proven successful in cancer treatments.
Read the entire article at the link.Turmeric has many uses around the world. Whether it’s being used as a spice in curries, as a natural food-based coloring agent or in medicine, this golden-hued root is up to the task. In Ayurvedic medicine, turmeric is prescribed for a number of ailments, including pain and inflammation. As Western science has begun to look more closely at turmeric’s medicinal value, they have discovered one compound in particular may be responsible for turmeric’s amazing health benefits. Curcumin, the active compound found in turmeric, has piqued the interest of scientists, herbalists and natural health enthusiasts around the world.
A growing body of research indicates that curcumin may be especially useful in the prevention and treatment of many different types of cancer. In fact, some people are already finding success in treating cancers with curcumin, even in cases where conventional treatments have failed.
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How curcumin cures
While there is still much to learn about turmeric and its medicinal compounds like curcumin, science is already starting to hone in on how curcumin exacts its cancer-fighting effects. Studies have shown that the spice is effective against many other types of cancer, like breast and pancreatic cancer. More impressive, however, is curcumin’s ability to obliterate cancer cells without harming other, healthy cells or causing unwanted side effects.
Scientists recently uncovered one of the ways in which curcumin kills cancer is through its suppression of the DYRK2 enzyme, which stops protein complexes known as proteasomes that are involved in cancer development. This ultimately disrupts proliferation of cancer cells and slows the cancer’s growth.
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Originally Posted by jigglepete
