The Mahdi Times The Mahdi Times, Issue #28, March 2015 | Page 34

molecular pathways
involved in cancer
development, growth and
spread. Researchers have
reported that curcumin
inhibited the formation of
cancer-causing enzymes in
rodents.
Recently, curcumin has
received a great deal more
attention in studies than
turmeric as a whole herb.
Researchers are studying
curcumin to learn whether
it is an effective antiinflammatory agent and
whether it holds any
promise for cancer
prevention or treatment. A
number of studies of
curcumin have shown
promising results.
Curcumin can kill cancer
cells in laboratory dishes
and also slows the growth
of the surviving cells.
Curcumin has been found
to reduce development of
several forms of cancer in
lab animals and to shrink
animal tumors.
Human studies of curcumin
in cancer prevention and
treatment are in the very
early stages. In scientific

studies, curcumin does not
absorb well from the
intestine, so that big doses
must be taken for even
small amounts to get into
the blood circulation. Large
doses of curcumin would
need to be taken in order
to study any effects it
might have in the body.

One study of 15 patients
with colorectal cancer was
done to find out how much
curcumin they could safely
take, and whether they
could take a dose large
enough to even be detected
in the blood. The patients