Anti-Cancerous Effects of Turmeric

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All of us mostly knows about the healing properties of commonly used spice i-e turmeric. When someone gets injured or have a body ache, turmeric in milk is the first natural remedy that comes to our mind. Nature has bestowed us with some of the best healing agents that do not have harmful side effects like the allopathic medicine. In our previous post of turmeric, we got to know about the antimicrobial effect of this magic root. This spice is actually a grounded form of a plant called as Curcuma longa aka the turmeric. Medicinal properties of turmeric are associated with the compound known as polyphenol derived from the plant curcumin.
Curcumin: The Magic Ingredient
The medicinal effects of curcumin have been under study since many years. Apart from its antiseptic, analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties, it has been proposed recently that curcumin can impart anticancer effects by modulating/inhibiting various biological pathways that give rise to various types of cancers. Cancer arises as a result of rapid cell division and proliferation. Several research studies have shown that this root has not only just the healing effects, rather it inhibits the proliferation as well by acting as an antioxidant. Due to this potent role of curcumin, it has caught the attention of the researchers and dieticians. Various studies are underway to look deeply into this component so that better therapeutic options can be available for the management of the disease.
Curcumin: The Best Chemotherapeutic Agent
 
There is a pre-stage of cancer in which the cells in a body have not started multiplying. It is just like a ticking bomb which can explode anytime. Curcumin can help to defuse this bomb as it prevents such cells from developing into the cancerous cells. It works as a chemotherapeutic agent and inhibits the kappa B factor that plays an important role in the inflammation.
Curcumin: The Anti-Tumor Agent
When the cells are joined together, they form a mass or aggregation that is known as a tumor. These masses of cells can be malignant or benign. The prime reason behind the development of such masses is the enzyme telomerase that makes the cells become resistant to cell death. Curcumin inhibits the activity of this enzyme thus preventing the formation of tumors specifically in breast, brain, colon and lung.
Curcumin: The Protector of Healthy Cells
The major drawback of the chemo and radio therapies is that they not only just destroy the cancerous cells but also have harmful effects on the normal or healthy cells of the body as well. A paper published in the journal of Nutrition and Cancer reveals the protective effects of curcumin. It protects the normal cells from the toxicity by enhancing its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. It is truly a wonder plant that has the ability to selectively kill the cancer cells without destroying the healthy ones.
Bottom Line
Indeed, turmeric and its component curcumin have proven to be effective anti-cancer agents, yet it is recommended to take them along with other cancer drugs. The absorption of the curcumin in human body is low therefore, it should be taken with other certain agents to enhance its activity.
Turmeric is a nature’s gift to mankind that has amazing healing effects. We should take advantage of this precious herb/spice and incorporate its use in our daily routines to stay fit and healthy.

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