Spicy approach to cancer treatment.

W ith increasing curiosity into more holistic approaches to disease prevention and treatment, some researchers are rediscovering how an ancient spice may help treat and prevent many types of cancer. Curcumin, or diferuloylmethane, is a yellow-orange powder that is the principal ingredient in turmeric (Curcuma longa), the Indian spice popularly known as curry. and other parts of Asia and tropical regions, turmeric has been used for centuries in Ayurveda, the Indian system of medicine. Known for its anti-infl amma-tory properties, curcumin is used to treat a variety of common ailments, including respiratory conditions, upset stomach, arthritis, acne, and skin and eye infections. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is used to treat diseases associated with abdominal pain. Since 1815, when Harvard College laboratory scientists Vogel and Pelletier isolated curcumin, its medicinal properties have emerged. Its use in biliary diseases was reported in 1937, treating 67 patients; its antibacterial action, in 1949; and its ability to decrease blood sugar levels in human subjects, in 1972. " Medicinal Gold " But over the past decade, renewed interest in curcumin has focused on its antioxidant properties. Nearly 2,000 such publications have appeared in the National Library of Medicine ' s PubMed database, many revealing curcumin ' s antioxidant and anti-infl ammatory powers. Cancer Center in Houston, has been at the forefront of research on curcumin for two decades. Aggarwal calls it " medicinal gold, " citing the many studies in rodents and humans suggesting curcumin as a potential chemopreventive agent, as well as a suppressor of the tumorigenic activity of a wide variety of carcinogens in cancers of the gastrointestinal region, breast, prostate, and oral cavity, as well as leukemia. Aggarwal discovered curcumin as an anti-infl ammatory agent while researching tumor necrosis factor (TNF) — TNF-␣ blockers, and TNF-␤ blockers — the primary mediators of infl ammation. " Curcumin is the primary component of turmeric, and turmeric has been described in Ayurveda as an anti-infl ammatory agent, " he said. " So I thought, 'If it is truly an anti-in-fl ammatory agent, it should block TNF. ' " His research showed that turmeric blocked both the production and the action of TNF. Aggarwal said that because of its anti-infl ammatory properties, curcumin could also combat other chronic illnesses, because infl ammation is usually the culprit. " Whether you talk about neurological disorders, whether you talk about cardio-vascular, whether you talk about diabetes, whether you …