Eat your curry

[MojoQuestor]

An extract found in the bright yellow curry spice turmeric can kill off cancer cells, scientists have shown.

The chemical - curcumin - has long been thought to have healing powers and is already being tested as a treatment for arthritis and even dementia.

Now tests by a team at the Cork Cancer Research Centre show it can destroy gullet cancer cells in the lab.

Cancer experts said the findings in the British Journal of Cancer could help doctors find new treatments.

Dr Sharon McKenna and her team found that curcumin started to kill cancer cells within 24 hours.

Story here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8328377.stm

[RobME]

(copied in part from the article), "Dr McKenna said: "Scientists have known for a long time that natural compounds have the potential to treat faulty cells that have become cancerous and we suspected that curcumin might have therapeutic value."

Dr Lesley Walker, director of cancer information at Cancer Research UK, said: "This is interesting research which opens up the possibility that natural chemicals found in turmeric could be developed into new treatments for oesophageal cancer..."

No this is too easy, besides over here in the USA they'll have to study it for ten years or more. And since it's a natural compound the drug companies can't make money from it... so it'll have to be synthesized... I think the FDA has said that only drugs can cure disease. They'll never approve something natural for widespread use in America. Once it's been artificially replicated and or synthesized... it probably won't work as well... so they have to study it for another ten years or more. It seems (from my uneducated layman's point of view) that the business of attempting to cure cancer in this country is a multi-billion dollar industry...

A natural cure!!! Not profitable. No it won't ever fly. God forbid something natural or homeopathic actually works.

(posted - unfortunately - with much sarcasm)

[chadizzy1]

I love curry. There is a great family owned Indian place in Little Rock that I eat at often. Curry is a great food additive, especially to lamb.

[RobsanX]

Turmeric is also a main ingredient in yellow mustard, and I eat plenty of that!

[RRK]

Ew curry stinks. It makes your house stink. It makes your skin stink. Yuck, but I do like mustard though.