Previous studies have found that turmeric, a spice used in curries and other South Asian cuisines, may have many benefits. So much are turmeric’s benefits that they’re getting incorporated into modern medical treatment: a new medical trial is going to pair curcumin pills with mainstream treatments in an effort to improve outcomes for patients with cancer.
The trial will focus on types of cancer that are hard to treat because of the level of treatment required—the sort of cancer treatments that patients have a hard time keeping with until the cancer is in remission. The hope is that curcumin will help to weaken the cancer cells and make them more responsive to the cancer treatment, making it more effective.
Turmeric, and curcumin in particular, doesn’t have side-effects when taken at a reasonable dosage—so depending on the dose in the curcumin pills, this trial may discover some. Of course, it’s unlikely there will be any side-effects on par with the mainstream treatments, so in extreme cases (when you would take a huge dose) any potential turmeric side-effects aren’t likely to be a huge concern.
What is turmeric/curcumin? It’s an antioxidant, and turmeric’s benefits are starting to be backed up by study after study.
Arthritis/joint pain, heart disease, inflammation, eye-health, diabetes, cancer… there are many suggested health problems that turmeric may soon play a role in treating. Of course, curcumin is already available as an over-the-counter supplement, and you can always add it to your diet to try and get some of turmeric’s potential health benefits!
When cooking with turmeric, make sure to pair it with a fat to improve its absorption into the body—a cream sauce, a little bit of oil, or just taking the supplement with a fattier meal.
Has anyone tried a little bit of turmeric daily and had a good experience? Share in the comments!
