Whether Turmeric Can Really Prevent Cancer ?

Studies concerning turmeric for cancer prevention have caught the media's attention and made the news. Because of this, supplement sales have increased greatly over the last few years. But, are people just wasting there money? They could be.

Some information may have been excluded from the news reports. For example, the active component in the rhizomes of turmeric is curcumin. A rhizome may only have a 5% concentration of curcumin. So, eating the root, curry sauce or other dishes that contain it does not provide a significant amount of curcumin.

Compounds that exist in plants and foods are sometimes not well absorbed by the human body. Sometimes, they are broken down into their component parts. Other times, the molecules are too large to pass through the intestinal wall and enter the bloodstream. In many cases, the compounds are degraded by stomach acid into an inactive, un-absorbable form. That is the case with curcumin.

Researchers measured blood levels after volunteers consumed 10,000 milligrams of a concentrated extract that provided 95% curcuminoids. Little or no curcumin was found in the blood. If you were taking turmeric for cancer prevention, it would need to get into the bloodstream, where it can interact with free radicals and inflammatory molecules present in the cells of the body. The average supplements on the market are not designed to be absorbable.

Most supplement companies are aware of the issue, but the only way to truly address it is to form the extract into a tablet and then apply an enteric coating. That might not seem like much trouble, but it costs more.
Wholesale prices of the extract are relatively cheap. Supplement manufacturers can sell their products for low prices and still make huge profits, as long as they don't use an expensive delivery method like an enteric coating. Most companies take veggie caps and fill them with the extract.

There are currently studies ongoing concerning the use of turmeric for cancer prevention and treatment. But the researchers conducting these studies are aware of the problem with absorption. They will either use an injectable form or a coated tablet for their studies.

The anti-cancer effects that curcumin is known to have are several. It has antioxidant activity, which means it neutralizes free radicals, which helps prevent cancer. In induces apoptosis or cancer-cell death, without having any toxic effect on healthy cells. It inhibits the production of inflammatory eicosanoids, which play a role in the progression of the disease. So, obviously, taking turmeric for cancer prevention is not a waste of money, as long as we choose the right supplement.

There are many other nutrients that may help reduce our risk of this life threatening disease. Resveratrol, green tea catechins, lycopene and Hesperidin are among them. But, even common vitamin D has been shown to prevent the development of colon-cancer.

It just makes sense to take a multi-nutritional supplement that provides essential vitamins, minerals and amino acids and all of the nutrients mentioned above, along with turmeric for cancer prevention. Why not get the most bang for your buck?

Andrea Marshall is a researcher of skin care and health supplement products. Visit her site now at http://www.natural-supplement-site.info to get the facts on how to choose the best products for your youthful and healthy life.