According to Xinhua News Agency, in addition to adding unique flavor and color to dishes, scientists from Ireland and Poland have recently discovered another use for curry: treating esophageal cancer.
Curcumin kills cancer cells
Curry is a mixture of various spices. Its ability to kill cancer cells is mainly attributed to curcumin, a compound found in the turmeric used as an ingredient. In most cases, cancer cells are killed by activating caspases (also known as apoptotic proteases) within the cells, thereby initiating the cancer cells' own programmed cell death.
In an experiment, researchers at the Cork Cancer Research Centre in Ireland, led by Geraldine O'Sullivan Coyne, found that cancer cells treated with curcumin began to die within 24 hours, without an increase in caspase levels.
Moreover, even when researchers used other drugs to prevent caspases from initiating programmed cell death, the cancer cells still died. This indicates that curcumin can kill cancer cells through a completely different pathway.
Can boost immunity
Previous studies have suggested that curcumin inhibits cancer cells and that people who regularly eat curry are less prone to cancer. Unfortunately, this anti-cancer property disappears quickly after curry is digested and absorbed by the body. In 2007, American scientists discovered that curcumin can help boost the immune system of Alzheimer's patients. Others have also tried using curcumin to treat arthritis.
McNa said that curcumin uses an unknown "cell language" to send a "death signal" to cancer cells. Research suggests that curcumin can be directly extracted from curry to develop new cancer drugs. The research report was published in the British Journal of Cancer on October 28.