Page 11 - What Doctors Don't Tell You - AU-NZ (February-March 2020)

UPFRONT

Curcumin is

good for bone

cancer, too

Curcumin, the main ingredient in turmeric, is
a natural cancer killer—and the list of cancers
it can combat keeps on growing. The latest is
bone cancer; the spice could be particularly
effective against osteosarcoma, the second
most lethal cancer among children.
It stops the cancer from growing and
promotes healthy bone cells, say researchers
who believe it’s a real alternative to
chemotherapy, especially for small children.
Researchers have been searching for a
gentler way to treat the disease, especially
after surgery, when children are recovering
from bone damage while still getting high
doses of chemo.
Now a research team from Washington
State University believes it has found the
answer in curcumin, which has antioxidant,
anti-inflammatory and bone-building
qualities. In laboratory tests, they discovered
the spice inhibits osteosarcoma cell growth
by 96 percent, while at the same time
promoting healthy cells.
One problem has been getting the curcumin
to the right place in the body. Taken orally, it
isn’t readily absorbed, and it’s metabolized
and eliminated too quickly before it can be
effective. The Washington researchers got
around the problem by encasing the spice
a
n
f
i i f t molecules,
l
t
l
which helps it
survive its journey
y
through
the gut.
ACSApplMaterInterfaces,
2019; 11:17184

HEALTH FACT
A daily one-hour walk

outdoors can greatly

reduce symptoms of
seasonal affective disorder,

like low mood, tiredness
and poor concentration

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