Curcuminoids in Turmeric Can Cure Cancer: Is The Whatsapp Forward A Hoax or Truth?

If you use Whatsapp, you know that there’s never a shortage of misleading forwards, especially from well-meaning family members. From burning camphor to ward off dengue virus to consuming raw honey to prevent Ebola fever, these home remedies are as bizarre as bizarre can get. Last month, when the Nipah scare had reached a fever pitch, many such forwards were doing the rounds, including one about a homoeopathic remedy Gelsemium 200, which claimed to keep you safe from the near-fatal fever.

Another one about curcuminoids, turmeric-derived compounds, is being forwarded these days. The message says that the compound can help “cure” different types of cancer, including that of blood, brain, breast, colon, liver, lungs, prostate, ovarian, etc.

The message says that the “medicine” is available at reasonable cost at Cancer Herbalist in Bangalore and urges readers to create awareness and forward it to as many people as possible.

Turmeric and Cancer

The role of turmeric in fighting cancer has long been speculated. The active ingredient curcumin is a powerful antioxidant long known to have anti-carcinogenic properties. Some months ago, a British woman was in the news for successfully “halting” myeloma, a type of blood cancer with turmeric alone. This brings us to wonder whether there is really anything miraculous about curcumin.

Dr. Tushar Jadhav, Consultant, Surgical Oncology from Hiranandani Hospital says: “Curcumin is a polyphenol derived from the Curcuma Longa plant, which is commonly known as turmeric. It has been used extensively in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries since it is nontoxic and has a variety of therapeutic properties.”

He goes to explain that it is an antioxidant with painkilling and antiseptic properties. Turmeric also reduces inflammation in the body. Curcumin has also been found to possess anti-cancer properties due to its multi-pronged approach against cancer growth. It inhibits the growth of cancer, is a potent anti-inflammatory, antiplatelet, antioxidative and liver-protecting agent, particularly against cancers of the liver, skin, pancreas, prostate, ovaries, lungs, and head and neck.

But curcumin is just one among the three curcuminoids present in the turmeric. The others include demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin. Dr. Jadhav explains that the chemotherapeutic effect of curcumin has been reported, the same cannot be said about other curcuminoids.

The message clearly mentions that all curcuminoids in the turmeric have powerful anti-cancerous properties, a rather generalised claim. “The effects of the complex turmeric extracts, which is used mostly in traditional medicinal preparations, are largely unexplored. Even the relative importance of the three curcuminoids and their metabolites as anti-cancer agents are also unknown,” says Dr. Jadhav.

Here’s What You Should Know

Bear this in mind that a cure for cancer has not been discovered yet. Unless there are clinical trials to back the promise, don’t believe in such tall claims. Dr. Jadhav emphasises the need to design more clinical trials to prove the efficacy of any “medicine” before relying on and including it into guidelines.

When faced with the prospects of a dangerous disease like cancer, it’s not uncommon for family members to panic and believe in lies. Many fraudsters exploit their fears and con people by selling them such “miracle cures.”

Turmeric is a healthy spice, which has a wide variety of health benefits. It’s always wise to use it liberally in food to prevent illnesses. A person’s risk of cancer depends upon a lot of things, his genes, his environment, his lifestyle, etc. Although studies do confirm its anti-cancerous properties, turmeric alone cannot protect you from the disease.

As for the message, it’s best to take it with more than just a pinch of salt. Ask for user testimonials. Has anyone benefited from the taking the curcuminoid “medicines” sold at the hospital? Only then should you consider buying them.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 26, 2018 11:07 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).