The Spice of Life, Scientists zero in on the healing properties of curry

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The Spice of Life

Scientists zero in on the healing properties of curry

By Dabney Created: Oct 29, 2010 Last Updated: Oct 29, 2010

TASTY AND HEALTHY: Research suggests that curry can prevent diseases like cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer�s disease. (Photos.com)

Curry, a spice long revered in India and other parts of Asia as “holy powder” because of its medicinal properties, is fast gaining the attention of Western researchers for its anti-cancer possibilities and its promising ability to deter conditions such as heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease.It has been only in the last 10 years that scientists have begun to earnestly study and zero in on the healing and antioxidant properties of curcumin, a key chemical compound found in this pungent yellow spice.Such research is significant not only in exploring new and more effective natural treatment for disease, but also in spurring study into the medicinal value of traditional native foods and plants from cultures around the world, says Dr. Mahtab Jafari, associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of California at Irvine. Dr. Jafari has long studied the health and healing powers of plants and natural food products, including curcumin.Curcumin is derived from the root of the turmeric plant. The plant is a member of the ginger family and grows in the Himalayas. For centuries in India, China, and other Asian countries, curry has not only served as a staple culinary spice but has also been used to heal and treat wounds and other afflictions.Studies have shown that the chemical curcumin is capable of blocking a biological pathway that is required for certain forms of cancer to spread. More specifically, the chemical inhibits a protein called “nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB),” which can cause abnormal inflammations that have the potential to lead to various disorders such as arthritis and cancer.“Preliminary results from lab research suggest that curcumin has important antioxidant, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory properties,” says Dr. Jafari. “Studies are also currently underway by the National Institutes of Health to study the role of the spice in preventing such conditions as liver cancer, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and forms of osteoporosis.”And although much research still needs to be done in studying the health and healing qualities of this and other native foods and plants found globally—such as ginkgo, fish oil, ginseng, garlic, antioxidant fruits, and the plant Rhodiola rosea—Dr. Jafari welcomes the investigative attention being paid these days to curry and its wide range of healing possibilities.

Growing Evidence of Research

A perusal of recent scientific literature will give you an idea of why there is buzz in the research community about curry:

In an in vitro study reported on in BioMed Central’s open access Journal of Ovarian Research, scientists from Sanford Research (in Sioux Falls, S.D.) and the University of South Dakota found that pre-treating ovarian cancer cells to tiny nanoparticles of curcumin makes such cells more susceptible to chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Scientists at the University of Texas Cancer Center found that in laboratory mice, curcumin arrested the spread of breast cancer while reducing the damaging toxic effects of a widely used chemotherapy drug.Eating curry helps enhance mental performance and could help ward off Alzheimer’s disease, research at the National University of Singapore concluded after studying a thousand Asians ranging between 60 and 93 in age who were not suffering from the disease. The study found that subjects who consumed a dish made with curry at least once a month or just once in six months demonstrated better metal prowess than those who never, or rarely, ate it.Working with lab cell cultures, researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston discovered that curcumin blocks the activity of a gastrointestinal hormone implicated in the development of colorectal cancer, the country’s second leading cancer killer with nearly 60,000 deaths annually. Scientists at University of College Cork, Ireland, also found that molecules found in curry are capable of killing esophageal cancer cells in vitro. Researchers reporting in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry describe notable progress in developing a nano-size capsule that when ingested boosts the body’s uptake of curcumin, thereby helping patients and others maintain adequate levels of the antioxidant chemical in their gastrointestinal tract to fight cancer, Alzheimer’s, and other medical conditions.

Spicing Up Your Diet With Curry

While there is growing evidence suggesting curry’s disease-fighting properties, dieticians and other health professionals caution it is too early to make specific medical or health recommendations regarding the consumption of the fragrant spice. However, registered dietician Beth Sumrell Ehrensberger writes on HealthCastle.com, “It can’t hurt to add a few more curry-based dishes to your diet by spicing up recipes with curry powder.”

For example, she says, “A simple sauce starring curry powder can lend flavor to a bland baked chicken breast, and roasted butternut squash pureed with a little fat-free yogurt is divine.” And for an extra healthful boost to your diet, feel free to add a dash of curry to your cruciferous vegetables (such as cabbage, bok choy, collard greens, and Brussels sprouts), other culinary experts advise.However, registered dietician e, writing on the Diet Channel website, offers a few words of caution: Curry, at this time, she says, is not an officially approved cancer prevention regimen or therapy. In addition, “consuming large amounts of supplemental curcumin is also not recommended and may be harmful because of the potential for liver toxicity and gallstone formation,” she notes.

Dabney, a former bioscience communicator at the University of California, San Diego, is a freelance writer based in Chula Vista, Calif., specializing in science and education.