Spices Lower Risk of Colon and Other Cancers

Good news reported by The Times of India: "Spices like turmeric and pepper contain compounds that have the potential to prevent breast cancer by limiting the growth of stem cells, the small number of cells that fuel a tumour’s growth, according to researchers at the University of Michigan.

The researchers found that when the dietary compounds curcumin, which is derived from the Indian spice turmeric, and piperine, derived from black peppers, were applied to breast cells in culture, they decreased the number of stem cells without affecting normal differentiated cells.

“If we can limit the number of stem cells, we can limit the number of cells with potential to form

tumours,” said lead author Dr. Madhuri Kakarala.

Cancer stem cells are the small number of cells within a tumour that fuel the tumour’s growth.
Current chemotherapies do not work against these cells, which is why cancer recurs and spreads.

They found that piperine enhanced the effects of curcumin, and that the compounds interrupted the self-renewal process that is the hallmark of cancer-initiating stem cells.

The study is the first to suggest these dietary compounds could prevent cancer by targeting stem cells. It has been published online in the journal Breast Cancer Research and Treatment."

Previous studies have linked a diet high in turmeric to a lower risk of breast, colon, prostate and lung cancers. Black pepper and piperine have both also been shown to suppress the development of colon and lung tumors in animal tests.