Turmeric is an unusual spice filled with powerful cancer and inflammation-fighting abilities. Recent studies have suggested that these abilities could be the result of a transformation in the active compound in the spice, curcumin, by bacteria found in the intestinal flora.
Cancer-fighting root
Turmeric is a bright yellow-coloured spice that comes from the root of the Curcuma longa, a tropical plant from the ginger family. These roots contain large quantities of curcumin, a polyphenol responsible for the spice's characteristic yellow colour.
Even if it remains fairly unknown in the west, turmeric has played a major role in Indian culture for at least 4,000 years, both for its omnipresence in the kitchen (especially in curry) and its first-line role in ayurvedic medicine, the country's traditional medicine and one of the oldest methods in the world.
Amongst the numerous benefits associated with the regular consumption of turmeric, several studies published in recent years have shown that the spice could play a pivotal role in cancer prevention. Indians, the largest consumers of turmeric, are much less frequently diagnosed (up to 20 times less) by many types of cancer (prostate, colon, breast). A collection of nearly 4,000 scientific studies showed that the active compound in turmeric, curcumin, is the compound of vegetable origin with the most powerful cancer-fighting ability against cells from a wide variety of human tumours. It is also the compound of vegetable origin with the most powerful anti-inflammatory action and could participate in restricting the progression of cancer cells that need a pro-inflammatory environment to develop.
Intestinal transformation
While we understand the mechanisms involved in the cancer-fighting abilities of curcumin, the transformation that the compound undergoes in the human body is not so easily explained. After ingestion, curcumin is partially absorbed by the intestine, an absorption greatly increased by the piperine in black pepper. It is for this reason that it is always recommended that pepper be added to dishes containing curcuma.
Studies done recently by a group of Japanese researchers have also shown that the metabolising of curcumin could be influenced by the abundance of bacterial flora found in the colon (1). The researchers were also able to determin that Escherichia coli, an abundant layer of bacteria in the colon, possesses an enzyme capable of transforming curcumin into tetrahydrocurcumin, a more stable version of the original polyphenol.
This is particularly interesting considering that secondary studies showed that the anti-inflammatory and anti-cancerous activity of tetrahydrocurcumin is even higher than that of curcumin itself. In other words, far from reducing its cancer-fighting potential, the transformation of curcumin by some intestinal bacteria could instead increase its power and therefore play a major role in the multiple health benefits associated with the regular consumption of turmeric.
For many of us westerners, seasoning a meal sometimes just means adding salt and pepper; we are fairly conservative when it comes to our use of spices. We save our spices as decorations instead of using them daily. It really is worth expanding our culinary horizons and start including exotic spices like turmeric in our eating habits. It's a great way to add some diversity to our food, but also an important step that could play a hugely beneficial role in staying healthy. ---posted in Toronto Sun
(1) Hassaninasab A et al. Discovery of the curcumin metabolic pathway involving a unique enzyme in an intestinal microorganism. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2011 ; 108 : 6615-6620.
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