# Turmeric as a cancer cure? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 26, 2012, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turmeric-as-a-cancer-cure/638939 "2012-10-26T14:59:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turmeric-as-a-cancer-cure/638939/21 "2012-10-27T02:00:29Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Turmeric is largely the reason there’s no cancer in India. > > Oh, wait … You think that’s just a joke, but I have a great aunt who honestly believes Mexicans don’t get cancer. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turmeric-as-a-cancer-cure/638939/22 "2012-10-27T02:05:15Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > You think that’s just a joke, but I have a great aunt who honestly believes Mexicans don’t get cancer. Now that you mention it, I personally have never known a Mexican with cancer. Hmmm. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turmeric-as-a-cancer-cure/638939/23 "2012-10-27T08:24:14Z")
Cancer isn’t just one disease. There are over two hundred types of cancer, and they all behave differently. It seems unlikely that any one medication (natural or not) would be so effective against all of them. The fact that the FB page in question makes such a bold claim without qualifying it in any way is, to me, the main clue that it’s BS. ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turmeric-as-a-cancer-cure/638939/24 "2012-10-27T09:48:08Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > You think that’s just a joke, but I have a great aunt who honestly believes Mexicans don’t get cancer. Holy shit, where do I get Mexican cartilage? My former boss was a professor of clinical oncology and he had patients come to him with some of the weirdest woo… One guy turned himself orange drinking carrot juice. He always listened to them and counselled them, but people in desperate circumstances will do anything if it gives them hope. The office was always flooded with calls from patients and their carers any time an article appeared in the national press regarding some new miracle treatment. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turmeric-as-a-cancer-cure/638939/25 "2012-10-27T10:38:02Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > Cancer isn’t just one disease. There are over two hundred types of cancer, and they all behave differently. It seems unlikely that any one medication (natural or not) would be so effective against all of them. The fact that the FB page in question makes such a bold claim without qualifying it in any way is, to me, the main clue that it’s BS. What’s even worse is, [there can be multiple mutated versions of the ‘same’ cancer in a single person](http://pipeline.corante.com/archives/2012/03/20/personalized_medicine_for_cancer_try_every_cell.php): > [@](#): > > A tumor, in other words, is a war zone of mutated cells. It’s not so much that a single cell goes rogue and spreads out everywhere. It’s that the conditions that allow a cell to become cancerous are conducive to further genetic instability, leading to a competition of different branches and mutant families within what might appear to be a single tumor sample. > > [snip] > > The metastatic tumors, as you’d expect, tended to be derived from particular lineages that were more likely to break loose and spread, and then they continued to evolve in their new locations. But the nastiest cells win, and sometimes they end up looking rather similar: > > > [@](#): > > > > _Despite genetic divergence during tumor progression, phenotypic convergent evolution occurs, indicating a high degree of mutational diversity, a substrate for Darwinian selection, and evolutionary adaptation._ > > This sort of thing is making the earlier attempts at finding cancer biomarkers look rather naive. Not only is cancer not a single disease, and not only is a single type of cancer not a single type of cancer, but individual patients contain a multitude of different cancerous cell lines, which vary by location. ---
**Author:** ![Vlad\_Igor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Vlad\_Igor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vlad_Igor)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turmeric-as-a-cancer-cure/638939/26 "2012-10-27T17:32:57Z")
In the Clinical Chemistry research lab I used to work in, we were working on what was in turmeric that made it appear to have anti-cancer possibilities. Curcumin was one such substance, but there were also salicylates. We used an HPLC to do some preliminary separations, which made the lab smell nice. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turmeric-as-a-cancer-cure/638939/27 "2012-10-27T22:32:15Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > > [@Derleth](#): > > > > You think that’s just a joke, but I have a great aunt who honestly believes Mexicans don’t get cancer. > > Now that you mention it, I personally have never known a Mexican with cancer. Hmmm. You know, now that _you_ mention it, neither have I. Neither one of the two Mexicans I know has ever had cancer. For that matter, neither have the two people I know who live in Vermont. Maybe we should look at maple sugar as a cancer drug. Or politicians, since the 4 people I know who live in DC are all cancer-free. And the 9 I know in the Carolinas, maybe it’s the tobacco… I could go on all day, folks! Aren’t you glad I didn’t?😉 Ain’t confirmation bias wonderful??? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Analogue\_Skywalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Analogue\_Skywalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Analogue_Skywalker)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turmeric-as-a-cancer-cure/638939/28 "2012-10-27T22:42:04Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > As far as you know, was it McCormick turmeric bought at Winn Dixie and made into a paste, or was it a medical grade turmuric? > > Did it stain your skin? For topical application this would probably work, and yes it will probably stain your skin. For internal use you need turmeric extract that is high in curcumin and something to help absorption like biopeperin. The curcumin isn’t terribly absorbable by the body and there is only 3-5% curcumin in even the freshest turmeric powder. You would need to eat a fair amount of turmeric powder to get the same dosage of curcumin you would from a 95% curcumin extract of turmeric ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turmeric-as-a-cancer-cure/638939/29 "2012-10-27T22:52:13Z")
groan. These things on Facebook make my brain hurt. I’ve got lots of friends whose minds are so open their brains have fallen right out. Lovely, lovely people, but just huge fearful blind spots when it comes to “Western Medicine”. (Although I notice it doesn’t stop them from calling or emailing me when they’re sick and asking my nursey advice.) Basically, what they said. Promising, sure. Pretty damn cool, sure. Being investigated, you betcha. And I wouldn’t entirely rule out whole turmeric or whole plant extract…there are some plants that do seem to work better kept whole rather than using the isolated “active compound”. Marijuana \> Marinol, for example, and St. John’s Wort \> hypericin. Kava kava looks to be safer as a whole root water extract than a high tech acetone extract pill. If the dose ends up being, say, 1 gram of ground turmeric 3 times a day, I can get people to take that in capsules. More than that, and it’s probably going to get into patient compliance issues, and isolated extract is the way to go if it’s effective. And anyone who insists that “They” don’t take plants seriously because They can’t patent them needs a brief history in the development of statin drugs, possibly the hugest moneymaker for drug companies in the last decade. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turmeric-as-a-cancer-cure/638939/30 "2012-10-27T23:07:17Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Turmeric is largely the reason there’s no cancer in India. > > Oh, wait … For many reasons there is a lot of cancer in India, but indeed turmeric is given partial credit by some real scientists for the low colon cancer rate there. ---
**Author:** ![tomcar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tomcar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomcar)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turmeric-as-a-cancer-cure/638939/31 "2012-10-27T23:30:22Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > For many reasons there is a lot of cancer in India, but indeed turmeric is given partial credit by some real scientists for the low colon cancer rate there. I am sure the lower quantity of red meat consumption would contribute. ---
**Author:** ![tomcar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tomcar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomcar)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turmeric-as-a-cancer-cure/638939/32 "2012-10-27T23:31:52Z")
> [@Vlad\_Igor](#): > > In the Clinical Chemistry research lab I used to work in, we were working on what was in turmeric that made it appear to have anti-cancer possibilities. Curcumin was one such substance, but there were also salicylates. We used an HPLC to do some preliminary separations, which made the lab smell nice. But they should have known that Straight Dope message board people said it wouldnt do it… Mustard jokes etc. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2012, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turmeric-as-a-cancer-cure/638939/33 "2012-10-28T00:01:44Z")
Look at it this way: If you have cancer and eat a bunch of curry, worst case scenario you’ll have some really tasty meals before you die. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2012, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turmeric-as-a-cancer-cure/638939/34 "2012-10-28T01:36:06Z")
> [@tomcar](#): > > I am sure the lower quantity of red meat consumption would contribute. Based on what evidence? ---
**Author:** ![tomcar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tomcar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomcar)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2012, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turmeric-as-a-cancer-cure/638939/35 "2012-10-28T01:59:25Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > Based on what evidence? Common knowledge. > **[Red meat and colon cancer - Harvard Health](https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/red-meat-and-colon-cancer)** > > A number of studies have shown a link between increased consumption of red meat and an increased risk of colon cancer. Dietary changes and regular exercise are the best options for reducing one'... ---
**Author:** ![Cheez\_Whia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d26b3c/32.png) [@Cheez\_Whia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheez_Whia)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2012, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turmeric-as-a-cancer-cure/638939/36 "2012-10-28T02:09:04Z")
Well, I dunno about turmeric, but my husband had chemotherapy for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia early this year with therapeutic medications of [Rituximab](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rituximab), which is a chimeric monoclonal antibody, and [Bendamustine](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bendamustine), a nitrogen mustard with similarities to the mustard gas of WWI notoriety. His response was very good; the original course of six treatments was shortened to four, and his blood levels are currently normal, as of his last checkup in September. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2012, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turmeric-as-a-cancer-cure/638939/37 "2012-10-28T04:05:18Z")
[A FWIW cite.](http://www.apocpcontrol.org/paper_file/issue_abs/Volume12_No12/3169-73%20b11.5%20Mistry.pdf) (A 2011 review) > [@](#): > > Overall cancer rates are much lower in India than in > western countries. In a report comparing cancer incidence > rates among Indians residing in India, the US, the UK, > and Singapore, and whites in the US, overall cancer rates > were shown to be the lowest among Indians in India > and Singapore, and highest among whites in the US. > Cancer rates for Indians residing in the US and UK were > intermediate (Rostogi et al., 2008). Cancers shown to have > the lowest rate in India include esophagus, colorectal, > liver, pancreas, lung, breast, uterine, ovary, prostate, > bladder, kidney, renal, brain, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, > and leukemia. Overall cancer rates in males were three > times higher for whites in the US than for Indians in > India and Singapore, and 50 – 75% higher for Indians in > the US and UK. Prostate cancer rates were most notably > different, with the rates in US whites being 20 times > higher than in India. … > > … Several lifestyle factors may help to account for both > the high and low rates of cancer seen in India. Cancers > of the mouth, tongue, and pharynx may be attributable > to the use of tobacco by both men and women. The > different rates of these cancers according to region may > be explained by the different types of tobacco used as well > as the form in which they are consumed … > > … Several dietary factors may contribute to the low > overall rate of cancer in India. Among them are a > relatively low intake of meat, a mostly plant-based diet, > and a high intake of spices and seasonings with anticancer > properties. > Diets high in red and processed meats have been > associated with an elevated risk of colorectal, lung, and > possibly stomach, breast, esophageal and liver cancers > (Gonzalez, 2006, Cross et al., 2007, Lam et al., 2009, > Cross et al. 2010). According to a 2006 poll, called The > Hindu-CNN-IBN State of the Nation Survey, 31% of > Indians are vegetarians (lacto-vegetarians or vegans), and > an additional 9% are ovo-lacto-vegetarians (Yadav and > Kumar, 2006). Though 60% of the population described > themselves as non-vegetarians in this poll, a separate report > claims that only 30% of the population in India eats meat > regularly and those who do eat meat regularly only eat it > once or twice a week … > > … A wide variety of spices and herbs are used in Indian > cooking. The most commonly used spices are ginger, > chilli powder, tamarind, coriander, turmeric, cumin, curry > leaves, and garam masala, a spice mixture containing > cardamom, black pepper, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, > and cloves … > > … Information on the consumption of turmeric in the > world is limited. There is no proven correlation between > dietary turmeric and decreased cancer risk, but based on > the available information from studies on curcumin and > cancer rates in Indians it is feasible. However, it is nearly > impossible to account for several confounding factors of > lifestyle, genetics, and other dietary components that may > cloud the picture. Curcumin may act on several factors > in inflammatory, tumorigenic, angiogenic, and apoptotic > pathways, but more targeted studies are needed. … In short hard to untangle what is even associated with what between the various factors, let alone what may cause what. But indeed a broad correlation and biological plausibility. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2012, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turmeric-as-a-cancer-cure/638939/38 "2012-10-28T05:26:35Z")
> [@Bill\_Door](#): > > Well, I’ve heard that barring abstinence, condiments are your best protection against venereal diseases, so it may help with cancer too. Only when you put them on your hot dog. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2012, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turmeric-as-a-cancer-cure/638939/39 "2012-10-28T05:36:54Z")
> [@Cheez\_Whia](#): > > Well, I dunno about turmeric, but my husband had chemotherapy for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia early this year with therapeutic medications of [Rituximab](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rituximab), which is a chimeric monoclonal antibody, and [Bendamustine](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bendamustine), a nitrogen mustard with similarities to the mustard gas of WWI notoriety. His response was very good; the original course of six treatments was shortened to four, and his blood levels are currently normal, as of his last checkup in September. 🙂 So far as I can make out, nitrogen mustards are so called because they are similar in chemical structure to mustard gas, but substitute nitrogen for the sulfur that mustard gas contains. Mustard gas is so called because it smells a bit like mustard. That distant, second-hand relationship does not give us much reason to think that the drug your husband is taking bears much relation in, its chemistry or its bioactivity to anything in actual mustard. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turmeric-as-a-cancer-cure/638939.md?page=1)