Cancer is the second leading cause of death in United States and the risk of developing the disease increases significantly with age. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death. One herb has emerged as an anti-cancer agent. It is Tumeric (Curcuma longa).
There are many herbal preparations that have been studied in cancer prevention. Reishi, licorice and saw palmetto have been used for prostate cancer. Some use a combination of cancer inhibiting herbs. These herbs include ginkgo biloba, ashwaganda, triphalia, boswellia and eleuthrococcus. There are other herbs like mistletoe, carnivora, graviola and many others. There are many published studies I would see the HrbalGram published by the American Botancil Council
The American Cancer Society has published results which are alarming. One out of every 3 women and one out of every 2 men develop cancer during their lives.
This should alert the population that other alternatives are needed to combat cancer. Some of these alternatives involve the use of herbs. Curcuma has more than 200 studies to support its use in cancer prevention. Although the NACCM is not currently studying curcuma there are many mechanisms of this herb that have yielded results in combating a wide variety of cancers. These cancer include breast, uterus, cervix and the GI tract.
In Sept 2010, CA Clark et al. studied curcuma inhibiting head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a major culinary spice of India and other Asian countries, and has been shown to have anti-cancer, anti-coagulative, and anti-hepatotoxic properties. Curcumin's anti-cancer effects are exerted upon numerous biochemical pathways involved in carcinogenesis, cell proliferation, apoptosis (programmed cell death), metastasis, and angiogenesis. It suppresses growth of several tumor cell lines, including T-cell leukemia and colon cancer lines.
There are many uses for curcuma in the treatment of other disease. I use curcuma for osteoarthritis, duodenal ulcers and Alzheimer's disease.