Curcumin, an ingredient in the Indian spice turmeric, can slow the growth of triple-negative breast cancer cells, according to a study on cell cultures published in the journal Breast Cancer: Basic and Clinical Research (September, 2009). In lab research, curcumin killed TNBC cancer cells within 72 hours, without interfering with healthy cells and reduced the ability of TNBC cells to migrate to other parts of the body.
Curcumin was effective against hormone-positive cancer as well, but not to the level of its strength against TNBC.
Clinical trials will be necessary to determine the effect of curmumin on the body.
The researchers write:
These results are novel, having never been previously reported, and suggest that curcumin could provide a novel, non-toxic therapy, which could lead to improved survival for patients with triple negative breast cancer. Curcumin should be studied further in this subset of breast cancer patients, for whom treatment options are severely limited.
3 comments:
Sounds simple enough, but how should you eat curcumin? I've used it in black bean soup, but dont' make that very often. Is it more effective cooked or uncooked?
The study was on cells in the lab, so the quantity that could help in the human body is unknown. You can get turmeric in capsules, which might be the most efficient way to take it. Here are some suggestions from the NIH:
Doses used range from 450 milligrams of curcumin capsules to 3 grams of turmeric root daily, divided into several doses, taken by mouth. As a tea, 1 to 1.5 grams of dried root may be steeped in 150 milliliters of water for 15 minutes and taken twice daily. Average dietary intake of turmeric in the Indian population may range between 2 to 2.5 grams, corresponding to 60 to 200 milligrams of curcumin daily. A dose of 0.6 milliliters of turmeric oil has been taken three times daily for one month and a dose of 1 milliliter in three divided doses has been taken for two months.
Thank you! Too easy w/ TNBC to feel abandoned once tx is completed. This is something I can add to my recurrence prevention arsenal.
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