Turmeric has long been known for its anti-inflammatory and cancer inhibiting properties. New research is shedding additional light on the effects of this powerful herb. Curcumin, one of turmeric’s main active compounds was recently shown to decrease melanoma cell proliferation by up to 99% in a lab setting. The Curcumin was found to decrease the cells response to inflammatory cytokines that promote their spread. It also increased Bcl-2 protein expression responsible for programmed cell death.[1]

References

  • [1] Genet Mol Res. 2015 Feb 6;14(1):1056-67. doi: 10.4238/2015.February.6.9. Effect of curcumin on the proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion of human melanoma A375 cells. Zhang YP1, Li YQ2, Lv YT1, Wang JM3.