Oncologist Questions Disease Prevention

Turmeric use

Can eating a lot of turmeric, or taking supplements, really help prevent cancer?

2 Answers

Intake of Turmeric and other supplements has been suggested to decrease the appearance of cancer and other diseases. The bases of these assertions is a small amount of laboratory evidence to support these claims. However, the proof of the clinical benefit comes from data in well controlled randomized clinical trials. These trials must be of sufficient statistical power and repeated for verification. Many times individual observations are made and reported, but follow up negative trials go unreported. I don’t think that any supplement has been shown to result in these benefits and would encourage the public to consult their doctors with questions of the value in taking turmeric or other agents.
Probably not, anyone asking this question is better served by knowledge of screening family history of cancer and a half dozen serious prevention strategies which have proven secondary benefits. Fitness, weight control, avoiding excesses, job related knowledge, chemicals, and no smoking top the list.
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