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A study shows the potential value of chemicals in curry and onions in preventing colon cancer
Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist
Curcurmin and quercetin, chemicals found in curry and
onions, help patients reduce polyp size and number in familial
adenomatous polyposis.
Research on populations that consume a lot
of curry suggest that curcumin, a yellow pigment found in turmeric, may
help to reduce the risk of colon cancer. Similar claims are made for
quercetin which is a potent antioxidant found in onions, green tea and
red wine.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University now report on
the impact of a pill containing both curcumin and quercetin on a group
of five patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), a condition
in which hundreds of polyps form in the colon. The condition, which is
inherited, has a strong tendency to lead to colon cancer. In this
study, the patients had had surgery to remove the colon but still had
some polyps within the remaining section of the gastrointestinal tract.
The six month treatment reduced the number of polyps by about 60 per
cent and shrank the remaining ones by about half. However, eating a lot
of curry and onions wouldn't necessarily give the same benefit, as the
amount of curcurmin given in this trial was far higher than that found
in turmeric. The benefit seen from curcurmin and quercetin was about
the same as that gained from taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
agents like aspirin to treat FAP - but without the side effects.
Further research may produce a useful treatment for FAP based upon
curcumin and quercetin.
Source
Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology August 2006
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