November 3, 2009
Some spice may be the key to fighting cancer.
Scientists at Ireland's Cork Cancer Research Center say a compound found in curry has the ability to kill esophageal cancer cells in a lab.
It's called curcumin, a chemical found in the spice turmeric, which gives curry its distinct yellow color.
The scientists say curcumin starts to kill esophageal cancer cells within 24 hours, and the cells even begin to digest themselves.
They hope the findings will lead to new anti-cancer treatments involving curcumin.
The study appears in the British Journal Of Cancer.