Hutchins-Wolfbrandt Amanda, Mistry Anahita M
School of Health Sciences, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, USA.
Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2011;12(12):3169-73.
Turmeric, a plant rhizome that is often dried, ground and used as a cooking spice, has also been used medicinally for several thousand years. Curcumin, the phytochemical that gives turmeric its golden color, is responsible for most of the therapeutic effects of turmeric. In recent years curcumin has been studied for its effects on chronic diseases such as diabetes, Alzheimer's, and cancer. Though many researchers are investigating turmeric/curcumin in cancer therapy, there is little epidemiologic information on the effects of turmeric consumption. With limited availability of pharmacologic interventions in many areas of the world, use of turmeric in the diet may help to alleviate some of the disease burden through prevention. Here we provide a brief overview of turmeric consumption in different parts of the world, cancer rates in those regions, possible biochemical mechanisms by which turmeric acts and practical recommendations based on the information available.
姜黄是一种植物的根茎，通常经过干燥、研磨后用作烹饪香料，几千年来也一直被用于医药领域。姜黄素是赋予姜黄金色的植物化学物质，它是姜黄大部分治疗作用的来源。近年来，人们对姜黄素在糖尿病、阿尔茨海默病和癌症等慢性疾病方面的作用进行了研究。尽管许多研究人员正在研究姜黄/姜黄素在癌症治疗中的作用，但关于食用姜黄的影响的流行病学信息却很少。在世界许多地区，药物干预的可及性有限，通过饮食摄入姜黄可能有助于通过预防来减轻一些疾病负担。在此，我们简要概述世界不同地区的姜黄食用情况、这些地区的癌症发病率、姜黄发挥作用的可能生化机制以及基于现有信息的实用建议。
