Research out of Germany has shown that turmeric can help to stop prostate tumors metastasising to other parts of the body.

Turmeric is a yellow colored spice that is commonly used in Indian cooking. The active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin, and this is the substance used in clinical trials. Curcumin has strong natural anti-inflammatory effects and this is thought to be the explanation for many of its health benefits.

After skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in American men. Each year approximately 26 thousand men die from the disease. The problem is the disease is often detected late, when it has already spread (metastasised) to distant parts of the body. Earlier research has shown that curcumin can reduce the ability of breast cancer cells to spread. Breast and prostate cancer share many similarities. Both conditions are marked by an increased level of inflammatory chemicals called CXCL1 and CXCL2. Curcumin is able to reduce the expression of these proteins, thereby reducing the ability of cancer cells to spread.

The researchers made the following statement: "Due to the action of curcumin, the tumor cells synthesize smaller amounts of cytokines that promote metastasis. As a consequence, the frequency of metastasis formation in the lungs is significantly reduced, in animals with breast cancer, as we showed previously, or carcinoma of the prostate, as demonstrated in our new study."

The anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin may reduce the incidence of tumors forming in the first place, and also reduce their ability to spread, thus improving overall survival.

Read more