Thousands of people will die this year from colon cancer. The second leading cause of cancer-related death affects millions and thanks largely to our lifestyle choices, this devastating and somewhat preventable cancer will continue to claim victims.
The common belief is that colon cancer is caused by factors such as age and genetics. And while this can be somewhat true, lifestyle factors play a much more important role. Eating a highly processed, genetically modified diet full of artificial colorings, flavorings and additives highly contributes to the rise in colon cancer rates among Americans. Couple this unnatural and unhealthy diet with a sedentary lifestyle and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. Yet research has shown that consuming a diet high in foods that are naturally rich in anti-cancer properties may be responsible for keeping cases of colon and other cancers low in other countries.
Curcumin is a powerful antioxidant. It is the pigment responsible for giving the herb turmeric its yellow hue has been utilized by the Asian population for centuries to ward off diseases. Recently scientists have found that this prized pigment may indeed not just ward off, but actually destroy colon cancer cells. In laboratory tests, curcumin has shown extremely promising results in both slowing the growth of cancer cells and destroying them as well.
However, many in the medical profession are still turning to therapies such as chemotherapy and radiation as the sole means of treatment. This is primarily due to the fact that more traditional treatments involving Eastern medicine and more natural approaches are not taught to up and coming doctors whose focus is on drugs and medications. But curcumin may just be the answer many patients are looking for.
Modern cancer treatments come with a host of other dangerous side-effects and cost a pretty penny. The use of curcumin however would save patients thousands of dollars, not to mention the pain and suffering of undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatments. Plus, curcumin has been proven to be safe with very little risk of any side-effects whereas undergoing medical procedures that expose the body to high levels of radiation and chemicals can lead to devastating results down the road. There is also research that shows combining curcumin with other antioxidants such as resveratrol can be even more effective and even a preventative treatment against colon cancer.
Regardless of whether you fall into a high-risk category or not, make it a priority to eliminate processed food from your diet. Instead, eat a wide variety of organic fruits and vegetables and get plenty of exercise. Skip the salt and instead reach for a sprinkling of turmeric next time your meal needs a little pick-me-up, you’ll thank yourself in the long run.
Sources for this article include:
- www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/complementaryandalternativemedicine/herbsvitaminsandminerals/turmeric
- www.naturalnews.com/043031_curcumin_colon_cancer_apoptosis.html
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19838927
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12171541
