Wonder Spice

The National Institutes of Health has long been betting on turmeric as a possible treatment for cystic fibrosis and the prevention and treatment of heart disease, thanks to the yellow spice's chemical curcumin.

Now researchers at Ireland's Cork Cancer Research Center successfully have treated esophagus cancer cells with the favorite Indian curry ingredient.

They found that curcumin started to kill cancer cells in 24 hours – and that the cells began to digest themselves, according to research published in the British Journal of Cancer.

Lead study author Dr. Sharon McKenna told the UK's The Telegraph: "These exciting results suggest scientists could develop curcumin as a potential anti-cancer drug to treat esophageal cancer. Scientists have known for a long time that natural compounds have the potential to treat faulty cells that have become cancerous and we suspected that curcumin might have therapeutic value."

No thanks to rising rates of obesity and alcohol intake, esophageal cancer rates have shot up since the 1970s, making it the sixth most common cause of cancer death. The National Cancer Institute estimates that 14,530 people will die from esophageal cancer this year in the US, and there will be 16,470 new cases. Less than 20 percent of people survive beyond five years after diagnosis.

Curry to the rescue?

Photo courtesy Carlos Lorenzo via Flickr.