A study shows the potential value of chemicals in curry and onions in preventing colon cancer

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Curcurmin and quercetin, chemicals found in curry and onions, help patients reduce polyp size and number in familial adenomatous polyposis.
Research on populations that consume a lot of curry suggest that curcumin, a yellow pigment found in turmeric, may help to reduce the risk of colon cancer. Similar claims are made for quercetin which is a potent antioxidant found in onions, green tea and red wine.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University now report on the impact of a pill containing both curcumin and quercetin on a group of five patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), a condition in which hundreds of polyps form in the colon. The condition, which is inherited, has a strong tendency to lead to colon cancer. In this study, the patients had had surgery to remove the colon but still had some polyps within the remaining section of the gastrointestinal tract. The six month treatment reduced the number of polyps by about 60 per cent and shrank the remaining ones by about half. However, eating a lot of curry and onions wouldn't necessarily give the same benefit, as the amount of curcurmin given in this trial was far higher than that found in turmeric. The benefit seen from curcurmin and quercetin was about the same as that gained from taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents like aspirin to treat FAP - but without the side effects. Further research may produce a useful treatment for FAP based upon curcumin and quercetin.

Source
Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology August 2006