A growing body of evidence suggests that taking  high doses of curcumin, a key ingredient in the spice turmeric may help prevent or even treat major diseases like cancer and diabetes mellitus type 2.  A new study published in Cancer Letters now suggests that curcumin may be enlisted to fight ovarian cancer.

 The study conducted by South Korean researchers shows that "curcumin increases cytosolic Ca2+ concentration through inhibition of SERCA activity, causing apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells but not in normal cells."  

Ovarian cancer has something to do with cytosolic Ca2+ concentration which is regulated by a type of ATPase.  In malignant ovarian tumor,  sarco/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase is aberrantly increased.  But supplemental curcurmin normalized Ca2+ homeostasis.

The anticancer effect of curcumin against ovarian cancer (induction of apoptosis of cancer cells in ovarian cancer) was dose- and time-dependent, according to the study report.

Curcumin, which is very safe to use, may also prevent or help treat other types of cancers.  Make sure to use pure curcumin not turmeric power to achieve the desired potency.  (David Liu)

Jeong-ah Seoa, Boyun Kimb, Danny N. Dhanasekarand, Benjamin K. Tsange,  Yong Sang Songa, Curcumin induces apoptosis by inhibiting sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase activity in ovarian cancer cells, Cancer Letters, Volume 371, Issue 1, 1 February 2016, Pages 30–37,  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.canlet.2015.11.021