For years, scientists have been tapping our kitchens for creative ways to ward off disease and discomfort.  Capsaicin, the main chemical in chili pepper, is used in topical creams to provide relief from arthritis.  Alllicin, the main ingredient in garlic, can, when consumed in large quantities, reduce cholesterol and blood pressure. 

The latest spice to make it from a kitchen flavor to a health helper, is curcumin, which gives the curry spice tumeric its yellow color:

• It may help protect against Alzheimer's Disease:  Curcumin triggers production of a protein that fights free radical damage in the brain

• It may help treat skin cancer:  In a 2005 study by University of Texas Anderson Cancer Center (USA), researchers treated melanoma cell lines with curcumin to cause decreased cell viability and induce cell death in tumor cells.

• It halts the spread of breast cancer:  In a 2005 study by scientists also at the University of Texas, curcumin stopped breast cancer from spreading in a mouse model. 

Curcumin is also being tested for its therapeutic potential in multiple myeloma and pancreatic cancer, and also for its value in preventing oral cancers.  In addition, a university in the United Kingdom received funding in 2005 to study the effects of curcumin on cancers of the gastrointestinal tract.