When You Take Turmeric Every Day, Here's What Happens To Your Risk Of Cancer

Turmeric isn't just a flavorful spice for your favorite curry. For centuries, this orange root has been a key component of traditional medicine systems, including Chinese, Islamic, and Ayurvedic medicine. Turmeric's active compound, curcumin, is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory polyphenol that helps protect cells from damage and reduce inflammation. Adding a little turmeric to your post-workout smoothie may help ease muscle soreness, while incorporating it into fall soups could support joint health, lower cholesterol, and even help manage anxiety, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Turmeric's antioxidant properties may also reduce the risk of cancer or serve as a complementary therapy after cancer treatment. Research suggests curcumin can slow tumor growth, prevent cancer from spreading, and even stop cancer cells from forming. While curcumin has been extensively studied for its medicinal benefits, turmeric contains more than 200 additional compounds that may work together to provide protective effects, according to a 2024 review in Frontiers in Nutrition.

The study in Frontiers in Nutrition said that curcumin in turmeric helps fight cancer by disrupting pathways that allow cancer cells to grow out of control. It also activates programmed cell death in cancer cells, preventing them from multiplying. Curcumin blocks the formation of new blood vessels that tumors rely on for growth, effectively cutting off their nutrient supply. As a powerful antioxidant, curcumin neutralizes free radicals that can damage DNA and trigger cancerous mutations.

Turmeric contains other cancer-fighting compounds, including demethoxycurcumin (DMC) and bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC), which have been found to be even more effective than curcumin at preventing cancer cells from invading healthy tissues and spreading to other parts of the body.

(Read how turmeric increases longevity.)

Turmeric also enhances the effectiveness of cancer treatments and helps patients cope with chemotherapy and radiation side effects. Some cancers develop resistance to chemotherapy, but curcumin helps break down this resistance to allow the drugs to work better. Cancer patients undergoing photodynamic therapy (a light-activated cancer treatment) may turn to turmeric to increase the sensitivity of cancer cells to this treatment.

Curcumin can protect healthy cells from radiation and reduce radiation's side effect of damage to the salivary glands. This may eliminate dry mouth due to radiation. Supplementing with turmeric can help cancer patients manage pain and fatigue often associated with chemotherapy.

If the health benefits of turmeric make you want to stock up on turmeric supplements, Johns Hopkins Medicine advises against high concentrations of turmeric found in supplements. Turmeric supplements may make some pain relievers less effective, and people taking tacrolimus may experience side effects if taken with a turmeric supplement. Taking turmeric supplements while you're on warfarin may increase your risk of bleeding. You may have a higher risk of liver injury if you take turmeric supplements. Even though researchers have studied the effects of turmeric with chemotherapy drugs, you should talk to your doctor before taking turmeric while undergoing chemotherapy treatment. 

Rather than dump a ton of turmeric powder on your food, you can now buy fresh turmeric root in many produce aisles. The Kitchn suggests roasting turmeric pieces with other root vegetables or adding grated turmeric to rice and soups. Don't forget to add a little black pepper to help your body absorb turmeric more easily. A few small pieces of turmeric can blend well into a fruit smoothie for added anti-inflammatory benefits. If you have access to a good juicer, juice some fresh turmeric and ginger with an orange for a powerful, antioxidant-rich drink. Another popular drink made with turmeric is golden milk, which mixes turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, and pepper with a hot milk of your choice.