Turmeric and Skin Cancer – Find Out What the Research Tells Us

In a recent study concerning turmeric and skin cancer, as well as a few other plants in the ginger family, researchers determined that the plant extracts act by inhibiting oxidative stress and improving antioxidant defenses, which “might” be why the extracts protect against UVA associated melanoma. Other studies have shown that there is a protective effect, but the mechanism of action is, as yet, unclear.

When researchers are investigating the benefits of drugs and natural compounds, they usually try to explain “how” it works. Although in the case of many drugs on the market, including popular antidepressants, researchers were never able to explain how the drugs worked, only that the drugs were more beneficial than placebo. That’s about all that it takes to get FDA approval. (more…)