In December, a woman asked Dr. Weil if turmeric can prevent breast cancer. Dr. Weil cited research done by M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston that reported curcumin, an active component in turmeric, does seem to have properties in preventing breast cancer. That study focused on the spread of breast cancer to the lungs. Using mice, the researchers discovered curcumin prevented the spread of breast cancer to the lungs in 50 percent of the mice; when Taxol was used in combination with curcumin, the prevention went up to almost 80 percent. In conclusion, the suggestion was made that women with a family history of breast cancer should be advised to include curcumin in their diet.

During Dr. Weil's discussion on curcumin, he states that people whose diets are rich in turmeric have lower rates of breast cancer as well as prostate, lung and colon cancers. Curcumin seems to be a cancer prevention spice for cancer. I became a fan of Dr. Weil when he first became a public celebrity and authority on health and nutrition because of his traditional and modern approach to medicine. In his expert opinion, he argues that isolating a single compound limits the amount of knowledge we can learn from the study of food, herbs and spices because the synergy of all active elements are missed in the equation. In the case of curcumin, he says, "I wish researchers would get off the reductionistic bandwagon and come around to appreciate the inherent complexity of nature. Whole turmeric extracts are the way to go; I always recommend them to patients rather than products containing isolated curcumin." The whole will always be stronger than its parts, and it is the interconnection of all parts that give the truest definition to the whole.