As a graduate student working towards my PhD in Molecular Biology at a highly regarded U.S. university, the last thing I expected to hear touted for its beneficial effects on cancer was turmeric. Having grown up in India, I had witnessed the spice turmeric regarded, somewhat over-zealously, in my opinion at the time, as the ultimate panacea for all ailments. Fighting a sore throat? Turmeric boiled in milk was what the doctor ordered. Suffering a digestive upset? Turmeric-infused ‘khichdi’ – rice and lentil porridge – was a must. Healing from an open wound? A paste of turmeric and water would do the trick. And plagued by unwanted body hair?! Turmeric mixed with chickpea flour and water was better than anything Sally Hansen could concoct. You can therefore imagine my somewhat amused surprise when scientists and clinicians around the world were suddenly focused on curcumin, a bioactive component of turmeric, for its miraculous medicinal properties.