Newsletter 6th of March 2018

Turmeric and its amazing healing powerAll the benefits based on the most recent evidence

First, I want to c l a r i f y s o m e concepts:  Curry is a mixture of spices, usually c a r d a m o m , cayenne pepper, cinnamon, cloves, coriander seeds, c u m i n , f e n n e l

seeds, fenugreek, nutmeg, red and black pepper, poppy and sesame seeds, saffron and large amounts of turmeric (20-30%). Turmeric powder is obtained by grinding the dried rhizome of the Curcuma longa plant. It was already one of the 250 medicinal plants mentioned in a series of medicinals treatises dating from approximately 3.000 BC. Curcuminoids are the main compounds in turmeric (around 5% of the weight of the dried root) and are not only responsible for turmeric's bright yellowish colour, but also of the beneficial effects, being the main component called curcumin. [1-3]

Curcumin has shown to have a large list of beneficial actions:

It is a potent anti-inflammatory and therefore helpful in any inflammatory conditions.[4,5,43] It helps preventing not only cardiovascular disease but also Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. [6-8] Is has also shown to ease digestive disorders, including  inflammatory bowel diseases.[9]

Including the following anti-cancer properties (Curcumin is known as the most powerful anticancer substance [10,11,44,45]):

Its anti-inflammatory quality reduces pain produces by cancer, both primary tumors and metastasis.

Stops progression of metastasis [12]

Induces apoptosis (cancer cell suicide) [13]

Its anti-oxidant effect prevents free radicals to damage our DNA [14,15]

It stimulates our immune system [16]

It inhibits the NF-kappa B factor (a factor that protects the tumor from our immune system) [17]

It not only enhances the effect of the chemotherapy, but also protects our mucus membranes, liver and kidneys from its toxic effects [18-21] 

It enhances the effect of the radiotherapy [22]

In addition, curcumin has shown to have a similar effect to some of the drugs designed to fight cancer: Remicade®, Humira®, Enbrel® ( inhibitors of the  production of tumor necrosis factor), Avastin® (inhibits production of vascular endothelial growth factor) and Herceptin® (blocks Her2 receptors).[23]

Due to its notorious effects, currently more than 20 clinical trials are underway to measure the effectiveness of turmeric and curcumin treating various cancers (colon, breast, pancreas and melanoma). Preliminary effects are very encouraging as they do not have side effects (or very few). In one study carried out on patients with pancreas cancer in terminal phase, administering curcumin led to a dramatic reduction in tumor size (73%) in a patient and stabilised the disease. [24-26] In other studies, curcumin as shown to inhibit the growth of all cancers (ovary, breast, uterus, liver, bile ducts, lung, pancreas, prostate, stomach, leukaemia, neck , melanoma, osteosarcoma, etc)  [27- 42] and that it helps preventing and treating cancer, including metastasis [46-48]

How to take it: Ideally, you should have at least 5g (1 tea spoon) every day. Be aware that turmeric delivered in capsules is very poorly absorbed by the digestive system [24]. In fact, if it's not mixed with oil (ideally olive or linseed due to their own beneficial properties) and pepper or ginger, it does not pass the intestinal barrier. Pepper multiplies the body's absorption of turmeric by two thousand, as it contains a substance called pipperine which helps the curcumin to be absorbed [49-50]. You can prepare yourself a curcumin-drink: boil 200ml of water, dissolve 1 teaspoon of turmeric, add black pepper and some olive oil, let it cool down and drink it within 4 hours.  Human trials have shown that curcumin can be used in doses up to 8g daily for up to 18 months without toxicity. [51] Caution if you are taking anticoagulants (blood- thinners) as turmeric can interfere increasing their effect. 

The easiest and most efficient way, however, is having it in its original form, as curry and adding it to your food. Its combination of various spices has shown to work together and having a great cytotoxic effect on cancer cells. On study showed that after exposing oesophagus cancer cells to the extracts of curry, 88% of the cancer cells diet after 24hours! [52] This may explain the much lower cancer rates in India, when compared with USA, despite the Indian's exposure to numerous carcinogens in their environment, often on a worse scale that in the West. [53]

0

30

60

90

120Breast

Lung

Colon/rectum

Prostate

Ovary

Bladder

Liver

Endometrium

Kidney

IndiaUSA

Comparison of cancer rates in India and the USA per 100.000 Source: GLOBCAN 2000, Cancer Incidence, Mortality and Prevalence Worldwide, 2001

Dr Saskia Kloppenburg Vieth Integrated Medicine - Addressing the Causes

References: 1. Prof. Richard Béliveau and Dr Denis Gingras, 2017

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27. Zhang X, et al. A novel mono-carbonyl analogue of curcumin induces apoptosis in ovarian carcinoma cells via endoplasmic reticulum stress and reactive oxygen species production. Mol Med Report. 2012 Mar; 5(3):739-44.

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29. Tze Fang ,W et al. Curcumin disrupts uterine leiomyosarcoma cells through AKT-mTOR pathway inhibition. Gynecologic Oncology. 2011 jul; 122(1):141-8.

30. Lu JJ, Cai YJ, Ding J. Curcumin induces DNA damage and caffeine-insensitive cell cycle arrest in colorectal carcinoma HCT116 cell. Mol all Biochem. 2011 Aug;354(1-2):247-52.

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32. Prakobwong S, et al. Curcumin suppresses proliferation and induces apoptosis in human biliary cancer cell through modulatin of multiple cell signaling pathways. Carcinogenesis. 2011 Sep; 32(9):1372-80.

33. Chen QY, et al. Expression analysis of Cdc42 in lung cancer and modulation of its expression by curcumin in lung cancer cell lines. Int] Oncol. 2012 May;40(5):1561-8

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42. Ma D, Tremblay ,P Mahngar K, CollinsJ, Hudlicky T, Pandey SL. Selective Cytotoxicity against Human Osteosarcoma Cells by a Novel Synthetic C-1 Analogue of 7-Deoxypancratistatin Is Potentiated by Curcumin. PLoS One. 2011;6(12): e28780.

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44. Hossain DS, Bhattacharyya 5, Das T, Sa G. Curcumin: The multi-targeted therapy for cancer regression. Front Biosci (Schol Ed). 2012 Jan 1;4.33.5-55.

45. Gupta SC, Patchva S, Koh ,W Aggarwal BB. Discovery of Curcumin, a Component of the Golden Spice, and Its Miraculous Biological Activities. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 2012 Mar;39(3):283-99

46. Manikandan R, et al. Synergistic anticancer activity of curcumin and catechin: An in vitro study using human cancer cell lines. Res Tech.2012 Feb;75(2): 112-6.

47. Shanmugam MK, Kannaivan R, Sethi Q. Targeting cell signaling and apoptotic pathways by dietary agent: role in the prevention and treatment of cancer. Nutr Cancer. 2011;63(2):161-73.

48. Yallapu MM, Gupta BK. Jaggi M, Chauhan SC. Fabrication of curcumin encapsulated PLGA nanoparticles for improved therapeutic effects in metastatic cancer cells. J Colloid Interface Sci. 2010 Nov l;351(1):19-29.

49. Shoba G, et al. Influence of piperine on the pharmacokinetics of curcumin in animals and human volunteers. Planta Med. 1998 May; 64(4): 353-8.

50. Suresh D, Srinivasan K. Tissue distribution Sr elimination of capsaicin, piperine & curcumin following oral intake in rats. Indian J Med Res. 2010 May;131:682-91.

51. Patrick Holford "Say no to cancer", ISBN 978-0-7499-5411-6

52. Dwivedi V, et al. Cytotoxic potential of Indian spices (extracts) against esophageal squamous carcinoma cells. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2011;12(8):2069-73.

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