Turmeric .......It Seems to have a lot of potential

Turmeric is being used in India since time immemorial in religious festivals and as a medicine. Turmeric is an excellent natural antibiotic & intestinal antiseptic. Being rich in iron, it is valuable in anemia. Due to its antiseptic properties it is an effective remedy for chronic cough and throat irritation also.


Turmeric contains curcumin and an essential oil called zingiberine. Its chemical study shows that it contains proteins, carbohydrates and fibre. Its mineral and vitamin contents are calcium, phosphorus, iron, carotene, thiamine and niacin. It promotes proper metabolism in the body, corrects the disordered processes of nutrition and restores the normal function of the system. It aids in the digestion of protein.
Researchers have reported about anti-inflammatory activity and anti-arthritic activity of Turmeric in their number of studies. Also regular use of turmeric can reduce the risk of cancer. It has been shown to be as effective as certisone and phenyl-butazone in decreasing inflammation. It improves the body’s ability to break down and eliminate cholesterol.
Turmeric is effective in cleansing and purifying important channels in the body by inhibiting toxin accumulation. Turmeric also supports liver and gall bladder function by stimulating the flow of bile.

Turmeric lore in recent decades drifted outwards from Asian diaspora communities in European cities like Leicester, UK. Local researchers and cancer patients listened up. Clusters of men on Internet prostate cancer support groups (notably Don Cooley's lists) began seriously experimenting with turmeric to cope with a troublesome side-effect of androgen-suppression therapy, gynecomastia (sore swollen breasts). Most men who take antiandrogen drugs like Flutamide (Eulexin) or Casodex experience this breast swelling, which can be painful. Gynecomastia can occur also with use of finasteride(Proscar), prescribed for BPH (benign growth of the prostate) and now under discussion as a chemo-preventive for prostate cancer. Before starting Casodex some patients opt to receive a brief course of radiation to the breasts. Others have tried low-dose tamoxifen, which raises levels of circulating estradiol. Then there are the turmeric warriors, who report that dietary intake of turmeric (in salads, soups and sandwiches made with fresh root) and use of curcumin paste externally brings some relief.
Still more intriguingly, University of Leicester began investigating dietary agents including curcumin, genistein, and the vitamin A analogue 13-cis retinoic acid for tumor-suppressing properties (Br J Clin Pharmacol 1998 Jan;45(1):1-12;update Toxicol Lett 2000 Mar 15;112-113:499-505). They observed that curcumin slows the rate at which hormone-responsive prostate cancer cells become resistant to hormonal therapy.
Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties of turmeric and curcumin are undergoing intense research. Tests in Germany, reported July 2003,found that "All fractions of the turmeric extract preparation exhibited pronounced antioxidant activity...." Turmeric extract tested more potent than garlic, devil's claw, and salmon oil [ J Pharm Pharmacol. 2003 Jul;55(7):981-6].
Biochemists in China reported January 2007 that month that curcumin “downregulates homeobox gene NKX3.1 in prostate cancer cell LNCaP” and could also dampen the androgen receptor's sensitivity to this gene. Independent studies have found that the Nkx3.1 homeobox gene has a key role in the prostate and may be implicated in startup of prostate cancer.
Does this mean, the more the better? Not necessarily. Some studies find no ill effects from large doses while others (listed in references below) disagree. Of note, a study of curcumin to prevent cataracts found, unexpectedly, that in rats low doses indeed did lower cataract rates but heavy doses raised the rate of cataracts (Molecular Vision 2003; 9:223-230, full text free online). Another study found that rats fed large amounts of turmeric for 14 days developed enlarged, damaged livers.
Several studies indicate that curcumin slows the development and growth of a number of types of cancer cells. In Japan this year researchers defined curcumin as a broad-spectrum anti-cancer agent. Its induction of "detoxifying enzymes," the researchers say, indicate its "potential value ... as a protective agent against chemical carcinogenesis and other forms of electrophilic toxicity. The significance of these results can be implicated in relation to cancer chemopreventive effects of curcumin against the induction of tumors in various target organs" (Iqbal M, et al. Pharmacol Toxicol. 2003 Jan;92(1):33-8).
Since India won a claim against two US scientists who shamelessly patented turmeric (see sidebar), the tide of interest may naturally be driven in part by Asian pride in phytomedicinal heritage. But as scientists at M. D. Anderson, Texas, wrote in January 2003: "Extensive research over the last 50 years has indicated [curcumin] can both prevent and treat cancer. The anticancer potential of curcumin stems from its ability to suppress proliferation of a wide variety of tumor cells, down-regulate transcription factors NF-kappa B, AP-1 and Egr-1; down-regulate the expression of COX2, LOX, NOS, MMP-9, uPA, TNF, chemokines, cell surface adhesion molecules and cyclin D1; down-regulate growth factor receptors (such as EGFR and HER2); and inhibit the activity of c-Jun N-terminal kinase, protein tyrosine kinases and protein serine/threonine kinases." In their latest of a series of reports the M. D. Anderson say: "Curcumin can suppress tumor initiation, promotion and metastasis. Pharmacologically, curcumin has been found to be safe. Human clinical trials indicated no dose-limiting toxicity when administered at doses up to 10 g/day. All of these studies suggest that curcumin has enormous potential in the prevention and therapy of cancer." [Aggarwal, BB et al,Anticancer Res. 2003 Jan-Feb;23(1A):363-98].
Several breast tumor cell lines, "including hormone-dependent and -independent and multidrug-resistant (MDR) lines," respond to antiproliferative effects of curcumin. Aggarwal et al examined cell lines "including the MDR-positive ones," and found they were all "highly sensitive to curcumin. The growth inhibitory effect of curcumin was time- and dose-dependent.... Overall our results suggest that curcumin is a potent antiproliferative agent for breast tumor cells and may have potential as an anticancer agent." (Anticancer Drugs. 1997 Jun;8(5):470-81). Other laboratories offer varying explanations but confirm the activity level of curcumin against breast , prostate and other cancers. See e.g., Ramachandran C, Miami 1999; Hidaka H, Japan, 2002(human pancreatic cells lines); Elattar TM, University of Missouri-Kansas City, 2000(oral cancer cell-line).
Some researchers say curcumin inhibits angiogenesis, i.e. formation of new blood vessels, which tumors use to nourish themselves as they spread (Mol Med 1998 Jun;4(6):376-83). As an anti-inflammatory, turmeric triggers heat-shock stress response (see Wiki Online Encyclopedia for heat-shock). Heat shock proteins stimulate the immune system. "The mechanism of the stimulation by curcumin of the stress responses," Japanese researchers say (Cell Stress Chaperones 1998 Sep;3(3):152-60), "might be similar to that of salicylate [active in aspirin and similar drugs derived from willow bark], indomethacin [a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug] and nordihydroguaiaretic acid [an anti-oxidant, antiflammatory, lipoxegenase inhibitor found in chapparel, that interferes with arachidonic acid metabolism].
To sum up -- regular healthy folks may benefit from adding turmeric to the spice rack and using it more liberally on adult and children's foods. Kids love bright colors. And turmeric is an ideal brightener for rice and for steamed or gently fried tofu.
For cancer patients, until curcumin has been shown in well-designed, well-conducted human clinical trials to have measurable effects on existing disease, it remains just another interesting home remedy with a lot of promise. Research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering a few years back indicates that it makes sense to drink green tea along with a meal spiced with turmeric for double-boosted anti-cancer protective effects: "EGCG and curcumin, were noted to inhibit growth by different mechanisms, a factor which may account for their demonstrable interactive synergistic effect." For new developments with curcumin, M. D. Anderson is another place to watch.
Refrences
http://www.garrysun.com/turmeric.html
http://www.garrysun.com/turmeric.html