Curcumin - The Spice of Life

A Word from the Staff at Oakway Health Center 

A significant amount of research goes into each of our latest health updates. Nothing however, prepared us for the incredible avalanche of information –from pre-clinical studies alone – that attested to the potentially endless benefits of the spice known as curcumin.

Over 700 studies, with more than 400 of them published within the last few years, confirm curcumin's remarkable anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties.

We found that the vast majority of these studies were conducted in-vitro (outside the cell), and in-vino (inside the cell), as well as on laboratory animals. And though human trials are in the very early stages, the results are more than promising.

We also find that the medical technical jargon of these studies is often difficult to read, let alone understand. We have made some effort to simplify the main points for you; however, should you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to fill out our Ask-the-Doctor.

We are very excited to share our findings with you, and hope that the information below will be helpful.

Yours in health!
The Staff at Oakway Health Center, LLC

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Overview - Curcumin

Curcumin is a major polyphenol, and the principal curcuminoid of the popular Indian spice turmeric, which is a member of the ginger family. It has been consistently touted as being a potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer compound. It’s also Asia’s equivalent to the western aspirin. In fact, studies repeatedly have shown that the natural anti-inflammatory activity of curcumin is comparable in strength to both steroidal and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) drugs, both of which have dangerous side effects.

In India the prevalance of many of the conditions we list in this health tip, including neurodegenerative diseases, multiple sclerosis, and arthritic conditions, is low in comparison to that experienced in the West. Many researchers believe this is due to the widespread use of curcumin in Indian food dishes.

Following is a listing of illnesses and diseases formally determined to respond positively to curcumin in pre-clinical studies. Click on any of the “SOURCE” links provided for more information.

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ARTHRITIC DISEASES

Arthritis conditions are mostly caused by chronic inflammation. In a study conducted to determine the anti-proliferative, anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive activities of curcumin, it was found that curcumin strongly inhibited enzymes that were responsible for the breaking down of the peptide bonds in collagen and matrix structure that created rampant inflammation which in turn leads to arthritic conditions. SOURCE

OSTEOARTHRITIS: In a previous three-month study of Meriva, a proprietary curcumin-phosphatidylcholine phytosome complex, decreased joint pain and improvement in joint function were observed in 50 osteoarthritis (OA) patients. Since OA is a chronic condition requiring prolonged treatment, the long-term efficacy and safety of Meriva were investigated in a longer (eight months) study involving 100 OA patients. Significant improvements were observed using Meriva. This, coupled with an excellent tolerability, suggests that Meriva is worth considering for the long-term complementary management of osteoarthritis. SOURCE

RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: - In another in-vitro study, conducted by Janet Funk, MD, from the University of Arizona’s College of Medicine, and published in the Journal of American College of Rheumatology, it was determined that curcumin can prevent the onset of rheumatoid arthritis. The study also showed, that in addition to preventing joint inflammation, it was shown that curcumin can help to prevent bone loss. More studies need to be done to determine curcumin’s effectiveness with bone loss issues in post-menopausal woman. SOURCE

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BLOOD GLUCOSE

LOWER BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS: The following study determined that curcumin significantly lowered blood glucose levels in an experiment conducted on male mice. Curcumin was also shown to significantly lower plasma free fatty acid, cholesterol, and triglyceride concentrations and increased the hepatic glycogen (muscle & liver glucose stores) and skeletal muscle lipoprotein lipase (enzyme in the bones and muscles that plays a key role in breaking down triglycerides). SOURCE

DIABETIC ENCEPHALOPATHY: Emerging data indicates that diabetes is a potential predisposing factor for neuropsychiatric deficits such as: stroke, cerebrovascular diseases, diabetic encephalopathy, depression and anxiety. Diabetic encephalopathy, characterized by impaired cognitive functions and neurochemical and structural abnormalities, involves direct neuronal damage. It is a complex and poorly understood process of accelerated brain aging and cognitive decline related both to high glucose levels and insulin deficiency in brain tissue. Chronic treatment with curcumin reversed the extreme oxidant damage and inflammation in the brains of diabetic rats, and markedly improved their performance on tasks of memory and cognition. SOURCE

INSULIN RESISTANCE: Curcumin was also shown to increase the number of insulin receptors on cell membranes and to improve their insulin-binding capacity, restoring both to near normal levels on Type II Diabetic rats. SOURCE

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CANCER(s)

"No cancer has been found, to my knowledge, which is not affected by curcumin.The reason curcumin is so effective against cancer is that it hits not just a single target or cell signalling pathway but dozens of targets implicated in cancer.”

- Professor Bharat Aqqarwal Ph. D. in MD Anderson’s Department of Therapeutics

BREAST CANCER: Visfatin, a cykotine, (a protein that regulates inflammatory responses) has recently been shown to be related to the development and progression of breast cancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether visfatin’s gene expression is affected by curcumin in human breast cancer cells. The results demonstrated, for the first time, that curcumin down-regulates visfatin gene expression in human breast cancer cells. SOURCE

COLON/COLORECTAL CANCER: In this in-vitro study, findings determined that curcumin blocked the secretion of a chemokine, (a family of cytokines) known as IL-8, which is recognized as contributing to increased tumor invasion, progression and angiogenesis in colorectal cancers. According to Mark Evers, director of the University of Texas for the Sealy Center for Cancer Cell Biology, who headed this study:

"Our findings suggest that curcumin may be useful for colon cancer treatment as well as potential colon cancer suppression." SOURCE

LUNG CARCINOGENESIS (i.e., the initiation of lung cancer formation): This study demonstrated an inflammation-related mechanism for curcumin-induced inhibition of lung tumor growth. It found that neutrophil elastase, (i.e., an important regulator of inflammatory processes), directly triggered tumor cell proliferation in human lung cells, and that curcumin could completely suppress the excess tumor proliferation induced by neutrophil elastase. SOURCE

PROSTATE CANCER: Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of death and the most frequently diagnosed cancer affecting 1 in 6 males in the US.

Protein Kinase D1 (PKD1) is a multifunctional enzyme that is enhanced in normal, healthy prostates. PKD1 is necessary for normal functioning of prostate cells and its down regulation is associated with the progression of prostate cancer. Using a panel of prostate cancer cell lines, this study demonstrated that curcumin treatment significantly enchanced the expression of activated PDK1 within one (1) hour of treatment. SOURCE

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CARDIOVASCULAR

ATHEROSCLEROSIS: In a study conducted with mice, long-term curcumin treatment lowered plasma and hepatic cholesterol and suppressed early atherosclerotic lesions comparable to the protective effects of lovastatin (a statin drug used to lower cholesterol). The anti-atherogenic effect of curcumin is mediated via multiple mechanisms including altered lipid, cholesterol and immune gene expression.
SOURCE

CHOLESTEROL: The effect of curcumin administration in reducing the serum levels of cholesterol and lipid peroxides was studied in ten healthy human volunteers, receiving 500 mg of curcumin per day for 7 days. A significant decrease in the level of serum lipid peroxides (33%), increase in HDL Cholesterol (29%), and a decrease in total serum cholesterol (11.63%) were noted. As curcumin reduced serum lipid peroxides and serum cholesterol, the study of curcumin as a chemopreventive substance against arterial diseases is suggested.
SOURCE

CARDIOTOXICITY AND DIABETIC CARDIOVASCULAR COMPLICATIONS: The antioxidant effects of curcumin have been shown to attenuate adriamycin-induced (cancer chemotherapy) cardiotoxicity and may prevent diabetic cardiovascular complications. The anti-thrombotic, anti-proliferative, and anti-inflammatory effects of curcumin and the effect of curcumin in decreasing the serum cholesterol level may protect against the pathological changes occurring with atherosclerosis.SOURCE

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GASTROINTESTINAL ISSUES

CANDIDA: Curcumin anti-fungal properties stimulates the production of bile, and one study determined thatit reduced the symptoms of bloating and gas in people suffering from indigestion. It's been determined that curcumin inhibits the adhesion of candida yeast to human buccal epithelial cells (the walls of the digestive tract). Humans need candida, but curcumin aids the immune system in keeping candida under control.

According to one study, curcumin was a more potent antifungal than fluconazole against P. brasiliensis, the causal agent of the neglected disease paracoccidioidomycosis. SOURCE

INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE: The efficacy of curcumin has been investigated in several experimental models of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). The results indicate striking suppression of induced IBD colitis and changes in cytokine profiles, from the pro-inflammatory to the anti-inflammatory type. In this study, patients were given curcumin (360 mg/dose) 3 or 4 times/day for three months. Further, curcumin significantly reduced clinical relapse in patients with dormant IBD. The inhibitory effects of curcumin on major inflammatory mechanisms and its unrivalled safety profile suggest that it has bright prospects in the treatment of IBD. However, randomized controlled clinical investigations in large cohorts of patients are needed to fully evaluate the clinical potential of curcumin.
SOURCE

ULCERATIVE COLITIS: The aim in this human trial was to assess the efficacy of curcumin as maintenance therapy in patients with dormant ulcerative colitis (UC). Recurrence rates evaluated on the basis of intention to treat showed that the use of curcumin was significantly more successful in improving conditions suppressing morbidity associated with UC than in the placebo groups. Curcumin seems to be a promising and safe medication for maintaining remission in patients with quiescent UC. SOURCE

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NEUROLOGICAL & NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES

ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disease recognized as one of the most important medical problems affecting the elderly. Increased and chronic inflammation in AD patients is characterized by an increase in proteins that regulated inflammatory responses: known as cykotines. People whose blood shows signs of inflammation are more likely to later develop Alzheimer’s disease than people with no signs of inflammation, according to a study published in the May 29, 2007, issue of Neurology®, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Although long-term use of NSAIDs have been shown to reduce the risk of AD, excessive use of NSAIDs can cause gastrointestinal, liver and renal toxicity.

Substantial evidence indicates that curcumin has anti-amyloidogenic, anti-oxidative, and anti-inflammatory properties that carry the potential to prevent AD. Interestingly enough, it was reported that the prevalence of AD in people 70–79 years of age in India is 4.4-fold less than that in the United States. SOURCE

EPILEPSY: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether dietary intake of curcumin can inhibit the onset and progression of seizures. Curcumin was considered for this study because it can cross the blood–brain barrier. In the study, seizures were induced by intracortical injection of iron into young rats The lower dose of curcumin (500 ppm) retarded the onset and progression of generalized seizures. The seizure-suppressing potential of curcumin is explained by the observed biochemical, behavioral, and ultrastructural results. SOURCE

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS: (Also known as an autoimmune disease) - According to researcher Dr. Chandramohan Natarajan of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, mice with an MS-like illness showed little or no signs of disease symptoms after being injected with curcumin, while animals without the treatment went on to severe paralysis.

"We got a very good inhibition of the disease by treating with curcumin," Natarajan told Reuters Health. He presented the findings at the annual 2002 Experimental Biology conference.

The results didn't really surprise Natarajan. "In Asian countries, such as India, China, who are eating more spicy foods, more yellow compounds like curcumin...there are only very, very rare reports of MS," he pointed out. He said the doses the rats received were roughly equivalent in human terms to those found in a typical Indian diet.

Just how curcumin might work to thwart the progression of demyelinization remains unclear. But the Nashville researchers believe it may interrupt the production of IL-12, a protein that plays a key role in signaling immune cells to launch their assault on the myelin sheath.

PARKINSON’S DISEASE: Oxidative stress has been implicated in the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons (the main source of dopamine) in the midbrain of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. An important biochemical feature of presymptomatic PD is a significant depletion of the antioxidant glutathione in these neurons resulting in oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and ultimately cell death. This study demonstrated that curcumin protects against oxidant-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction both in vitro and in vivo. Treatment of dopaminergic neuronal cells and mice with curcumin restored depletion of GSH levels, protected against protein oxidation, and preserved mitochondrial complex I activity which normally is impaired due to GSH loss.SOURCE

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Special Note from the American Cancer Society:

People taking blood-thinning medications, drugs that suppress the immune system, or non-steroidal pain relievers (such as ibuprofen) should avoid turmeric because of the risk of harmful drug interactions. In animal and laboratory studies, turmeric made certain anti-cancer drugs less effective. Antioxidant supplements can interfere with the effectiveness of chemotherapy or radiation treatment. Patients who are in cancer treatment should talk to their doctor before taking vitamins, minerals, or other supplements.SOURCE

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Curcumin Supplements Sold by Oakway Health Center:

A Breakthrough In Curcumin Absorption - Our TOP Seller!
	Meriva-SR by Thorne Research Meriva provides you with significantly more bioavailability than any curcumin extract or compound currently available - and Meriva is manufactured to Indena and Thorne high quality standards. Available in 120 Count. More Information ...

- Our Most POTENT Curcumin Offering -
	Meriva-500 by Thorne Research The same formula as Meriva-SR but twice as potent, with 1,000 mg of Curcuma longa extract (root) and Phosphatidylcholine complex per two capsules. Available in 60 and 120 Count Options. More Information - 60 Count ... More Information - 120 Count ...

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