Turmeric fights breast cancer in mice - study

[Dover]

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Turmeric fights breast cancer in mice - study

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent Thu Jun 9, 4:19 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Turmeric, a yellow spice used widely in Indian cooking, may help stop the spread of cancer, U.S. researchers reported on Thursday.

Tests in mice showed that curcumin, an active compound found in turmeric, helped stop the spread of breast cancer tumor cells to the lungs.

Tests have already started in people, too, said Bharat Aggarwal of the Department of Experimental Therapeutics at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, who led the study.

"Here you don't need to worry about safety. The only thing we have to worry about is efficacy," Aggarwal said in a telephone interview.

"Curcumin, as you know, is very much an essential part of the Indian diet," he added.

"What's exciting about this agent is that it seems to have both chemopreventive and therapeutic properties. If we can demonstrate that it is efficacious in humans, it could be of tremendous value, but we're a long way from being able to make any recommendations yet," Aggarwal said.

Earlier research showed that curcumin, which acts as an antioxidant, can help prevent tumors from forming in the laboratory.

..snip..

No drug company is likely to develop a natural product that cannot be patented, he said. "There are no companies behind it so our only source of funding is either the National Institutes of Health or the Department of Defense, he said. The study was funded by the U.S. Department of Defense's Breast Cancer Research Program.

Aggarwal's team is also testing curcumin against pancreatic cancer and multiple myeloma.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/cancer_turmeric_dc

[ebayfool]

1. Now that's one I wouldn't have ever thought of - the Dept of Defense

funding breast cancer research! No matter the source of funding, this is very promising to hear. Indian spice, I wonder if the rates of breast cancer are lower in India? Gotta do some goggling!

TY, Dover - you have a knack for finding the most interesting items!

[Dover]

2. Do mice HAVE "breasts"? Now that's a comparison I wouldn't

have thought to make. Mice breasts...women's breasts...hmmmm.

Yes, I believe I've seen statistics before that indicate that all forms of cancer are less in that part of the world than in the West. I doubt it's purely a dietary cause and effect, but I'll bet that diet plays a big part.

[lavenderdiva]

3. turmeric also effective in treating pain....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1537382&mesg_id=1537413

saw this thread in LBN, I think, this morning, talking about how ibuprofen may be linked to an increased risk in heart attacks. This finding may leave many who take it for arthritic pain, etc, out in the cold, as it is a relatively inexpensive, easily accessible pain remedy. The author of this post mentions turmeric as another alternative for treatment of pain.

edited for spelling...

[Dover]

4. Hmmm....I wouldn't have guessed that. What kind of pain, I wonder?

Maybe its anti-inflamatory action would help reduce some types of pain from swelling.

I'll keep an eye out for those studies that the poster mentioned.

I met a healer many, many moons ago who recommended turmeric to everyone. She took quite a bit of it in supplement form everyday. So I'm guessing the info has been around for at least 20 years here in the West. You can buy the fresh root at some produce markets and Asian groceries, though I've never tasted it.

Here's a little blurb on Turmeric:

Turmeric is a known antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic agent.

Curcumin is the highly potent exttract of the tumeric root.
Turmeric has been used for thousands of years in Asian Indian cookery and is an ingredient in curry powder. Also it is what gives the golden glow to store-bought, hot-dog-stand mustard. Ground from dried curcumin, a rhizome of the ginger family, turmeric is not peppery -- it is mild-tasting and inexpensive. You'll find it in the spice section of most supermarkets and grocery stores.

Fresh root, which goes well in snacks and main meals, is a bit more exotic. Many Asian Indian markets and some Chinese grocery stores carry it. Turmeric powder in capsules is available from a number of herbal suppliers.

Why use turmeric in your daily diet? Turmeric is a known antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic agent. As a spice, the powder doesn't add much flavor but it's much more than a food coloring. Of course, you can use it just to make pallid foods appetizing. Cauliflower, white fish and vegetable soups, brightened with turmeric, jump out of the pan. All the better, this stuff is good for you.

Several studies indicate that curcumin slows the development and growth of a number of types of cancer including prostate cancer. Turmeric may also slow the rate at which hormone-responsive prostate cancer becomes resistant to hormonal therapy.

Not only that but some men swear by fresh turmeric as a remedy to reduce gynecomastia (breast enlargement), a bothersome side effect of androgen-blocking drugs for prostate cancer. See gynecomastia section below.

The University of Leicester is investigating tumor suppressing dietary agents including the curry ingredient curcumin, the soy constituent genistein, and the vitamin A analogue 13-cis retinoic acid (Toxicol Lett 2000 Mar 15;112-113:499-505; Br J Clin Pharmacol 1998 Jan;45(1):1-12).

In addition to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties, curcunin 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).

Simply as a spice and natural food-coloring, turmeric may inhibit stomach and colon cancer. In India, turmeric powder and curcumin root are used in medicines as well as in cooking. Turmeric is used in ointments and poultices to treat sprains and inflammation. As a home remedy for sore muscles and "jock pull," a plaster of turmeric powder mixed with water stains skin and clothes but is said to be effective (Agents Actions 1982 Oct;12(4):508-15.)

As an anti-inflammatory, turmeric triggers heat-shock stress response (see Online Medical Dictionary entries 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 , indomethacin and nordihydroguaiaretic acid ."

Asians use fresh and powdered turmeric as part of a highly varied, complex diet. This is quite different from lab experiments on mice. Almost anything works in mice, so they say. Some of the latest results, which are mixed, are these:


Cont'd
http://www.youngagain.com/tumeric1.html

[Dover]

5. ..

[NJCher]

6. now I want to grow turmeric

I know my husband has brought it home from some of the more exotic markets he patronizes around here. I'm sure the NJ climate--hot and humid--would be quite hospitable to it during June, July and August.

Here's an interesting story about a grower of turmeric:

Fostering economic independence for fellow farmers
Case study: Rajesh Patil (Entrepreneur farmer and opinion leader) village Jalke

Rajesh Patil is one of the progressive farmers of Jalke village and probably the most educated, as he has acquired a masters degree in Physics. He has almost 100 acres agricultural land in which he grows less labour intensive crops like banana, papaya, turmeric and cotton. For summer cotton he grows saplings of cotton from seeds and after a light shower in the month of June, transplants the saplings in the field. Rajesh uses drip system for complete irrigation of his farm. Since he has a big farm to irrigate, buying conventional drip systems would have required huge investments. So Rajesh has invested in buying KB Drip for a very large area, which is connected to an electric pump lifting the water from a deeply dug well. Rajesh is very happy with KB drip as he is now able to cultivate the entire farm, which he could not do earlier. He experienced better quality and quantity of bananas by using drip. He pointed out that if there was a proper system of rewinding KB drip system it would be very helpful in its storage.

http://www.ide-india.org/ide/cs1-rajesh.shtml


Cher

[Dover]

7. Have you looked into the requirements (soil type/zone/etc)

necessary to grow turmeric? I'm curious.

That IDEI organization which featured the article sounds like they are way ahead of the game in teaching sustainability. Bravo!
Drip systems make so much sense, and there's really no reason not to be growing organically...particularly on small farms.

[Desertrose]

8. Thought I heard tumeric was good in fighting Alzheimers...or was curry?

dang I forget...will see if I can find anything more on it.

Tumeric is awesome...as are many many other herbs....

We already have so many of the healing tools we need growing happily along side us in the plant kingdom...but the big pharmacorps can't make megabillions off them...sad isn't it....