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Curcumin prevents and stops cancer
Turmeric is a spice derived from the rhizomes of Curcuma longa, which is a member of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae). Rhizomes are horizontal underground stems that send out shoots as well as roots. The bright yellow color of turmeric comes mainly from fat-soluble, polyphenolic pigments known as curcuminoids . Curcumin, the principal curcuminoid found in turmeric, is generally considered its most active constituent.
A study done in Japan found that curcumin prevented cancer and stopped tumors from growing.
Laboratory and animal research suggests that curcumin may slow the spread of cancer and the growth of new tumor blood vessels. It may also cause cancer cells to die. In the lab, curcumin has been studied for use in treating or preventing a number of cancers, including colon, prostate and breast cancers.
"Curcumin has been found to influence over 60
molecular targets in the cancer process. With an established safety record and
a fraction of the cost of conventional chemotherapy, plant compounds like
curcumin represent an enormous and almost untapped resource for cancer
treatment." -- Jonathan Treasure, co-founder of Centre for Natural Healing,
co-author of Herb, Nutrient, and Drug Interactions: Clinical Implications and
Therapeutic Strategies.
Curcumin is currently being targeted as a way to
reduce high breast cancer rates because of its ability to slow and stop the
division -- and thus the spread -- of cancerous cells. In a study on human
breast cancer cells, curcumin reversed
growth by 98%. Another study using curcumin in mice was successful in
slowing the growth of cancer from the breast into lungs, throat, and other
areas.
Researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center conducted
a study that showed when curcumin was added into cell cultures containing
multiple myeloma (a type of cancer), it stopped the cancer cells from
reproducing -- and the remaining cells died.
Curcumin also obstructs cancerous cell growth by activating and protecting
the release of human glutathione. Glutathione is a key antioxidant that the
body produces to maintain normal cellular activity and is the only antioxidant
that resides inside the cell. From this prime position, glutathione and
curcumin inhibit cellular mutagens that would otherwise promote cancer.
Curcumin has also been shown to reduce chemically-induced cancer by 90%
-- such as mouth and tongue cancers caused by smoking. Curcumin interferes with
the process of the p450 enzyme in the liver that would otherwise convert
environmental toxins into carcinogens, which mutate cells and promote cancerous
growth.
"Taking a pure, highly concentrated extract like
Curcumin 95 is one the easiest ways to get a therapeutic dose of curcumin into
the system."
For the proper dose of curcumin for cancer treatment, consult with a
naturopathic doctor or an Ayurvedic medical practitioner.