Used in the
ancient Chinese and Indian systems of medicine, curcumin is a
naturally powerful anticancer compound that has been found to
decrease brain tumor size in animals by 81 percent in more than 9
studies. A derivative of turmeric, curcumin is the pigment
responsible for turmeric’s yellow-orange color. Each 100 grams of
turmeric contains around 3 to 5 grams of curcumin, though turmeric is
a also very powerful on its own. New studies are shedding light on
curcumin, and illuminating its numerous benefits on cancer and other
diseases.
Researchers experimenting with curcumin in the
treatment of a fatal brain cancer known as glioblastoma (GBMs)
published their groundbreaking findings in the Journal of Nutritional
Biochemistry in July.
Adding scientific basis to previous
findings surrounding the positive effects of curcumin, they showed
that the compound dramatically decreased brain tumors in 9 out of the
11 studies examined by 81 percent. Furthermore, there was no evidence
of toxicity, whereas chemotherapy and other cancer treatments often
result in extreme side effects that are sometimes worse than the
actual disease. Curcumin is not only effective against brain cancer,
however.
According to a study conducted in 2008 and
published in Cancer Prevention Research, curcumin also inhibits the
growth and spread of breast cancer cells by directly impacting the
function of alpha6beta4 integrin, responsible for cancer progression.
Another study, performed in 2010, found that curcumin also has the
potential to target cancer stem cells. Following the wave of
information of curcumin, researchers who posted their findings in
Molecular Pharmacology classified curcumin as a pancreatic cancer
cell inhibitor back in 2009. Even more interesting is the fact that
in most of these studies the researchers concluded that curcumin may
also aid many different types of cancer that were not included in the
trials.
While an amazing anticancer substance, studies
have also pinpointed curcumin as a tool against more than 572 other
diseases. Some of these include, in order of study count: oxidative
stress, inflammation, DNA damage, lipid peroxidation,
chemically-induced liver disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and liver
fibrosis. Curcumin has even been found to influence more than 700
genes, which could explain its link to DNA repair.
Curcumin
is an amazing natural compound that has profound effects on cancer
and hundreds of other diseases. While it has been widely studied
compared to many other nutritional substances, studies are only
beginning to recognize the healing effects of curcumin and
turmeric.
Sources:
GreenMedInfo
Turmeric Resource Page
GreenMedInfo
Curcumin Resource
Page
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21775121
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19138983
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20089354
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19138983