Add Curcumin to Your List of Natural Healers

Many well-established therapeutic compounds originated from plants, mollusks and even dirt. Aspirin came from willow bark. Digitalis from the foxglove plant, cholesterol-lowering statins from mold and the anti-malarial artemisinin from a shrub used in Chinese medicine. More recently, a number of natural compounds such as resveratrol from red wine and omega-3 fatty acid from fish oil are receiving close scrutiny because research suggests they might treat and prevent disease inexpensively with few side effects.(l)

Turmeric, an orange-yellow powder from the Asian plant Curcuma longa, and its active component, curcumin, have now joined the list. In 2005nearly 300 scientific and technical papers referenced Curcumin in the National Library of Medicine's PubMed database, compared to about 100 just five years earlier (1).

Over 2000 papers are now available. Turmeric has been used as a traditional remedy dating back to 600 BC. Well known for its applications as a cosmetic, condiment and flavoring agent (2),  turmeric has been used as a tonic for the stomach, blood purifier and externally for  treatment of skin diseases and wound healing.(3,4)

Although turmeric possesses numerous bioactive components, the most active is identified as curcumin [1,7 bis (4 hydroxy·3-methoxy phenyl) 1,6·heptadiene- 3,5·dione} and volatile oil. Curcumin which gives yellow color to turmeric and essential oil which gives the aroma, are responsible for the biological activities. (5,6)

These actions include antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties, with potential activity against cancer, side effects of diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer's disease and other chronic conditions.(1)

Antioxidant, Anti-inflammatory, Anti-cancer

Modern Science Provides a Basis For Ancient Use of Curcumin

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) has been used in Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Chinese medicines for centuries for a wide range of disorders and diseases. Modern science has now provided a basis for such uses (7,14) . Curcumin, the active component of turmeric, is a very powerful antioxidant (more potent than vitamin E), a comprehensive anti·inflammatory and anticancer compound beneficial in virtually all forms of human cancers, including those that do not respond to common anti-cancer drugs. It also enhances the effects of some anticancer drugs. (14)  While all anti-cancer drugs weaken the immune system, curcumin enhances it and acts as an immuno-restorer (14-17).  Curcumin may also be useful in a number of other chronic conditions. It modulates several molecular targets including transcription factors, cell cycle proteins, cytokines and chemokines, many enzymes, receptors and cell surface adhesion molecules(18).

The Inflammation/Cancer Connection

One of the leaders in curcumin research is Bharat Aggarwal. In the 1980's he and his team of researchers were the first to purify two important immune molecules-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha and beta-that have been identified as potential anti-cancer compounds. These molecules can kill cancer cells when deployed in locaIized areas, but when circulated widely in the bloodstream they take on different properties, acting as potenttumor promoters. The TNFs activate an important protein, nuclear factor kappa B (NF kappa B), which can then turn on a host of genes involved in inflammation and cell proliferation.(1)

 This link between inflammation and the unchecked proliferation of cancer cells prompted Aggarwal to look at anti-inflammatory compounds. Now working at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, he remembered that turmeric was "an anti-inflammatory in the Ayurvedic literature. To give a try, they took some turmeric from the kitchen and put it on some cells. TNF and NF kappa B were completely blocked.(1)

Aggarwal has gone on to publish studies showing that blocking the NF kappaB pathway with curcumin inhibits the replication and spread of various types of cancer cells.(1,9,15,18) This work has served as a starting point for early, small clinical trials at M.D. Anderson one of the leading cancer institutions in the world.

In an animal study published in the Oct. 15, 2005 issue of the journal Clinical Cancer Research, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center researchers reported that the spice appears to shut down a protein active in the spread of breast cancer to a major target for metastasis.(19)

The researches found that the nontoxic natural substance, given orally, not only repelled progression  of the disease to the lungs, but also appeared to reverse the effects of paclitaxel (TaxolTM), a commonly prescribed chemotherapy for breast cancer that may trigger spread of the disease when used over a long period of time(19).

Because Taxol is so toxic, it activates a protein that produces inflammatory response that induces metastasis. Curcumin suppresses this response, making it impossible for the cancer to spread. In fact, researchers found that adding curcumin to Taxol actually enhances its effect.

Curcumin breaks down the dose, making the therapy less toxic and just as powerful while delivering the same level of efficacy(19).

 BCM-95 Confirmed to Be Several Times More Bioavalable than Turmeric 95% Extract.

Compared to many diet-derived polyphenols and anticancer drugs, the bioavailability of curcumin has been poor. Poor absorption from the gut and avid metabolism in the body are cited as reasons for its lack of systemic availability (14). In a human cross-over study, the bio-availability of BCM-95%, an enhanced preparation of curcumin was compared to that of turmeric 95% extract and to a formula containing curcumin, lecithin and piperine.(14) The BCM-95@ was absorbed faster, more curcumin was absorbed into the bloodstream and high levels stayed in the body longer than the 95% extract. BCM-95% also outperformed the curcumin-lecithin-piperine formula and is considered safer since piperine is shown to be toxic to animals when given over a period of time(14).BCM-95% (patent pending) is made entirely of turmeric, taking advantage of the synergism between the sesquiter-penoids present in turmeric and the curcuminoids.(14)

Many Possible Applications

Because of its extremely wide array of biological actions, curcumin acts on multiple levels.It is an antioxidant that can effectively scavenge oxygen and nitrogen free radicals. It is a complete anti-inflammatory, modulating all the agents involved in the complex process of inflammation including cytokines, chemokines, adhesion molecules, growth factors and transcription factors such as NF Kappa B and AP-1, and a large number of kinases, notably the MAP kinases p38 and JNK. It is an inhibitor of histone acetyl-transferasa, thereby preventing the transcription of inflammatory genes.(21).

Alzheimer's Disease - In animal studies curcumin reduced oxidative damage and beta amyloid insult.(22) 

Cystic Fibrosis.-  Eating large quantities of curcumin significantly cut deaths among animals with this genetic disease.(23) 

Arthritis - Its broad spectrum anti-inflammatory action may be beneficial in arthritis and other inflammatory conditions.(21) 

Diabetes-  In animal studies, despite no effect on blood sugar or body weight, curcumin improved metabolic status by lowering cholesterol, triglycerides, phospholipids and reducing lipid oxidation. It also partially reversed abnormalities in plasma albumin, urea, creatine and inorganic phosphorus.(24)

 February 2010 References

1. Stix G. Spice Healer. www.curcumin.net.Jan 14 2007.

2. Kurup PNV, Handbook of Medicinal Plants-, Central Councillor Research In Ayurveda and Siddha. Lucknow, India.1979.76.

3. Nadkarni AK, Indian Materia Medica. 1954. 1:414·8.

4. Srimal RC, Curcumin. Drugs of the Future, 1987.12(4):331·3.

5. Mokeo Y, XianPiog D, Yaoshu T. Studies on the Chemical Constituents of common Turmeric (Curcuma Longa).Zhongcaoyao 1984. 15(5): 197·8.

7. Maheshawari R. Sing A, Gaddipali J. Snimal R. Multiple biological effects of curcumin: A short review Life Sci 2006.78:2081·7.

9. Aggarwal B. Shishodia S. Molecular targets of dietary agents for prevention and therapy of cancer, Biochem Pharmacol 2006,71:1397·421.

14. Antony B. Merina B. Iver. S, Judy N, Lennertz K Joyal S, A Pilot Cross-Over Study to Evaluate Human Oral Bioavail!bility of BCM·95% R. CG (Biocurcumax tm), A Novel Bioenhanced Preparation of Curcumm, Indian J Pharma Sci July-Aug 2008,70(4)445·50.

15. Jagetia G. Aggarwal B, Spicin up the immune system by curcumin, J Clin Inmmunolol 2007,27:19·35.

17. Kurup V, Barrios C. RajU R. Johnson B.Levy M. Fink J. Immune response modulation by curcumin in a latex allergy model. Clin Mol Allergy 2007,5:1·12.

18. Shishodia S, Sethi G, Aggrarwal B. Curcumin: Getting back to the roots NY Acad Sci 2005.1056:206·17.

19. Curcumin Halts Spread of Breast Cancer in Mice, M.D. Anderson News Release, Oct 14,2005.

20. De Leon D, Curcumin Temporarily Slows Pancreatic Cancer,CancerWise, Sept 2008.

21. Modern Science of Tumeric, www.bcm95.com

22 Park S, Kim D. Discovery of natural products from Curcuma Longa that protect cells from beta amaloid insult:a drug dicovery effort against Alzheimer's disease, J Nat Prod, Sept2002.65(9):1227-31.

23. Study to test if curry fights cistic fibrosis. Associated Press,Apr 22,2004.

24. Babu p. Srinivasan K influence of dietary curcumin and cholesterol on the progression of experimentally induced diabetes in albino rat, Mol Cell Biochem. Nov 8 1995:152(1):13·21