Turmeric Strikes at ‘Root Cause’ of Cancerous Tumor Development
You may not believe it, but
Researchers at UCLA found that curcumin exhibited these cancer-blocking properties during a study involving 21 participants suffering from head and neck cancers. Curcumin was able to block an enzyme that promotes the spread of head and neck cancer.
Individuals were given 2 chewable curcumin tablets containing 1,000 milligrams. After administering the chewable curcumin tablets, an independent lab in Maryland was in charge of evaluating the results.
“The curcumin had a significant inhibitory effect, blocking two different drivers of head and neck cancer growth. We believe curcumin could be combined with other treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation, to treat head and neck cancer.
It also could perhaps be given to patients at high risk for developing head and neck cancers — smokers, those who chew tobacco and people with the HPV virus — as well as to patients with previous oral cancers to fight recurrence.”
Dr. Marilene Wang, a professor of head and neck surgery and a Jonsson Cancer Center researcher
What the lab found was that the enzymes in the patients’ mouths responsible for promoting cancer spread and growth were inhibited by the curcumin supplementation. As a result, the curcumin intake halted the spread of the malignant cells.
“This study shows that curcumin can work in the mouths of patients with head and neck malignancies and reduce activities that promote cancer growth. And it not only affected the cancer by inhibiting a critical cell signaling pathway, it also affected the saliva itself by reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines within the saliva.”
Dr. Marilene Wang, a professor of head and neck surgery and a Jonsson Cancer Center researcher
Being non-toxic, well tolerated, accessible, and cheap, curcumin has the potential as an adjuvant treatment for cancer.
The researchers also mentioned a 2005 showing that curcumin suppressed the growth of head and neck cancer, as well as a 2010 study where curcumin suppressed head and neck cancer growth by regulating cell cycling.
Curcumin Inhibiting Cancer Stem Cells
In a study titled “Targeting cancer stem cells by curcumin and clinical applications,” researchers looked at the various ways curcumin could impact cancer stem cells and potentially help combat various cancers.
They found that curcumin can selectively kill cancer cells while maintaining healthy cells. In some cases, it was able to work alongside conventional chemotherapy, increasing the effectiveness of the conventional treatment while lessening the harmful side effects.
Further, curcumin has been found to alter the expression of microRNAs, which regulate an estimated 33% of the protein-coding genes in humans, effectively working to suppress tumor formation.
The study authors conclude:
“Curcumin, as well as its modified forms (analogues or nanoparticle-encapsulated formulations), has shown great potential to inhibit CSCs in several types of cancer both in cell cultures and in mouse models, including glioma, breast, colorectal, pancreatic, brain, and esophageal cancers.
Some analogues (e.g., CDF) and formulations (e.g., nanotechnology-based formulation) have exhibited improved efficacy against CSC-like cells and greater growth-inhibitory capacity in tumors. It is promising to evaluate curcumin and its modified forms in other types of CSCs.”
Curcumin Slowing the Growth of Prostate Cancer
Yet another study demonstrates the powerful anti-cancer benefits of curcumin, a substance that has been found to positively affect over 530 other diseases.
Published in Cancer Research, scientists found that curcumin helps to slow the growth of tumors in prostate cancer patients by ‘jamming’ receptors that enable the tumor to grow and spread.
Perhaps the most telling part of the study is that it used “physiologically attainable” doses. This means that the effective doses were within reason (1–2.5 μmol/L, supplementary).
Study leader Dr. Karen Knudsen explains how the real benefits of curcumin are just beginning to be fully understood:
“This study sets the stage for further development of curcumin as a novel agent to target androgen receptor signaling. It also has implications beyond prostate cancer since p300 and CBP are important in other malignancies, like breast cancer. In tumors where these play an important function, curcumin may prove to be a promising therapeutic agent,” she said.
While the benefits of
As more health professionals begin to realize the positive attributes of
Turmeric really is incredible. We slip it into almost all of our daughter’s dishes, and she loves it so much! Combining it with black pepper helps absorption of curcumin, I believe.
Curcumin's anti-cancer properties are widespread and include breast, prostate, myeloma, colorectal, pancreatic, head and neck and others. Curcumin has been shown to have anti cancer properties in addition to increasing the efficacy of chemo while reducing it's toxicity. I have been supplementing with curcumin daily (800 mgs) for about 5 years now and I have stayed in remission from multiple myeloma-
hi did you have tumeric when you had cancer i've got my mum having tumeric tablets as she has lung cancer she'ss just had her last chemo
Who ever heard of an enzyme in the mouth being "responsible for promoting cancer spread and growth?"
Does this refer to the all-natural salivary amylase that we are all endowed with? I would imagine that a lack of amylase, not an abundance of it, would see more of a correlation with cancer spread. Can you supply a link to a study referencing this supposed causality?
No one is blaming amylase. Saliva is full of MANY enzymes, peptides, and proteins including hormones. Some of these autocrine or paracrine hormones may up- or downregulate cell proliferation. The mucosa such as the mouth are rapidly replaced of neccesity and constantly exposed to the environment therefore more *likely* to become cancerous anyway.
Contact inhibition of normal cells is one of the mechanisms which keeps them where they belong. Cancerous cells invade normal tissue with the aid of enzymes called matrix metalloproteinases. Curcumin has been found to inhibit the activity of several matrix metalloproteinases in cell culture studies. To fuel their rapid growth, invasive tumors must also develop new blood vessels by a process known as angiogenesis. Curcumin has been found to inhibit angiogenesis in cultured vascular endothelial cells and in an animal model. Since the digestive tract can be exposed to curcumin unlike other body compartments, it may benefit the most from turmeric.
Curcumin gooood to radically reduce inflamation & pain in knees from arthritis.
are we talking about tumeric in capsule form?
I need some advice please…..I take 1 tsp of tumeric powder a day (the normal tumeric powder that you buy from supermarket)…can someone please advice if this is enough? Am I taking the necessary amount of curcumin?
Fran,, be smart and buy organic (certified) at a health food store. It's dirt cheap and continue what you're doing………..
No one gave a good idea of how much per day and whether the culinary version of turmeric is right or if it has to be some kind of laboratory grade.
how to take that curcumin powder by drinking like a tea
Yes exactly
use need to add black pepper too. and check rajiv dixits youtube video for that.