SPICE OF LIFE
Turmeric imparts flavor and longevity.
With a solidified spot on many a household spice rack, turmeric is known as a staple of Asian cuisine. But did you know this vivacious member of the ginger family also fosters multiple medicinal properties? As an anti-inflammatory agent, turmeric could be a cost effective resolution for pain and illness.
Turmeric is commonly found in curry, a signature of Thai and Indian cuisines. As American palates continue to broaden, so too do the area's foods and inclusion of foreign ingredients. And just like the spice, research on turmeric is gaining momentum. One of the main active ingredients is curcumin, a heavy hitter against inflammation. Inflammation causes pain in the joints and has been linked to heart disease, Alzheimer’s and cancer. Curcumin may pose a simple, inexpensive means of prevention.
Current research findings suggest that tumeric helps calm inflammation, including that which causes pain associated with arthritis [1,2,3]. Inflammation can strike at any organ, including the brain. Turmeric is thought to protect against inflammation that could lead to memory loss and dementia. With administered curcumin, tested animals have demonstrated some protection to the brain [4]. Higher curry consumption has been linked to better brain function in the elderly, suggesting that higher turmeric consumption may be the cause of lower instances of dementia reported in India [5].
But perhaps the greatest area of interest regarding turmeric is its role in the prevention and treatment of cancers including colorectal, prostate and breast [5]. Skin cells treated with turmeric showed protection against high doses of radiation and multiple studies are looking at the effects turmeric has on breast cancer [6,7,8,9]. It appears the spice interferes with cancer cells in multiple ways [9]. A comparison of prostate cancer cases between India and America indicates that India's population suffers from much less disease, which might correlate with the intake of anti-inflammatory nutrients, like turmeric [10].
The case for this spice continues to mount, as animal studies have revealed beneficial properties of turmeric in relation to heart failure and cystic fibrosis [11,12]. Now its time for more human studies. A breakthrough in the fight against cystic fibrosis, which affects the gastrointestinal and respiratory symptoms and currently has no other cure, could be just on the horizon.
Turmeric has been tolerated well in clinical studies with very few side effects, if any, reported. Those documented were related to gastrointestinal function. Turmeric can be taken with food, usually in a dosage range of 250-500 mg a day. Those taking turmeric to treat aggressive inflammatory disease may need to use 500-1,000 mg, in divided doses, daily.
References:
1. Bright, JJ. (2007). Curcumin and autoimmune disease. Adv Exp Med Biol, 595:425-51.
2. Aggarwal, BB. (2007). Curcumin: the Indian solid gold. Adv Exp Med Biol, 595:1-75.
3. Jackson, JK. (2006). The antioxidants curcumin and quercetin inhibit inflammatory processes associated with arthritis. Inflamm Res, 55(4):168-75.
4. Lim, GP. (2001). The curry spice curcumin reduces oxidative damage and amyloid pathology in an Alzheimer transgenic mouse. J Neurosci, 21(21):8370-7.
5. Sansom, C. (2001). Curry component may be chemopreventive for colon cancer. Lancet Oncol, 2(2);67.
6. Kerr, C. (2002). Curry ingredient protects skin against radiation. Lancet Oncol, 3(12):713.
7. Carroll, CE. (2008). Curcumin inhibits MPA-induced secretion of VEGF from T47-D human breast cancer cells. Menopause, 15(3):570-4.
8. Aggarwal, BB. (2005). Curcumin suppresses the paclitaxel-induced nuclear factor-kappaB pathway in breast cancer cells and inhibits lung metastasis of human breast cancer in nude mice. Clin Cancer Res, 11(20):7490-8.
9. Di, GH. (2003). Analysis of anti-proliferation of curcumin on human breast cancer cells and its mechanism.
Di GH - Zhonghua Yi Xue Za Zhi, 83(20):1764-8.
10. Herbert, JR, Ghumare, SS, Gupta, PC. (2006). Stage at diagnosis and relative differences in breast and prostate cancer incidence in India: comparison with the United States. Asian Pc J Cancer PRev, 7(4):547-55.
11. Morimoto, T. (2008). The dietary compound curcumin inhibits p300 histone acetyltransferase activity and prevents heart failure in rats. J Clin Invest, 118(3):868-78.
12. Wang, W. (2007). Curcumin opens cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator channels by a novel mechanism that requires neither ATP binding nor dimerization of the nucleotide-binding domains. J Biol Chem, 282(7):4533-44.
Other Trusted Sources:
whfoods.com
University of Michigan Health System
