Curry spice 'kills cancer cells'

[nabraxas]

An extract found in the bright yellow curry spice turmeric can kill off cancer cells, scientists have shown.

The chemical - curcumin - has long been thought to have healing powers and is already being tested as a treatment for arthritis and even dementia.

Now tests by a team at the Cork Cancer Research Centre show it can destroy gullet cancer cells in the lab.

Cancer experts said the findings in the British Journal of Cancer could help doctors find new treatments.

Dr Sharon McKenna and her team found that curcumin started to kill cancer cells within 24 hours.

The cells also began to digest themselves, after the curcumin triggered lethal cell death signals.

Dr McKenna said: "Scientists have known for a long time that natural compounds have the potential to treat faulty cells that have become cancerous and we suspected that curcumin might have therapeutic value."

Dr Lesley Walker, director of cancer information at Cancer Research UK, said: "This is interesting research which opens up the possibility that natural chemicals found in turmeric could be developed into new treatments for oesophageal cancer.

"Rates of oesophageal cancer have gone up by more than a half since the 70s and this is thought to be linked to rising rates of obesity, alcohol intake and reflux disease so finding ways to prevent this disease is important too."

Each year around 7,800 people are diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in the UK. It is the sixth most common cause of cancer death and accounts for around five percent of all UK cancer deaths.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8328377.stm

[Auxin]

Good to see more validation for my adding turmeric to half my food.

Prevents cancer, helps mildly with my arthritis I think, and makes food yellow... mmmmm, yellow

[devance]

Been trying the very expensive extract [health food store]and very good for arthritis.

No side effects.

[Auxin]

Very expensive? That the type with pepper extract? It doesnt have any side effects when you burp?

I been too cheap to buy pills and dont like lots of pepper in food but maby I should try one or the other. Weathers kicking my ass right now.

[Mycot]

Been somewhat fascinated about tumeric/curcumin of late by some of stuff I've been reading about it. As well as anti-cancer properties, its anti-depressent (perhaps by similar mode of action as saffron in addition to its MAOI properties), is anti-oxidant and is a MAOI targeting primarily monoamine oxidase A. So far I've been unable to find out its strength as a MAOI in comparison to something like harmine from the written liturature so any additional info on this is most welcome.

Normally bioavailability of curcumin is quiet low but this is reputed to be considerably enhanced by piperine a component of black pepper by some estimates by up to 2000 percent. Its may have great potential as entheogenic adjunct(as in major breakthrough) but this remains so far unexplored to my knowledge. Even if it just does a reasonable job of MAO inhibition at gut level this may enable one to lower one's intake of beta-carbolines without reduction of entheogenic effect. While the beta-carbolines may have properties besides simple MAO inhibition that may be sought after, a reduction of this component may at times be a desired option in order to reduce the tremorgenic effects that are associated with the beta-carbolines.

Edited October 29, 2009 by Mycot

[Frut]

Why buy tumeric pills?

Why not add some pepper to your tumeric, there is so many foods you can add a little of these two spices too that gives the whole dish zest!

Good quality pepper has adequate amounts of piperine so it does not need to be added in overpowering amounts

I seem to remember reading piperine is a relatively potent MOA I B reversible (pub med search)

Also piperine is a potent p glcyprotein antagonist which as far As I understand means it keeps many drugs longer in the brain, and body, good for quite a few physcotropics, but not all I imagine

Also nothing in any pill IMO comes near the potency from growing some tuneric organicaLLLY yourself, harvesting and cleaning peeling it straight away and then pounding it in a spice mix in a mortar and pestle (pity I dont have fresh black pepper as well or pippali so at the moment I add store brought whole pepper and crush) I also was told to add an oil for better absoprtion of the actives curcumin and piperine, dont know if this is accurate? I imagine such a complex mix of chemistry in these two herbs needs both polar and non polar solvents to get maximum absorption/benefit from it.

Edited October 29, 2009 by Frut

[ramon]

Chilli has also been found to kill of cancer cells.

[devance]

the nananthus mesemb root has good effect for lung cancer, strangley it has be too smoked.

So a chemical change.