Super Spice Secrets: Can This Miracle Spice Stop Cancer, Alzheimer's and Arthrit

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How do you use tumeric and how much. Is it dissolved in water? Tell us how to

use it for the benefits. Sonja

 

 

 

 

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Wednesday, February 18, 2009 4:08:06 PM

<< >> Super Spice Secrets: Can This Miracle

Spice Stop Cancer, Alzheimer's and Arthrit

 

 

Super Spice Secrets: Can This Miracle Spice Stop Cancer, Alzheimer's and

Arthritis?

_http://articles. mercola.com/ sites/articles/ archive/2009/ 02/17/Super-

Spice-Sec

rets-This-Miracle- Spice-Stops- Cancer-Alzheimer s-and-Arthritis. aspx_

(http://articles. mercola.com/ sites/articles/ archive/2009/ 02/17/Super-

Spice-Secrets- This-

Miracle-Spice- Stops-Cancer- Alzheimers- and-Arthritis. aspx)

 

By Dr. Mercola

 

For more than 5,000 years, turmeric has been an important part of Eastern

cultural traditions, including traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda.

Valued for its medicinal properties and warm, peppery flavor, this yellow-orange

spice has more recently earned a name for itself in Western medicine as well.

Turmeric comes from the root of the Curcuma longa plant, which is native to

Indonesia and southern India, and is widely used as an ingredient in curry

dishes and yellow mustard. As research into this powerful spice has increased,

it has emerged as one of nature’s most powerful potential healers.

Said Dr. David Frawely, founder and director of the American Institute for

Vedic Studies in Santa Fe, New Mexico:

 

“If I had only one single herb to depend upon for all possible health and

dietary needs, I would without much hesitation choose the Indian spice

Turmeric. There is little it cannot do in the realm of healing and much that no

other

herb is able to accomplish.

Turmeric has a broad spectrum of actions, mild but certain effects, and is

beneficial for long term and daily usage. Though it is a common spice, few

people, including herbalists know of its great value and are using it to the

extent possible. It is an herb that one should get to know and live with.”

Turmeric’s Beneficial Effects in a Nutshell

 

Strengthens and improves digestion

* Reduces gas and bloating

* Assists in the digestion of protein and with rice and bean dishes

* Improves your body's ability to digest fats

* Promotes proper metabolism, correcting both excesses and

deficiencies

* Maintains and improves intestinal flora

* Improves elimination of wastes and toxins

 

Supports healthy liver function and detox

* Turmeric helps increase bile flow making it a liver cleanser that

can rejuvenate your liver cells and recharge their capability to break down

toxins

* Helps to prevent alcohol and other toxins from being converted into

compounds that may be harmful to your liver

* Supports formation of healthy tissue

 

Purifies your blood

* Stimulates formation of new blood tissue

* Anti-inflammatory: Helps to reduce irritation to tissues

characterized by pain, redness, swelling and heat

 

Contains curcuminoids that fight cancer, arthritis, and Alzheimer’s

* Curcuminoids are potent phytonutrients (plant-based nutrients) that

contain powerful antioxidant properties

* Counteract the damaging effects of free radicals in your body

* Relieve arthritis pain and stiffness, anti-inflammatory agent

* Anti-carcinogenic: “Curcumin has been shown to prevent a large of

number of cancers in animal studies. Laboratory data indicate that curcumin can

inhibit tumor initiation, promotion, invasion, angiogenesis and metastasis.”

[1]

* Supports treatment of Alzheimer’s disease: “Because Alzheimer's

disease is caused in part by amyloid-induced inflammation, curcumin has been

shown to be effective against Alzheimer's. Clinical trials are in progress at

UCLA with curcumin for Alzheimer's.”[2]

Curcumin: Turmeric’s Active Anti-Inflammatory “Ingredient”

Most notably turmeric is known for its potent anti-inflammatory properties,

which come from curcumin -- the pigment that gives turmeric its yellow-orange

color, and which is thought to be responsible for many of its medicinal

effects. There are an estimated three to five grams of curcumin in 100 grams of

turmeric.

Curcumin has been shown to influence more than 700 genes, and it can inhibit

both the activity and the synthesis of cyclooxygenase- 2 (COX2) and

5-lipooxygenase (5-LOX), as well as other enzymes that have been implicated in

inflammation. [3]

Turmeric’s Cancer-Fighting Properties

In India where turmeric is widely used, the prevalence of four common U.S.

cancers -- colon, breast, prostate and lung -- is 10 times lower. In fact,

prostate cancer, which is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in U.S.. men, is

rare in India and this is attributed, in part, to turmeric.

Numerous studies have looked into this potential cancer-fighting link, with

promising results. For instance, curcumin has been found to:

* Inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells

* Inhibit the transformation of cells from normal to tumor

* Help your body destroy mutated cancer cells so they cannot spread

throughout your body

* Decrease inflammation

* Enhance liver function

* Inhibit the synthesis of a protein thought to be instrumental in

tumor formation

* Prevent the development of additional blood supply necessary for

cancer cell growth

As for the results of research studies, a study in Biochemical Pharmacology

found that curcumin can slow the spread of breast cancer cells to the lungs

in mice.[4]

 

" Curcumin acts against transcription factors, which are like a master

switch, " said lead researcher, Bharat Aggarwal. " Transcription factors regulate

all

the genes needed for tumors to form. When we turn them off, we shut down

some genes that are involved in the growth and invasion of cancer cells. "

A second study in Biochemical Pharmacology also found that curcumin inhibits

the activation of NF-kappaB, a regulatory molecule that signals genes to

produce a slew of inflammatory molecules (including TNF, COX-2 and IL-6) that

promote cancer cell growth.[5]

Turmeric’s Essential Role for Your Liver

Your liver’s primary role is to process and remove toxins carried in your

bloodstream. When functioning at its peak, it can filter up to two liters of

blood per minute and easily break apart toxic molecules to reduce their

toxicity. Your liver is also a crucial part of vitamin, mineral, protein, fat,

carbohydrate and hormonal metabolism.

However, poor diet, allergens, pollution and stress can cause your liver to

become sluggish, and this can impair its vital functions. This is where

turmeric can be a very useful part of your liver support system. Studies have

shown that it:

* May increase important detoxification enzymes in your liver

* Induces the formation of a primary liver detoxification enzyme,

glutathione S-transferase (GST) enzymes

Turmeric is also a natural cholagogue, a medicinal agent that promotes the

discharge of bile from your system. Increased bile flow is important to help

your liver detoxify and to help your body digest fats.

Turmeric for Your Heart, Brain and Overall Health

Turmeric inhibits free radical damage of fats, including cholesterol. When

cholesterol is damaged in this way, or oxidized, it can then damage your blood

vessels and lead to a heart attack or stroke. Therefore, research suggests

that turmeric’s ability to prevent the oxidation of cholesterol may be

beneficial for your heart. It’s also rich in vitamin B6, high intakes of which

are

associated with a reduced risk of heart disease.

Meanwhile, turmeric appears to be highly protective against

neurodegenerative diseases. In fact, in India levels of neurological diseases

such as

Alzheimer’s are very low, and studies have shown that curcumin can slow the

progression of Alzheimer’s in mice. The compound has also proven capable of

blocking

the progression of multiple sclerosis.

Further, Professor Moolky Nagabhushan from the Loyola University Medical

Center, Chicago, IL, who has been studying turmeric for the last 20 years,

believes that turmeric can protect against harmful environmental chemicals, and

in

so doing protect against childhood leukemia. The research showed that

curcumin in turmeric can:[7]

* Inhibit the toxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)

(cancer-causing chemicals in the environment)

* Inhibit radiation-induced chromosome damage

* Prevent the formation of harmful heterocyclic amines and nitroso

compounds, which may result in the body when eating certain processed foods,

such as processed meat products

* Irreversibly inhibit the multiplication of leukemia cells in a cell

culture

Turmeric's volatile oils also have external anti-bacterial action. As such,

they may help prevent bacterial wound infections and accelerate wound

healing. Johnson & Johnson even sells a curcumin-containing Band-Aid in India!

And the therapeutic potential of turmeric and curcumin do not end there.

Evidence suggests the spice may also be beneficial for:

* Cystic fibrosis

* Type 2 diabetes

* Crohn’s disease

* Psoriasis

* Rheumatoid arthritis

* Cataracts

* Gallstones

* Muscle regeneration

* Inflammatory bowel disease

Which Type of Turmeric is Best?

For use in cooking, choose a pure turmeric powder, rather than a curry

powder. At least one study has found that curry powders tend to contain very

little curcumin, compared to turmeric powder. Turmeric is also available in

supplement form and for many this is a more convenient method to obtain these

health benefits discussed above, especially if they are from a high-quality

organic source and if one doesn’t particularly enjoy the taste of curry.

On _my recent trip to India_

(http://articles. mercola.com/ sites/articles/ archive/2009/ 02/06/Healing-

Gems-I-Found- in-India. aspx) I was able to find a

company called Organic India that produces probably some of the best Indian

herbs

on the planet.