Tumeric: The Tasty Spice With Incredible Health Benefits

The Tasty Spice With Numerous Incredible Health Benefits
By Allen S. Josephs, M.D.
President, Vitacost.com

11/25/2005

For years, cooks have used turmeric in their kitchens to impart a unique flavor. In fact, turmeric is what gives yellow mustard its distinct color. It's also found in Worcestershire sauce, another favorite staple. You might even find it among the spices being added to your holiday turkey…

The truly amazing parts about turmeric are the powerful effects outside the kitchen, particularly regarding the brain, joints and immune system. In an article just published (October 2005) in the Journal of Neuroscience Research, investigators from the University of Missouri studied the effects of curcumin (the active component of turmeric) against brain injury. Gerbils were exposed to global cerebral ischemia (basically cutting off the blood supply to the brain). When their brains were studied, it was noted that there was a large amount of reactive cells leading to what is known as lipid peroxidation and eventual cell death through apoptosis—this is where the cell literally kills itself. The animals were then pretreated with curcumin, either orally or through injection. Blood supply to the brain was again cut off. What the researchers found in the gerbils pretreated with curcumin is that there was a decrease in the lipid peroxidation along with a decrease in cell death. It was felt that the neuroprotective effects of curcumin were attributed to its antioxidant capacity in reducing oxidative stress. It is well proven that the actual stroke a person may be afflicted with does not immediately cause the most severe brain death. It is actually flood of free radicals that occur hours and days after the stroke occurs.

In another study published in Neurobiology of Aging last month, researchers out of UCLA attempted to identify potential preventive strategies for Alzheimer's disease. One of the ways that researchers would follow the damage of Alzheimer's disease was through the accumulation of a protein called amyloid within the brain. It was found that curcumin, along with DHA (an omega-3 essential fatty acid from fish oil) limited amyloid deposits, oxidative damage and cognitive deficits in mouse models. The researchers indicated that both DHA and curcumin have favorable safety profiles, epidemiology and efficacy, and may exert general anti-aging benefits. There have been multiple other laboratory studies published likewise confirming this.

Earlier this year (April 2005) in the journal Current Alzheimer Research, researchers again out of UCLA, indicated that there was substantial in-vitro data indicating that curcumin had anti-inflammatory and anti-amyloid activity, and that it may be a promising agent for patients with Alzheimer's disease. Work is now underway to initiate a study of curcumin in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Curcumin also appears to be a potentially-powerful nutrient against cancer cells, although the mechanism is unclear. It may be related to its anti-inflammatory/antioxidant effects. Curcumin may also inhibit cancer development by inhibiting a certain enzyme system known as cytochrome P-450. There is other research indicating that curcumin may arrest the proliferation of cancer cells in various phases of the cell cycle. There is even data to indicate that curcumin can have what is known as an anti-angiogenic quality; in other words, it can help stop the spread of tumors. This is very important, because most people die from cancer because of this spreading (metastasis) to other healthy organs in the body.

A study from the October 2005 Clinical Cancer Research found that curcumin suppressed the growth of tumors in mice afflicted with head and neck cancer1. For tumors to grow, they require a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients. As they continue to grow, they develop new blood supplies to help maintain this flow of nutrients. By inhibiting the growth of new blood vessels, you can basically starve cancer to death.

Curcumin is currently being actively studied in many prestigious medical centers, not only in this country, but throughout the world. I am currently aware of an open-label human trial with curcumin at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Texas in patients with multiple myeloma. It is important to point out the dosages being used in this study are in the many thousands of milligrams per day; you cannot obtain this level from diet alone.

Although I have written many times about the benefits of curcumin in regard to arthritis, I came across an interesting study published in The Veterinary Record from April 2003 that I wanted to share with you. Sixty-one client-owned dogs with osteoarthritis were recruited for a double-blinded, placebo-controlled study. Approximately half the dogs were treated with a curcumin and essential oil formula, with the other half being treated with placebo. At the end of the eight-week trial, the investigators' overall assessment showed a statistically-significant beneficial effect in favor of the curcumin formula, but the owners' assessments just failed to reach statistical significance. I found this study interesting because, as you are probably aware, there is no placebo effect in animals. I wonder had the study gone on for three months instead of eight weeks, if the owners themselves would have also noted a statistical-significant improvement in their pets.

As you know from past newsletters, I strongly recommend glucosamine sulfate, chondroitin sulfate and MSM to people with joint health issues. These also work for dogs, horses and other animals with similar issues. And, people that suffer from arthritis tend to have low levels of selenium. Therefore, I recommend adding this potent nutrient to your regimen.

Finally, I want to mention a study with NSAIDs, including COX-2 inhibitors and ibuprofen (JAMA, August 2001). The study indicated people who had heart attacks and took these drugs increased their risk of death by up to 500%! I strongly recommend you and my patients avoid these drugs, as they can be quite dangerous. There are safer and natural ways to reduce pain, inflammation and improve joint function. Please see these recent newsletters for more details about joint health studies: Your Joints Don't have to be a Sore Subject Any More and Don't Mask the Pain, Heal Your Aching Joints.

Nutraceutical Sciences Institute (NSI) offers an excellent quality turmeric product for a great value. Each 900 mg capsule is standardized to 95% curcumin the active component. Sixty capsules of this phenomenal nutrient cost only about $14. We also offer turmeric root with a daily serving of two capsules containing 800 mg of turmeric rhizome. This is not a standardized product, but offers a low-cost option to the standardized version. One hundred capsules cost only $7.99. And of course, we offer standardized turmeric in many of our Synergy multi-vitamins.

I am a big believer in turmeric, and my wife and I personally take NSI Turmeric. It is clearly one of the core nutrients you should be taking on a daily basis. I recommend everyone pick an NSI Synergy product as their foundational supplement, then add any additional nutrients required for your specific health concerns—particularly fish oil, of which I'm a huge fan.

1. Clin Cancer Res. 2005 Oct 1;11(19 Pt 1):6994-7002. Curcumin suppresses growth of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. LoTempio MM, Veena MS, Steele HL, Ramamurthy B, Ramalingam TS, Cohen AN, Chakrabarti R, Srivatsan ES, Wang MB.