Doctor, Doctor A spice for life: curcumin Ground from the root of the Curcuma longa plant, curcumin is a member of the ginger family that has long had multiple uses in India and other Asian nations. It has been used as a preservative, a coloring agent, a folk medicine to cleanse the body and as a spice to flavor food. Researchers at M. D. Anderson, led by Bharat Aggarwal, Ph.D., say that this pungent yellow spice found in both turmeric and curry powders, also blocks a key biological pathway needed for development of melanoma and other cancers. It shuts down nuclear factor- kappa B (NF-kB), a powerful master switch known to regulate expression of more than 300 genes that promote an abnormal inflammatory response that leads to a variety of disorders, including arthritis and cancer. Release of this information has led cancer patients across the nation to ask the following questions: On which kinds of cancer is it being tested? Curcumin is being tested in humans against most cancers, including lung, breast, multiple myeloma, pancreatic, myelodysplastic syndrome, colon, prostate and head and neck. Other cancers are still in animal studies. Curcumin also has been tested against arthritis, Alzheimer’s, psoriasis, wound healing, cardiovascular disease and other ailments. In what form and when should curcumin be taken — capsule, powder, liquid, with meals, between meals, cooked in foods? Our current knowledge indicates that curcumin in any of these forms is OK. One report suggests that it is more effective if taken in the morning. Even fresh turmeric root, which contains 3 percent to 5 percent curcumin, is helpful. Is curcumin sold in standardized units? Curcumin is sold in health food stores, but it is not clear how standardized the form is. It is declared by the Food and Drug Administration as GRAS, or generally regarded as safe. What is the recommended dosage and does that vary according to body weight, age, sex, type of cancer? No information is available about the optimum dose. Phase I clinical trials indicate that even up to 12 grams per day have no side effects. My suggestion is to take 500 mg per day for up to a week and then to gradually increase the amount, if there are no side effects. How much curcumin does turmeric have? Turmeric powder contains 3 percent to 5 percent curcumin. Are there foods or drugs that should be avoided with curcumin? While most reports indicate that curcumin increases the effectiveness of chemotherapeutic agents and gamma radiation, there is one report which suggests that it may counteract the effect of doxorubicin. Why was curcumin chosen to be studied? Curcumin has been described in Ayurveda (an ancient Indian system of medicine meaning “long life”) as an anti-inflammatory agent. In the last 50 years, there have been more than 1,500 publications that suggest curcumin is an antioxidant that exhibits activity against a wide variety of molecular targets. It can mimic Avastin™, Iressa®, Remicade®, Humira®, Enbrel® and most chemotherapeutic agents, yet it does not have the toxicity assigned to all these agents |
