Curcumin

Atrocious State of Cancer Treatment in the U.S.

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Story at-a-glance

  • Despite a decades-long war on cancer, and the “most advanced” treatments known to 21st-century oncologists, many cancer diagnoses remain a death sentence
  • Patient requests for possible experimental, natural or outside-the-box treatments are typically denied by oncologists who refuse to deviate from the hospital’s standard protocol
  • The film “Surviving Terminal Cancer” follows the story of those who have survived terminal cancer by bucking the system and taking their health and cancer treatment into their own hands

Being diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme, a type of brain tumor, is considered a death sentence by modern medicine.

Despite a decades-long war on cancer, and the “most advanced” treatments known to 21st century oncologists, people who develop this aggressive, fast-growing cancer are given a prognosis of about 15 months to live — if they’re lucky.

Aggressive treatment, including surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, is often started, even though oncologists know it won’t cure the disease. If you ever find yourself in this type of nightmarish scenario, you can imagine the desperation you would feel to find something, anything, that might offer hope.

Most people turn to their oncologists or neurosurgeons with such requests for possible experimental or outside-the-box treatments, but you’re unlikely to receive any help that deviates from the hospital’s standard protocol.

It’s not that such treatment options don’t exist; they do. The problem is that the oncologist can’t, or won’t, prescribe them. To do so would risk his or her reputation and even medical license, should you decide to sue.

The film interviews a number of oncologists that carefully describe their predicament. But the problem is even larger than this. Modern cancer care is not set up to treat you, an individual. Their primary goal is to validate experimental therapies for future cancer patients many years down the road.

Due to regulatory red tape, drug-company greed, failures in the scientific process and lack of a universal will to do what’s best for each and every patient, modern cancer care fails an unacceptable percentage of the time.

As Albert Einstein said, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. This describes modern cancer treatment in a nutshell.

How One Man Survived Terminal Cancer

Ben Williams, Ph.D., professor emeritus of Experimental Psychology at University of California, San Diego, shouldn’t be here today. He should be one of the statistics — 1 of the more than 15,000 people who die from glioblastoma multiforme in the U.S. every year.1

Yet, he’s alive — 19 years after his initial glioblastoma multiforme diagnosis. His survival was brushed off as a rare fluke by his doctors, but Williams believes otherwise.

In his book “Surviving Terminal Cancer: Clinical Trials, Drug Cocktails, and Other Treatments Your Oncologist Won’t Tell You About,” he details the multi-faceted strategy he used to overcome the disease. You can hear him tell his story first-hand in the film “Surviving Terminal Cancer,” above.

It’s becoming increasingly clear that in order to outsmart cancer, you’ve got to attack it from multiple angles, especially in the case of complex brain cancer. And that’s what Williams did.

He described a mushroom extract that’s used routinely to treat cancer in Japan. It has zero toxicity, but it’s not even mentioned in the U.S.

He did his own research, finding out about the potential to use existing non-cancer medications off label to treat the deadly disease. Once a patent expires on a drug, its potential to rake in major profits plummets. As such, drug companies typically abandon them in favor of newer, more profitable pursuits.

Abandoned Drugs Show Promise but Oncologists Won’t Prescribe Them

Some of these abandoned drugs have shown promise for glioblastoma multiforme, but they’re not offered to U.S. patients. While I’m not in favor of over-prescribing medications, if you’re facing a deadly prognosis you’re probably willing to risk the side effects if it gives you a chance for survival.

High-dose tamoxifen, a breast cancer drug, is one such medication that has shown some promise in treating glioblastoma multiforme.2

The anti-malaria drug chloroquine is another.3 There’s even a good chance your neuro-oncologist may be aware of the promising studies done with these drugs, but he or she won’t offer them as a potential treatment because they’re considered experimental. As Williams said:

“It made absolutely no sense to me not to use everything that might have a benefit as long as the toxicities were acceptable. Why wouldn’t anyone want to add them? It seemed to be totally irrational that people didn’t use everything that was available.”

When Modern Medicine Fails Them, Cancer Patients Turn to Self-Medication and the Black Market

In order to survive, Williams turned to self-medicating, a dangerous prospect by any account but, again, when your life is at stake you’re willing to take the risk. And his story is not unique.

Many have traveled to other countries, forged prescriptions, feigned illnesses to get access to different medications and even traded medications and nutraceuticals on the “black market” in order to have even a chance at survival.

In Williams’ case, his daily cocktail of off-label medications and natural products worked. In just six months, his brain tumor had disappeared and it hasn’t been back since.

There are more than a handful of others who have defied odds and lived long term with glioblastoma multiforme, and they’ve taken matters into their own hands too.

Williams now spends the bulk of his time trying to help others with terminal cancer, and he makes his book, which he updates annually, free to cancer patients in need.

Natural Cancer Fighters Overlooked by Modern Medicine

Nature is an invaluable resource for fighting cancer, yet natural products, even those that have been intensely studied, are also left out of cancer patients’ treatment plans. Curcumin — one of the most well-studied bioactive ingredients in turmeric — is one glaring example.

It exhibits over 150 potentially therapeutic activities, including anti-cancer properties.

As noted by Dr. William LaValley — a leading natural medicine cancer physician whom I’ve previously interviewed on this topic — curcumin is unique in that it appears to be universally useful for just about every type of cancer.

Superficially, this appears unusual considering the fact that cancer consists of a wide variety of different nuclear genetic defects. One reason for this universal anti-cancer proclivity is curcumin’s ability to decrease the primary mitochondrial dysfunction that is likely one of the foundational causes of cancer. Once it gets into a cell, it also affects more than 100 different molecular pathways.

And, as explained by LaValley, whether the curcumin molecule causes an increase in activity of a particular molecular target or decrease/inhibition of activity, studies repeatedly show that the end result is a potent anti-cancer activity. Moreover, curcumin is virtually non-toxic, and does not adversely affect healthy cells, suggesting it selectively targets cancer cells — all of which are clear benefits in cancer treatment.

Research has even shown that it works synergistically with certain chemotherapy drugs, enhancing the elimination of cancer cells. If you have cancer, curcumin is one substance you should be taking, but your oncologist won’t recommend it.

To Survive Cancer, Many Must Defy Their Doctors

Should you bring up the fact that you are using approaches to fight cancer that are outside of your oncologist’s realm of experience — things like supplements, medical marijuana, herbal preparations, and more — you might be scolded, berated, threatened or even fired from the practice.

Williams never told his oncologists about his self-prescribed treatment; he knew it would fall on deaf ears. The cancer industry should be learning from the people who have beaten the odds and survived terminal cancer — studying their methods and trying to apply them to others — but instead they’re ignored.

It’s an unfortunate state of affairs when patients must actively defy their doctors in order to survive. As Williams explained, going against the advice of his doctors was initially an act of desperation, but it was necessary to save his life. This certainly applies to the majority of conventional oncologists, but there are exceptions — doctors who are blazing a new trail to find a cancer cure.

This includes Dr. Marc-Eric Halatsch, a professor and senior consultant neurosurgeon at the University of Ulm, Germany, who, along with colleagues have developed a new treatment protocol for relapsed glioblastoma.

It’s based on a combination of drugs (very similar to the early HIV treatments) “not traditionally thought of as chemotherapy agents, but that have a robust history of being well-tolerated and are already marketed and used for other non-cancer indications.”4 As noted in the featured film, even though the protocol uses mainstream medications, he’s put his reputation on the line to step outside the conventional cancer-treatment box.

Cancer Patients Should Have Access to the Best of Eastern and Western Medicine

Dr. Raymond Chang, who is featured in the video above, is one such pioneer in the integration of Eastern and Western medicine. He is known for his work on anti-cancer Chinese botanicals especially involving bioactive polysaccharides and medicinal mushrooms.

He and colleagues with the Institute of East-West Medicine have created the Asian Anti-Cancer Materia Database, which brings together traditional Asian medicines that have potential anti-cancer activity into one database that can be accessed by all.5 In his book, “Beyond the Magic Bullet ― The Anti-Cancer Cocktail,” Dr. Chang explained:

“While scientists win occasional skirmishes in the battle against cancer, the overall war continues to go badly. Stories abound about revolutionary drugs that may be available in the future, but offer no real help to those who have cancer today. At present, conventional approaches continue to rely on a narrowly focused strategy of treatments, with doctors using, at best, only one or two drugs or other therapies at a time.

While this may be acceptable in a laboratory setting or a clinical trial, it has done little to diminish the number of people who die each year from this dread disease. Recently, however, conventional medicine’s core strategy has been re-examined, and a new, potentially more effective approach has emerged ― one that combines the best of Eastern wisdom with Western science.”

More Than Half a Million People Expected to Die From Cancer in 2016

In 2016, nearly 1.7 million new cases of cancer are expected to be diagnosed in the U.S., while nearly 600,000 will die from the disease.6  That is nearly 1,650 people dying EVERY DAY in the U.S. alone. Public health agencies claim that we are winning the war against cancer, but from 2003 to 2012 death rates from cancer decreased by only 1.8 percent per year among men and 1.4 percent per year among women.7

Meanwhile, the 2014 World Cancer Report issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) predicted worldwide cancer rates to rise by 57 percent in the next two decades.8

The report refers to the prediction as “an imminent human disaster,” noting countries around the world need to renew their focus on prevention rather than treatment only. Christopher Wild, Ph.D., director of the International Agency for Research on Cancer, told CNN:9

“We cannot treat our way out of the cancer problem. More commitment to prevention and early detection is desperately needed in order to complement improved treatments and address the alarming rise in cancer burden globally.”

There is so much you can do to lower your risk for cancer, but please don’t wait until you get the diagnosis — you have to take preventative steps now. Cancer doesn’t typically develop overnight, which means you have a chance to make changes that can potentially prevent cancer from developing in the first place. Most of us carry around microscopic cancer cell clusters in our bodies all the time.

The reason why we all don’t develop cancer is because as long as your body has the ability to balance angiogenesis properly, it will prevent blood vessels from forming to feed these microscopic tumors. Trouble will only arise if, and when, the cancer cells manage to get their own blood supply, at which point they can transform from harmless to deadly. It’s much easier to prevent cancer than to treat it once it takes hold.

Top Cancer Prevention Strategies

I believe you can virtually eliminate your risk of cancer and chronic disease and significantly improve your chances of recovering from cancer if you currently have it, by following these relatively simple strategies.

1.Eat REAL Food: Seek to eliminate all processed food in your diet. Eat at least one-third of your food raw. Avoid frying or charbroiling; boil, poach or steam your foods instead. Consider adding cancer-fighting whole foods, herbs, spices and supplements to your diet, such as broccoli sprouts, curcumin and resveratrol.

2.Carbohydrates and Sugar: Sugar/fructose and grain-based foods from your diet need to be reduced and eventually eliminated. This applies to whole unprocessed organic grains as well, as they tend to rapidly break down and drive up your insulin level.

The evidence is quite clear that if you want to avoid cancer, or you currently have cancer, you absolutely MUST avoid all forms of sugar, especially fructose, which are dirty fuels generating excessive free radicals and secondary mitochondrial damage.

3.Protein and Fat: Consider reducing your protein levels to 1 gram of protein for every kilogram of lean body mass, or one-half gram of protein per pound of lean body mass. Replace excess protein with high-quality fats, such as organic eggs from pastured hens, high-quality grass-fed meats, raw pastured butter, avocados, pecans, macadamias, and coconut oil.

4.GMOs: Avoid genetically engineered foods as they are typically treated with herbicides such as Roundup (glyphosate), and are likely to be carcinogenic and contribute to mitochondrial dysfunction. Choose fresh, organic, and preferably locally grown foods.

5.Animal-Based Omega-3 Fats: Normalize your ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats by consuming anchovies, sardines, wild Alaskan salmon or taking a high-quality krill oil and reducing your intake of processed vegetable oils.

6.Optimize Your Gut Flora: This will reduce inflammation and strengthen your immune response. Researchers have found a microbe-dependent mechanism through which some cancers mount an inflammatory response that fuels their development and growth.

They suggest that inhibiting inflammatory cytokines might slow cancer progression and improve the response to chemotherapy. Fermented foods are especially beneficial for gut health, and the fermentation process involved in creating sauerkraut produces cancer-fighting compounds such as isothiocyanates, indoles and sulforaphane.

7.Exercise and Move More: Sit less, move around more and try to take 10,000 steps a day.  Exercise also lowers insulin levels, which creates a low-sugar environment that discourages the growth and spread of cancer cells. In a three-month study, exercise was found to alter immune cells into a more potent disease-fighting form in cancer survivors who had just completed chemotherapy.

Researchers and cancer organizations increasingly recommend making regular exercise a priority in order to reduce your risk of cancer and help improve cancer outcomes. Exercise may also help trigger apoptosis (programmed cell death) in cancer cells. Ideally, your exercise program should include balance, strength, flexibility, and high-intensity interval training (HIIT). For help getting started, refer to my Peak Fitness Program.

8.Vitamin D: There is scientific evidence you can decrease your risk of cancer by more than half simply by optimizing your vitamin D levels with appropriate sun exposure. Your serum level should hold steady at 50 to 70 ng/ml, but if you are being treated for cancer, it should be closer to 80 to 90 ng/ml for optimal benefit.

If you take oral vitamin D and have cancer, it would be very prudent to monitor your vitamin D blood levels regularly, as well as supplementing with vitamin K2, as K2 deficiency is actually what produces the symptoms of vitamin D toxicity.

9.Sleep: Make sure you are getting enough restorative sleep. Poor sleep can interfere with your melatonin production, which is associated with an increased risk of insulin resistance and weight gain, both of which contribute to cancer’s virility.

10.Exposure to Toxins: Reduce your exposure to environmental toxins like pesticides, herbicides, household chemical cleaners, plastics chemicals, synthetic air fresheners and toxic cosmetics.

11.Exposure to Radiation: Limit your exposure and protect yourself from radiation produced by cell phones, towers, base stations, and Wi-Fi stations, as well as minimizing your exposure from radiation-based medical scans, including dental x-rays, CT scans, and mammograms.

12.Stress Management: Stress from all causes is a major contributor to disease. It is likely that stress and unresolved emotional issues may be more important than the physical ones, so make sure this is addressed. My favorite tool for resolving emotional challenges is the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT).

Have You Been Diagnosed With Cancer?

One of the most essential strategies I know of to treat cancer is to starve the cells by depriving them of their food source. Unlike your body cells, which can burn carbs or fat for fuel, cancer cells have lost that metabolic flexibility. Dr. Otto Warburg was given a Nobel Prize over 75 years ago for figuring this out, but virtually no oncologist actually uses this information.

You can review my interview with Dominic D’Agostino, Ph.D. below for more details. Integrating a ketogenic diet with hyperbaric oxygen therapy is deadly to cancer cells. It debilitates them by starving them of their fuel source. This would be the strategy I would recommend to my family members if they were diagnosed with cancer.

Watch the video discussion. URL:https://vimeo.com/119006145

Source:mercola.com

Turmeric’s ‘Smart Kill’ Properties Put Chemo & Radiation To Shame

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The ancient Indian spice turmeric strikes again! A study finds turmeric extract selectively and safely killing cancer stem cells in a way that chemo and radiation can not.

A groundbreaking study published in the journal Anticancer Research reveals that one of the world’s most extensively researched and promising natural compounds for cancer treatment: the primary polyphenol in the ancient spice turmeric known as curcumin, has the ability to selectively target cancer stem cells, which are at the root of cancer malignancy, while having little to no toxicity on normal stem cells, which are essential for tissue regeneration and longevity.

 turmeric_beats_radiation_chemo

Titled, “Curcumin and Cancer Stem Cells: Curcumin Has Asymmetrical Effects on Cancer and Normal Stem Cells,” the study describes the wide range of molecular mechanisms presently identified by which curcumin attacks cancer stem cells (CSCs), which are the minority subpopulation of self-renewing cells within a tumor colony, and which alone are capable of producing all the other cells within a tumor, making them the most lethal, tumoriogenic of all cells within most if not all cancers.   Because CSCs are resistant to chemotherapy, radiation, and may even be provoked towards increased invasiveness through surgical intervention, they are widely believed to be responsible for tumor recurrence and the failure of conventional treatment.

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The study identified the following 8 molecular mechanisms by which curcumin targets and kills cancer stem cells:

  • Down-regulation of interleukin-6 (IL-6): IL-6 is classified as a cytokine (a potent biomolecule released by the immune system) and modulates both immunity and inflammation. It’s over expression has been linked to the progression from inflammation to cancer. Curcumin inhibits IL-6 release, which in turn prevents CSC stimulation.
  • Down-regulation of interleukin-8 (IL-8): IL-8, another cytokine, is released after tumor cell death, subsequently stimulating CSCs to regrow the tumor and resist chemotherapy. Curcumin both inhibits IL-8 production directly and indirectly.
  • Down-regulation of interleukin-1 (IL-1): IL-1, a family of cytokines, are involved in response to injury and infection, with IL-1 β playing a key role in cancer cell growth and the stimulation of CSCs. Curcumin inhibits IL-1 both directly and indirectly.
  • Decrease CXCR1 and CXCR2 binding: CXCR1 and CXCR2 are proteins expressed on cells, including CSCs, which respond to the aforementioned cytokines in a deleterious manner. Curcumin has been found to not only block cytokine release, but their binding to these two cellular targets.
  • Modulation of the Wnt signaling pathway: The Wnt signaling pathway regulates a wide range of processes during embryonic development, but are also dsyregulated in cancer. Curcumin has been found to have a corrective action on Wnt signaling.
  • Modulation of the Notch Pathway: The Notch signaling pathway, also involved in embryogenesis, plays a key role in regulating cell differentiation, proliferation and programmed cell death (apoptosis), as well as the functioning of normal stem cells. Aberrant Notch signaling has been implicated in a wide range of cancers. Curcumin has been found to suppress tumor cells along the Notch pathway.
  • Modulation of the Hedgehog Pathways: Another pathway involved in embryogenesis, the Hedgehog pathway also regulates normal stem cell activity. Abnormal functioning of this pathway is implicated in a wide range of cancers and in the stimulation of CSCs and associated increases in tumor recurrence after conventional treatment. Curcumin has been found to inhibit the Hedgehog pathway through a number of different mechanisms.
  • Modulation of the FAK/AKT/FOXo3A Pathway: This pathway plays a key role in regulating normal stem cells, with aberrant signaling stimulating CSCs, resulting once again in tumor recurrence and resistance to chemotherapy. Curcumin has been found
  • in multiple studies to destroy CSCs through inhibiting this pathway.

As you can see through these eight examples above, curcumin exhibits a rather profound level of complexity, modulating numerous molecular pathways simultaneously. Conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy is incapable of such delicate and “intelligent” behavior, as it preferentially targets fast-replicating cells by damaging their DNA in the vulnerable mitosis stage of cell division, regardless of whether they are benign, healthy or cancerous cells.   Curcumin’s selective cytotoxicity, on the other hand, targets the most dangerous cells – the cancer stem cells – which leaving unharmed the normal cells, as we will now learn more about below.

Curcumin and Normal Stem Cells

Normal stem cells (NSCs) are essential for health because they are responsible for differentiating into normal cells that are needed to replace damaged or sick ones. If curcumin were to kill normal cells, like radiation and chemotherapy, it would not provide a compelling alternative to these treatments.   The study addressed this point:

“The safety of curcumin has been long established, as it has been used for centuries as a dietary spice. The question arises as to why curcumin does not seem to have the same deleterious effects on normal stem cells (NSCs) as it does on CSCs. There are several possible reasons that curcumin has toxic effects on CSCs, while sparing NSCs.”

The study offered three potential explanations for curcumin’s differential or selective cytotoxicity:

  • Malignant cells take in much more curcumin than normal cells.
  • Curcumin alters the microenvironment of cells in such a way that is adverse to CSCs and beneficial to NSCs.
  • Curcumin may not only directly attack CSCs, but may encourage them to differentiate into non-lethal, more benign cells.

Concluding Remarks

 This study adds growing support to the idea that safe, time-tested, natural substances are superior to synthetic ones. Given the evidence that a safe and effective alternative may already exist, chemotherapy, radiation and even surgery may no longer be justified as the first-line standard of care for cancer treatment. In fact, a significant body of evidence now implicates these treatments in worsening prognosis, and in some cases driving cancer stem cell enrichment  in tumors. Radiotherapy, for instance, has been found to induce cancer stem cell like properties in breast cancer cells, essentially increasing their malignancy and tumoriogenicity by 30 fold.  This is hardly progress when one considers the role that CSCs play, especially in contributing to post-treatment secondary cancers.

Turmeric and its components, of course, are not FDA approved drugs, and by definition the FDA will not allow an unapproved substance, natural or synthetic, to prevent, treat, diagnosis or cure a disease.   This means that you will not be seeing it offered by an oncologist as an alternative to chemotherapy or radiation any time soon.   This does not, however, mean that it does not work. We have gathered over 1500 citations from the National Library of Medicine’s bibliographic database MEDLINE, accessible through pubmed.gov, and which can be viewed on our database here: Turmeric Research, showing that curcumin and related turmeric components possess significant anti-cancer activity.  Truth be told, the information is so extensive, revealing over 700 possible health benefits, that I believe this plant embodies a form of intelligence and even compassion. You can learn more about this supposition here: Turmeric’s Healing Power: A Physical Manifestation of Compassion?    I also discuss this concept in my lecture, Food As Medicine Rebooted, which you can watch below:

Of course, the point is not to wait until one has such a severe health problem that taking heroic doses of spices or herbs becomes the focus. It is important to remember that ancient cultures used spices like turmeric mainly in culinary doses, as part of their dietary practices. These smaller amounts, delivered mainly as whole food extracts, likely constituted effective preventive strategies – perhaps preventing the need for radical, heroic intervention later in life. If you read our previous article, Turmeric: A Wellness Promoting Tonic at Low Doses, Research Reveals, you’ll see this point explored in greater depth in light of a human clinical study.

Curcumin May Help Lower Your Inflammation

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About 34 percent of Americans have metabolic syndrome,1 which is a term used to describe a cluster of symptoms that increases your risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and other chronic disease.

Curcumin in Turmeric

Story at-a-glance –

  • Chronic inflammation is associated with metabolic syndrome
  • Curcumin, the active ingredient in the spice turmeric, is one of the most potent anti-inflammatories in nature
  • After taking curcumin for eight weeks, people with metabolic syndrome had lower levels of inflammation and blood sugar

Those symptoms include a large waistline, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, low levels of HDL cholesterol, and high levels of triglycerides. Though they may seem, at first, to be very different symptoms.

They have a common underlying thread, as does metabolic syndrome and related heart disease… in a word “inflammation.” Chronic inflammation is associated with metabolic syndrome, with researchers in one journal noting:2

“It has become evident that the inflammatory condition that is associated with obesity and overweight plays an important part in the aetiology of the metabolic syndrome and largely contributes to the related pathological outcomes.”

It makes sense, then, that curcumin – one of the most potent anti-inflammatories in nature – would also help to lower inflammation in people with the disorder.

Daily Curcumin Lowers Inflammation and Blood Sugar Levels in People

Researchers enrolled 117 people diagnosed with metabolic syndrome in a study to determine curcumin’s effects on inflammation. Curcumin is the active ingredient in the yellow curry spice turmeric. Half of the participants took one gram of curcumin powder daily for eight weeks while the other half received a placebo pill.

At the end of the study, the curcumin group had lower levels of three blood markers of inflammation, including C-reactive protein (CRP), along with lower fasting blood sugar and hemoglobin A1c (a measure of longer term blood sugar levels).3

For comparison, the placebo group had higher blood sugar levels and increased inflammation after the eight weeks. When the researchers evaluated eight previous studies, they, too, confirmed that curcumin lead to reductions in CRP levels.

They concluded that short-term supplementation with bioavailable curcumin significantly improves oxidative and inflammatory status in people with metabolic syndrome, and could be regarded as a “natural, safe and effective CRP-lowering agent.”4

Curcumin May Have Over 150 Therapeutic Properties

Researchers have previously investigated curcumin for its potential role in improving Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s disease, and stroke damage. It can also promote brain health in general, courtesy of its potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties – the same ones that show promise for improving metabolic syndrome.

Curcumin exhibits over 150 potentially therapeutic activities, including potent anti-cancer properties.5 Curcumin is also capable of crossing your blood-brain barrier, which is one reason why it holds promise as a neuroprotective agent in a wide range of neurological disorders.

One of the ways it works, which is similar to vitamin D, is by modulating large numbers of your genes. Previous research has also demonstrated that curcumin acts by inserting itself into your cells’ membranes where it changes the physical properties of the membrane itself, making it more orderly.6

As for its anti-inflammatory properties, curcumin 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.

A 2006 study also found that a turmeric extract composed of curcuminoids (curcumin is the most investigated curcuminoid) blocked inflammatory pathways, effectively preventing the launch of a protein that triggers swelling and pain.7

If You Want to Try One Herb… Try Curcumin

Turmeric may very well be one of the most useful herbs on the planet, and in India is often referred to as “the spice of life.” Curcumin in turmeric has the ability to modulate genetic activity and expression—both by destroying cancer cells and by promoting healthy cell function.

It also promotes anti-angiogenesis, meaning it helps prevent the development of additional blood supply necessary for cancer cell growth. Curcumin appears to be universally useful for just about every type of cancer. In addition, according to an ever-expanding clinical body of studies, curcumin may help:

Support healthy cholesterol levels Prevent low-density lipoprotein oxidation Inhibit platelet aggregation
Suppress thrombosis and myocardial infarction Suppress symptoms associated with type 2 diabetes Suppress symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis
Suppress symptoms of multiple sclerosis Suppress symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease Inhibit HIV replication
Suppress tumor formation Enhance wound healing Protect against liver damage
Increase bile secretion Protect against cataracts Protect against pulmonary toxicity and fibrosis

A study published in Natural Product Reports in 2011 makes it even clearer why curcumin may be useful for the cluster of conditions that make up metabolic syndrome, as it describes curcumin as being therapeutic for a wide range of diseases, including:

Lung and liver diseases Neurological diseases Metabolic diseases
Autoimmune disorders Cardiovascular diseases Inflammatory diseases

Will Eating Turmeric Provide the Same Benefits?

Turmeric is a wonderful spice with a warm earthy, peppery flavor. Eastern cultural traditions, including traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda, have valued turmeric for its medicinal properties and flavor for more than 5,000 years.

This is one spice I recommend keeping in your kitchen at all times, as it works well added to tomato sauces, soups, stews, leafy greens, stir fries, cauliflower and other veggies, and even eggs.

Choosing high-quality turmeric powder in lieu of curry powder will help you get more of the active curcumin, however, if you’re looking for therapeutic effects a supplement may be in order.

It’s difficult to get the doses of curcumin used in research studies from your diet alone. The featured study used a dose of one gram of curcumin, while typical anti-cancer doses are up to three grams of bioavailable curcumin extract, three to four times daily, and this is difficult to achieve using standard curcumin powders. The turmeric root itself contains only about 3 percent curcumin concentration.

One method to increase absorption is to make a microemulsion by combining a tablespoon of curcumin powder with 1-2 egg yolks and a teaspoon or two of melted coconut oil. Then use a hand blender on high speed to emulsify the powder.

Another strategy you can use to increase absorption is to put one tablespoon of the curcumin powder into a quart of boiling water. It must be boiling when you add the powder, as it will not work as well if you put it in room temperature water and heat the water and curcumin together. After boiling it for 10 minutes, you will have created a 12% solution and you can drink this once it has cooled down. The curcumin will gradually fall out of the solution over time and in about six hours it will be a 6% solution, so it is best to drink the water within four hours.

Curcumin is a very potent yellow pigment and can permanently discolor surfaces if you aren’t careful. To avoid “yellow kitchen syndrome,” I recommend you perform any mixing under the hood of your stove with the blower on to make sure no powder gets into your kitchen.  Alternatively, it is far easier to take curcumin in supplement form – just make sure it’s a high-quality brand that is formulated to increase bioavailability. And look for a turmeric extract with at least 95% curcuminoids. Just be aware that these are relatively rare and hard to find.

Insulin Resistance Also Plays a Role in Metabolic Syndrome

If you have metabolic syndrome, you’re most likely insulin resistant. According to Dr. Robert Lustig, professor of pediatric endocrinology at the University of California, San Francisco (USCF), whatever organ becomes insulin resistant ends up manifesting its own chronic metabolic disease. For example, when you have insulin resistance of the liver, you end up with type 2 diabetes. When you have insulin resistance of the brain, you end up with Alzheimer’s disease. Insulin resistance of the kidney leads to chronic renal disease, and so forth. All of these diseases are insulin-resistant states. The question is what causes the insulin resistance in the first place?

“[W]e have some new data that we are very excited about, which demonstrate that if you overload the mitochondria, the little energy-burning factories within cells, in any given organ, you’ll end up manifesting various forms of chronic metabolic disease,” Dr. Lustig says. “The chemical that overloads the mitochondria best is trans-fats. But the chemical that overloads the mitochondria next best is sugar. Trans fats and sugar pretty much characterize the processed food diet.”

Excessive dietary sugar, particularly fructose, which has adverse effects on all of your metabolic hormones, is driving the high rates of insulin resistance in the US. So it’s important to address the fructose in your diet, keeping it below 25 grams per day and, if you have metabolic syndrome, below 15 grams a day. Simply put, you’ve got to cut processed foods from your diet and focus on real food (which, beneficially, will also help to lower your levels of chronic inflammation). Intermittent fasting may be another way to address insulin resistance, as is exercise.

Exercise is crucial to resolving metabolic syndrome because it increases muscle mass, which increases mitochondria, and this in turn improves insulin sensitivity. Also important is optimizing your gut flora, ideally by eating traditionally fermented foods. Keep in mind that processed foods in general tend to destroy healthy microflora, so if you switch to a low-sugar whole-food diet you’ll automatically be supporting your gut health as well. For more information on how overloading your liver with more sugar than it can safely metabolize leads to chronic metabolic disease – and what to do about it – please watch my interview with Dr. Lustig below.

URL:https://youtu.be/wlctZ6mrU0Q

Why The Law Forbids The Medicinal Use of Natural Substances

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Why The Law Forbids The Medicinal Use of Natural Substances

According to the FDA’s legal definition, a drug is anything that “diagnoses, cures, mitigates, treats, or prevents a disease.”

The problem with this definition is that there are numerous substances, as readily available and benign as found on our spice racks, which have been proven by countless millennia of human experience to mitigate, prevent and in some cases cure disease, and which cannot be called drugs according to the FDA.

How can this be? Well, the FDA has assumed for itself Godlike power, requiring that its official approval be obtained before any substance can legally be used in the prevention and treatment of disease.

The FDA’s legal-regulatory control therefore is totalitarian and Napoleonic in construct; what it does not explicitly permit as a medicine is implicitly forbidden.

Historically the FDA has required new drugs undergo expensive and elaborate multi-phased clinical trials, which are out of the grasp of any ordinary interest who might want to demonstrate the efficacy of a non-patentable (and therefore unprofitable) herb, food or spice.

The average out-of-pocket cost for obtaining a new drug approval is US$ 802 million dollars,[1] and therefore an investor putting capital into bringing to market a substance that does not lend itself to market exclusivity and therefore cannot produce a return on investment, is committing economic suicide, if not also breaking the law. The investor actually has a legally-binding fiduciary responsibility to its shareholders to make a profit. And therefore, capital will not flow into any would-be commodity that can be produced or obtained with ease, including most things that grow freely on this Earth.

It is an interesting footnote in history that shortly after the Declaration of Independence, Congress declared that natural substances, e.g. water or salt, were God’s gift to mankind and that therefore products of nature should be limited in their patent protection. While this was a noble declaration, it has actually been used against those whose rights it would protect. It has forced private interests to synthetically alter natural substances — for instance the burgeoning biotech field of recombinant DNA technology, i.e. genetically modified organisms (GMOs) — for the sole reason that it guarantees them ownership/patent rights.

In fact, a medical system that legally requires it make a profit threatens to destroy and/or incriminate itself if non-patented, non-profitable natural substances or therapies are employed. It also results in so much collateral damage to those it purports to serve that it could rightly be called a modern form of human sacrifice.

As a result, instead of choosing prospective medicines logically: because they work, are easily accessible, and safe, billions of dollars flow in the exact opposite direction, capitalizing only those substances which are unnatural, and therefore while proprietary are almost invariably unsafe, and whose access and administration can be intensively controlled.

Has The Attempt To Co-opt Medicine Through the Drug-Based Model Undone Itself? 

And yet, there is a silver lining to the story. Due to the fact that our bodies are ultimately constructed from the natural things (food, air and water), and obey very strict natural laws such as the well-known principle of chirality (handedness) – the fact that all amino acids in our body turn a beam of polarized light in the left-handed direction (L-lysine) and sugars to the right-handed direction (D-ribose)– one cannot simply create biologically active, synthetic drugs arbitrarily, as a mistake in handedness (or similar property) could be fatal. Nature, therefore, still provides an elegant biomolecular architecture of irreproducible intelligence and complexity, from which synthetic analogs are modeled and/or derivatives are spun.

As a result, billions of dollars of drug industry and government money (i.e. tax payer money) flow into finding lead compounds for drug development.  Nature is put on the rack, if you will, and her secrets teased from her through innumerable animal and test tube experiments, in order to find compounds that can then be converted into synthetic, patented drugs.

Inadvertently, some of the very same companies and interests which require that natural substances not receive the same drug-approval status as synthetic ones, are funding research that prove basic vitamins, foods and spices are as effective or more effective – and usually much safer – than the drugs  they are developing to replace or supplant them.

This means that tens of thousands of studies do exist showing that natural substances may prevent and/or treat disease, at least in the in vitro (test tube) and animal models. These results often confirm traditional uses in Ayurvedic, Chinese and other traditional systems of medicine, and therefore may be compelling enough for individuals or healthcare practitioners to use the information to inform their treatment decisions.

The Case For Curcumin In the Prevention and Treatment of Disease

The government biomedical and life sciences database known as Medline contains over 21 million published study citations, and is accessible to search through engines such as Pubmed.gov.  2.6 million of them contain reference to cancer.  115,000 of them remain after applying the “Complementary Medicine” filter.   There are 2,625 topics on cancerwhich can be found indexed on the GreenMedInfo.com database, referencing 612 natural substances of potential value.

Turmeric, and particularly its polyphenolic constituent known as curcumin, which gives the spice its golden hue, is one of the most extensively studied natural compounds of all time, with 4588 references to it on the National Library of Medicine’s bibliographic database known as Medline [as of 2.25.2012]. And yet, despite having been shown to have therapeutic value in over 500 disease states in animal and in vitro studies, it still has not been the subject of extensive human clinical research – for the reasons stated above.

GreenMedInfo.com, an open source natural medicine database, has indexed curcumin’s anti-cancer properties in over 50 cancers, with the top 10 most cancers researched in association with curcumin listed below.

Cancer Number of Articles
Breast Cancer 58
Colorectal Cancer 23
Colon Cancer 51
Prostate Cancer 42
Pancreatic Cancer 24
Cancers: Drug Resistant 40
Lung Cancer 37
Liver Cancer 27
Cancer Metastasis 32
Skin Cancer 15

As one can see curcumin holds great promise. It has been repeatedly demonstrated to possess simultaneously both chemoprotective/chemosensitizing and radioprotective/radiosensitizing properties, meaning it is capable of reducing the adverse effects on healthy cells caused by chemotherapy and radiotherapy, as well as enhance the cancer-killing properties of these conventional therapies. It also has an exceptionally high margin of safety, at least an order of magnitude greater than commonly used conventional chemotherapy agents such as 5-fluoruracil.[2] Given these facts curcumin, at the very least, should be considered an ideal candidate for use as an adjuvant in integrative cancer care, and perhaps as a first-line treatment alternative to conventional chemo-agents.

For additional information on the remarkable research supporting the use of Turmeric and Curcumin in medicine, watch the video. URL:https://youtu.be/s2AZOMu0bVA

 

Why The Law Forbids The Medicinal Use of Natural Substances

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Why The Law Forbids The Medicinal Use of Natural Substances

According to the FDA’s legal definition, a drug is anything that “diagnoses, cures, mitigates, treats, or prevents a disease.”

The problem with this definition is that there are numerous substances, as readily available and benign as found on our spice racks, which have been proven by countless millennia of human experience to mitigate, prevent and in some cases cure disease, and which cannot be called drugs according to the FDA.

How can this be? Well, the FDA has assumed for itself Godlike power, requiring that its official approval be obtained before any substance can legally be used in the prevention and treatment of disease.

The FDA’s legal-regulatory control therefore is totalitarian and Napoleonic in construct; what it does not explicitly permit as a medicine is implicitly forbidden.

Historically the FDA has required new drugs undergo expensive and elaborate multi-phased clinical trials, which are out of the grasp of any ordinary interest who might want to demonstrate the efficacy of a non-patentable (and therefore unprofitable) herb, food or spice.

The average out-of-pocket cost for obtaining a new drug approval is US$ 802 million dollars,[1] and therefore an investor putting capital into bringing to market a substance that does not lend itself to market exclusivity and therefore cannot produce a return on investment, is committing economic suicide, if not also breaking the law. The investor actually has a legally-binding fiduciary responsibility to its shareholders to make a profit. And therefore, capital will not flow into any would-be commodity that can be produced or obtained with ease, including most things that grow freely on this Earth.

It is an interesting footnote in history that shortly after the Declaration of Independence, Congress declared that natural substances, e.g. water or salt, were God’s gift to mankind and that therefore products of nature should be limited in their patent protection. While this was a noble declaration, it has actually been used against those whose rights it would protect. It has forced private interests to synthetically alter natural substances — for instance the burgeoning biotech field of recombinant DNA technology, i.e. genetically modified organisms (GMOs) — for the sole reason that it guarantees them ownership/patent rights.

In fact, a medical system that legally requires it make a profit threatens to destroy and/or incriminate itself if non-patented, non-profitable natural substances or therapies are employed. It also results in so much collateral damage to those it purports to serve that it could rightly be called a modern form of human sacrifice.

As a result, instead of choosing prospective medicines logically: because they work, are easily accessible, and safe, billions of dollars flow in the exact opposite direction, capitalizing only those substances which areunnatural, and therefore while proprietary are almost invariably unsafe, and whose access and administration can be intensively controlled.

Has The Attempt To Co-opt Medicine Through the Drug-Based Model Undone Itself? 

And yet, there is a silver lining to the story. Due to the fact that our bodies are ultimately constructed from the natural things (food, air and water), and obey very strict natural laws such as the well-known principle of chirality (handedness) – the fact that all amino acids in our body turn a beam of polarized light in the left-handed direction (L-lysine) and sugars to the right-handed direction (D-ribose)– one cannot simply create biologically active, synthetic drugs arbitrarily, as a mistake in handedness (or similar property) could be fatal. Nature, therefore, still provides an elegant biomolecular architecture of irreproducible intelligence and complexity, from which synthetic analogs are modeled and/or derivatives are spun.

As a result, billions of dollars of drug industry and government money (i.e. tax payer money) flow into finding lead compounds for drug development.  Nature is put on the rack, if you will, and her secrets teased from her through innumerable animal and test tube experiments, in order to find compounds that can then be converted into synthetic, patented drugs.

Inadvertently, some of the very same companies and interests which require that natural substances not receive the same drug-approval status as synthetic ones, are funding research that prove basicvitamins, foods and spices are as effective or more effective – and usually much safer – than the drugs  they are developing to replace or supplant them.

This means that tens of thousands of studies do exist showing that natural substances may prevent and/or treat disease, at least in the in vitro (test tube) and animal models. These results often confirm traditional uses in Ayurvedic, Chinese and other traditional systems of medicine, and therefore may be compelling enough for individuals or healthcare practitioners to use the information to inform their treatment decisions.

The Case For Curcumin In the Prevention and Treatment of Disease

The government biomedical and life sciences database known as Medline contains over 21 million published study citations, and is accessible to search through engines such as Pubmed.gov.  2.6 million of them contain reference to cancer.  115,000 of them remain after applying the “Complementary Medicine” filter.   There are 2,625 topics on cancerwhich can be found indexed on the GreenMedInfo.com database, referencing 612 natural substances of potential value.

Turmeric, and particularly its polyphenolic constituent known ascurcumin, which gives the spice its golden hue, is one of the most extensively studied natural compounds of all time, with 4588 referencesto it on the National Library of Medicine’s bibliographic database known as Medline [as of 2.25.2012]. And yet, despite having been shown to have therapeutic value in over 500 disease states in animal and in vitro studies, it still has not been the subject of extensive human clinical research – for the reasons stated above.

GreenMedInfo.com, an open source natural medicine database, has indexed curcumin’s anti-cancer properties in over 50 cancers, with the top 10 most cancers researched in association with curcumin listed below.

Cancer Number of Articles
Breast Cancer 58
Colorectal Cancer 23
Colon Cancer 51
Prostate Cancer 42
Pancreatic Cancer 24
Cancers: Drug Resistant 40
Lung Cancer 37
Liver Cancer 27
Cancer Metastasis 32
Skin Cancer 15

As one can see curcumin holds great promise. It has been repeatedly demonstrated to possess simultaneously both chemoprotective/chemosensitizing and radioprotective/radiosensitizing properties, meaning it is capable of reducing the adverse effects on healthy cells caused by chemotherapy and radiotherapy, as well as enhance the cancer-killing properties of these conventional therapies. It also has an exceptionally high margin of safety, at least an order of magnitude greater than commonly used conventional chemotherapy agents such as 5-fluoruracil.[2] Given these facts curcumin, at the very least, should be considered an ideal candidate for use as an adjuvant in integrative cancer care, and perhaps as a first-line treatment alternative to conventional chemo-agents.

Curcumin, Compound In Turmeric, Found To Impair Fear Memories And Ease PTSD Symptoms

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turmeric
Turmeric, a common ingredient in curry, has been shown to have several health benefits; most recently, scientists found that curcumin can impair fear memories involved with PTSD

Turmeric is a main spice in curry — it’s a yellow-colored, bitter-tasting ginger root that can also be quite medicinal. Turmeric has been used to treat arthritis, heartburn, stomach issues, and diarrhea, among other things throughout human history — but now researchers have found a new potential outlet for the root in treating disorders involving fear memories, like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

In a new study led by Glenne Schafe, a professor of psychology at Hunter College, researchers found that curcumin — the principal compound found in turmeric — impaired the formation of fear memories in the brain after a traumatic experience.

“We showed that rats freely fed a diet enriched with curcumin have impaired encoding of fear memories,” Schafe said in the press release. “We also showed that rats with a pre-existing fear memory can lose that memory when it is recalled while they are eating a curcumin-enriched diet.”

Curcumin has been examined in the past for its potential health benefits, such as its efficacy in treating multiple myeloma, pancreatic cancer, myelodysplastic syndromes, colon cancer, psoriasis, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, and even depression. A recent study, meanwhile, found that curcumin also proved able in fighting mesothelioma — a rare form of cancer that attacks the cells of the mesothelium, a protective lining around organs — when combined with other anti-cancer peptide molecules. In addition, researchers have examined curcumin’s effect on Alzheimer’s disease: A 2008 study claimed that “due to various effects of curcumin, such as decreased beta-amyloid plaques, delayed degradation of neurons, metal-chelation, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and decreased microglia formation, the overall memory in patients with [Alzheimer’s disease] has improved.”

But if curcumin truly has a beneficial effect on people suffering from PTSD or other psychological disorders, that brings the spice to a whole new level. The authors of the most recent study discovered that fear memories impaired by curcumin appeared to remain compromised for a long period of time — preventing them from “reconsolidating” or reappearing again. Of course, more research will be needed in order to solidify the evidence.

“Curcumin, a yellow-pigment compound found in the popular Indian spice turmeric (Curcuma longa), has been extensively investigated for its anti-inflammatory, chemopreventative and antidepressant properties,” the authors write in the Abstract. “Here, we examined the efficacy of dietary curcumin at impairing the consolidation and reconsolidation of a Pavlovian fear memory, a widely studied animal model of traumatic memory formation in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).”

The authors conclude that the findings may have “important clinical implications for the treatment of disorders such as PTSD that are characterized by unusually strong and persistently reactivated fear memories.”

Healing Capacity of Curcumin Significantly Improved Through Nanotechnology .

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With all the exceptional benefits of turmeric, health-savvy individuals have embraced the spice as a powerful tonic for a wide variety of complaints. Taming chronic inflammation, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, liver disease and even neurological disorders like depression and Alzheimer’s, this golden root is an absolute superstar among medicinal herbs. Over and above that, turmeric also exhibits significant antibacterial, antiviral and antitumor properties. And now, researchers have discovered an even more potent form in the way of nanoparticles.

turmeric-root

Increased bioavailability

Although fresh and powdered turmeric shine in therapeutic applications, isolating the bioactive element curcumin has proven to offer still more benefit. But researchers have further increased the health impact of the root by rendering curcumin into exceedingly small nanoparticles. Two of the main disadvantages of standard curcumin are its low aqueous solubility and poor uptake. However, both issues are solved through nanonization. A study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry discovered:

Unlike curcumin, nanocurcumin was found to be freely dispersible in water in the absence of any surfactants. The chemical structure of nanocurcumin was the same as that of curcumin, and there was no modification during nanoparticle preparation. A minimum inhibitory concentration of nanocurcumin was determined for a variety of bacterial and fungal strains and was compared to that of curcumin. It was found that the aqueous dispersion of nanocurcumin was much more effective than curcumin against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Penicillium notatum, and Aspergillus niger.

Based on transmission electron micrograph (TEM) analysis, the researchers realized that the antibacterial properties were due to the fact that curcumin nanoparticles were able to break apart bacterial cell walls, thereby leading to cell death. Additionally, research published in Current Pharmaceutical Design observed that nanopreparations of curcumin were an efficient delivery system for anticancer therapies. Likewise, the International Journal of Nanomedicine reports that silk-fibroin-derived curcumin nanoparticles have the potential to treat breast tumors in vivo as a localized, long-term and nontoxic protocol.

The oral bioavailability of nanocurcumin is notably more effective than curcumin in hindering cataracts in lab animal tests as well. Mice were given 2 mg/day nanocurcumin, which slowed down the effects of protein insolubilization, protein glycation, crystallin distribution and oxidative stress associated with diabetic-induced cataracts.

Moreover, curcumin nanoparticles may offer a novel approach for treating asthma. Dr. Edward F. Group III, founder of the Global Healing Center, stated:

One study involving rats and asthma found that dosing with curcumin nanoparticles increased concentrations of curcumin in the lung and liver. In the animal model, the nano-particles effectively suppressed airway hyperresponsiveness and irritation, leading to conclusions that curcumin nano particles could eventually be a promising candidate for asthma therapy.

Sources for this article include:

http://science.naturalnews.com

http://www.naturalnews.com

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

http://www.plosone.org

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Even More Uses of the Wonder Herb Turmeric.

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Turmeric is a culinary spice widely used in Southeast Asia. Recent research reveals why this herb is such a powerful healer due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties.

The health benefits of Turmeric have been recognized by Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for hundreds of years. It has been used to treat everyday problems such as indigestion and flatulence, as well as more serious problems such as arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, diabetes, HIV, high cholesterol, heartburn, jaundice, liver disorders, and menstrual disorders. Turmeric can also be applied topically in poultices to reduce inflammation and to relieve wounds, cuts, and bruises.

Alzheimer’s Disease

Inflammation inside of the brain has been suspected to be one of the contributing factors in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Studies have shown that Turmeric has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activity. Therefore, regular daily consumption of Turmeric capsules may be an effective way to prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s.

Arthritis

Due to its anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties, it is not surprising that Turmeric is now being used as an effective natural remedy for Arthritis pain. Therefore, taking 500mg to 1000mg Turmeric capsules three times per day may provide significant relief from osteoarthritis pain.

Asthma

Since turmeric is an anti-inflammatory, it can help reduce the inflammation associated with asthma. Add 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder to a glass of warm milk, and drink this mixture as an effective asthma home remedy.

Cancer

Several recent studies have found that Turmeric can induce apoptosis, a process that triggers the self-destruction and elimination of damaged (cancerous) cells. Further research is still required before the full effects of Turmeric on cancer cells can be determined. However, existing studies suggest that daily Turmeric powder or supplements combined with a balanced, nutritious diet may help prevent or even destroy cancer cells.

Colds and Flu

Turmeric’s anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal agents can help our body fight against colds, cough and flu. Therefore, when symptoms of these infections are present, simply mix one teaspoon of Turmeric powder into a glass of warm milk once per day. Also drink plenty of water throughout the day.

Diabetes

Recent studies have shown that the antioxidant agents in Turmeric help reduce insulin resistance, which may prevent the onset of Type-2 Diabetes. Therefore, a simple preventive remedy is to take one teaspoon of turmeric powder twice a day with meals. Curcumin extracts or capsules can also be used as an alternative to the powder.

Inflammation

Turmeric’s key ingredient Curcumin is known for its anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, Turmeric powder can help in healing cuts, wounds, and other skin infections including boils.

Heat one cup of Flax Seed Oil in a small saucepan on the stove. Thinly slice a small onion and add it to the hot oil. Fry the onions until they are dark brown and crunchy. Remove the brown onions and mix 2 tablespoons of Turmeric powder into the oil. Turn off the stove and let the oil cool down to a temperature that is comfortable to touch. Using a cotton swab, apply a small amount of the oil onto the injured or infected skin area. Apply this three times per day until the wound or infection is cured. Save the remaining oil into an airtight container for future use.

For internal injuries, fractures, sprains, and herniated disks, dip a piece of unbleached cotton fabric into the warm Turmeric oil. The fabric or cotton pad should be large enough to cover the outer skin of the affected area. Secure it in place and leave this cotton pad on overnight.

You can also add one teaspoon of turmeric powder into a warm glass of milk and drink it before going to bed to prevent internal inflammation and infections.

Weight Loss

Curcumin in Turmeric powder has been found to help increase the flow of bile, an important component in the breakdown of dietary fat. Therefore, taking one teaspoon of Turmeric powder with every meal may be an effective weight loss aid when combined with a healthy diet and exercise program.

What are the Side Effects of Turmeric?

Moderate use of Turmeric powder as part of regular diet is fairly safe, and recent studies have found that a dosage of 500mg capsules of Turmeric three times per day is safe. However, prolonged consumption of high doses of Turmeric extract may cause stomach or liver distress, as well as dehydration and constipation. Therefore, it should be avoided by people with gallstones or bile obstructions. If you are currently taking blood thinners (including Aspirin), you should consult your doctor before taking Turmeric since it is an anti-platelet (prevents blood clots).

Source:
Home Remedies and Natural Cures

 

         

         

“The Spice that Ignites Your Body’s Astonishing Immune System”

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5 to 8 times stronger than vitamin E and stronger than vitamin C, this ‘antioxidant breakthrough’ may help boost your immunity, maintain normal cholesterol levels, and put the brakes on aging.

You may already know I place a strong emphasis on eating as much unprocessed, organically grown food as possible for optimal health.

 

 

One frequently overlooked way to enhance and optimize health with organically grown food is the use of herbs and spices – unprocessed and organic, of course.

One amazing benefit of these herbs is that they’re very low in calories, while being dense in vitamins and minerals.

In the same vein, they’re thermogenic, meaning they naturally boost your metabolism to help you burn calories.* You feel satisfied more easily, so you eat less.* Studies show that consuming certain herbs and spices before each meal can potentially reduce your caloric intake.*

Due to their nutrient-dense status, they promote your overall wellbeing with antioxidants more potent than many fruits and veggies.*

Herbs and spices promote health and wellbeing in your entire body, not just in a particular area.*

This “whole person” approach is why I believe these spices and herbs can benefit you so greatly.

But I consider one particular spice the “granddaddy” of them all, because its benefits are so amazing and far-reaching.

Don’t Waste Your Time and Health with
Synthetically Processed Herbs and Spices

Just as it’s important to select and consume wholesome, unprocessed organic foods, you should do the same with herbs and spices.

Avoid breezing down the spice aisle of your local grocery store to pick up any old herb or spice.

It is important to be very selective.

If the herb or spice you’re looking for is processed or not organically grown, you risk missing out on their most potent active ingredients, which provide you with optimal benefits.

If the herb or spice isn’t cultivated, harvested, produced, and packaged using certified organic processes, you could be robbed of its healthful active ingredients.

In fact, I recommend you totally avoid herbs and spices that aren’t 100% certified organic. Why waste your time — and risk potential health consequences from artificial ingredients and questionable chemical processes?

India is the home of Ayurveda, recognized as an authoritative source of knowledge and truth in natural health promotion — with herbs and spices lying at the very heart of Ayurvedic practice. So it would make perfect sense to consider using herbs that were grown in India if you are considering Ayurvedic herbs

How this Ancient Spice Originated Thousands of Years Ago

 

That’s one of the reasons I traveled over 15,000 miles to India last year — to find a high quality source of these herbs. During my trip to India, I witnessed firsthand how the Ayurvedic holistic approach and organic processes work in unison.

And of the many herbs and spices I studied, the one in particular that caught my immediate attention was turmeric. It provides you with these whole-person benefits:

  • Supports your healthy joint function*
  • Promotes your radiant skin*
  • Helps improve your digestion*

And so much more…

There’s some debate about the timing of turmeric’s first use as a healthy spice.

But one thing is certain. Thousands of years ago, people in India and China used the spice. In fact, some stories suggest usage dates back 10,000 years in India when they say Lord Rama walked the earth.

And the ancient Polynesians carried turmeric with them on their incredible voyage across the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii. Today, Hawaiians still use this spice — known to them as Olena.

While in China, Marco Polo in 1280 AD recorded information on turmeric in his diary:

“There is also a vegetable which has all the properties of true saffron, as well the smell and the color, and yet it is not really saffron.”

So, turmeric has been used as a substitute for saffron (an old world spice) in Europe for over 700 years.

One of the main healthful ingredients in turmeric is curcumin (a curcuminoid), which as I said, gives turmeric its yellow color.

Western scientists first isolated the curcumin molecule in 1815, obtained its crystalline form in 1870, and determined its overall structure in 1910.

Curcumin can potentially benefit you by:

Promoting your immune system against stress*

  • Promoting your immune system*
  • Helping you maintain your healthy digestive system*
  • Supporting your healthy bones, joints, and overall skeletal system*
  • Helping you maintain cholesterol levels that are already within the normal range*
  • Promoting your healthy blood and liver functions*

How Turmeric and Curcumin Provide Antioxidant Nutrients*

You probably know that antioxidants are important for your health.

I believe antioxidants are your body’s #1 way to neutralize free radicals and help you potentially slow down the signs of normal aging.*

Oxidation by free radicals can damage cells and organs — and thus impact your aging process* — something I’m sure you’d rather put the brakes on.

Antioxidants are also key nutrients in:

  • Supporting your memory function*
  • Promoting your heart health*
  • Boosting your immune system*

Turmeric’s antioxidants help protect your cells from free radical damage.*

The antioxidant content within turmeric comes from active compounds called curcuminoids.

These curcuminoids deliver antioxidants that may be:

  • 5 to 8 times stronger than vitamin E — and also stronger than vitamin C
  • 3 times more powerful than grape seed or pine bark extract
  • Strong enough to scavenge the hydroxyl radical — considered by many to be the most reactive of all oxidants*

How Turmeric Enhances Your Outer Beauty*

Speaking of antioxidant nutrients and their potential to impact the aging process, some of the first aging signs you may see as you get older are changes to your skin.

 

Believe it or not, the organic ingredients found in turmeric can help promote your healthy skin.*

How, you ask?

Curcuminoids support important blood and liver functions, healthy joints, and your overall well-being,* which in turn helps promote radiant, supple skin.*

Turmeric has been considered to be ‘skin food’ for thousands of years in India and other cultures.*

Turmeric helps:

  • Cleanse your skin and maintain its elasticity*
  • Provide nourishment to your skin*
  • Balance the effects of skin flora*

So, turmeric can act as your one-two punch against normal aging with its skin promotion and antioxidant capabilities — outer beauty plus inner purity.*

Your Triple-Action Cellular Booster and Adaptogen*

Another potential advantage from turmeric usage involves the smallest living things within you — your cells.

Turmeric can assist your cells in three ways, by:

  • Helping neutralize substances that can cause cellular stress*
  • Maintaining your cells’ integrity when threatened by occasional environmental stressors*
  • Providing the antioxidants you need to help support your cells against excessive oxidation and free radicals*

Turmeric is also recognized as an adaptogen — helping to support your body against stress and providing immune system support.*

How this Ancient Spice has Become
Embedded in India’s Ayurvedic Practice

Turmeric, like other herbs and spices, is a principle herb in Ayurveda — India’s ancient holistic health system.  Ayurveda means “knowledge of life” — with herbs lying at the very heart of Ayurvedic practice.

 

Turmeric has multiple  uses within Ayurveda, including blood cleansing and maintaining healthy skin.*

In Ayurvedic terminology, turmeric includes the following:

  • Verdana sthapana — promotes your healthy nervous system and helps you with occasional discomfort*
  • Sangrahani — supports your absorption of vitamins and minerals*
  • Anulomana — helps you in purging out wastes and building healthy blood*
  • Rakta stambhaka — promotes the wellness of your circulatory system*

And this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Ayurvedic turmeric uses.

What does this mean to you?

Simply, turmeric has been used in Indian culture for thousands of years for a multitude of health-promoting reasons.* An estimated 500 million Indians still use the spice today.

What Are Your Best Sources for Turmeric?

So by now, you might be wondering about potential sources of turmeric.

Well, you may already know you can find it in the spice aisle of your local grocery store. But as mentioned earlier, I don’t recommend using your local grocery store, due to the quality of their herbs and spices.

Even though there may be some good spices available there, it’s very difficult to verify their purity and potency.

Also, the turmeric powder you buy in your store is a spice. It doesn’t necessarily come from high-quality organic herbs — and is not produced using certified organic processes, causing you to risk missing its healthful benefits.

What’s more… with store-bought turmeric powder, you’ll probably just use it once in a while to cook with — not on a daily basis to consistently take advantage of the benefits it offers.

So, what other options do you have?

I recommend searching for a high-quality, 100% organic-based turmeric supplement.

But there are some things you should watch for when choosing a turmeric supplement.

Avoid Unnecessary Fillers, Additives, and Excipients

When I did my own research on available turmeric supplements, I found a surprising array of choices.

Besides, curcumin and curcuminoid ingredients, I found products with questionable ingredients like fillers, additives, and excipients. An excipient is a substance added to the supplement as a processing or stability aid.

One ingredient, magnesium stearate (also known as stearic acid), is a potentially toxic metal additive from pill production.

Another ingredient I found in many turmeric supplements, Dibasic Calcium Phosphate (DCP), may even inhibit the absorption of essential minerals within your system.

There are others you may find as well, but the bottom line is… you don’t want or need these ingredients in your turmeric supplement. Some pose potential health risks — and all are unnecessary.

Make Sure Your Herbal Supplement Comes from a
Certified Organic Producer Committed to Quality Processes

The key to delivering an organic-based turmeric supplement rests in the manufacturer’s commitment to quality and excellence.

 

In fact, I believe that without these quality processes in place, it really doesn’t matter what organic herbs are harvested. You simply won’t end up with a top-notch consistent organic formula. In turn, you won’t receive the maximum potential value of the herb.

So, it’s important to highly scrutinize and research the manufacturer’s credentials.

In fact, you may not be able to stop with the manufacturer alone. Keep in mind, the total organic process involves planting, cultivation, selective harvesting, and then producing and packaging the final formula.

Here’s the type of certifications I recommend you look for:

  • Hazards and Critical Control Points (HACCP) — International food safety certification that World Health Organization (WHO) standards are met
  • Safe Quality Food (SQF) — HACCP-based food safety and risk management system covering the identification of food safety, quality risks, and the validation and monitoring of control measures
  • Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) — International certification verifies all required practices necessary for an effective food safety program are followed
  • International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2000 — International standard for quality, safety, ecology, economy, reliability, compatibility, inter-operability, efficiency, and effectiveness
  • Orthodox Union (OU) Kosher — Certifies compliance for Kosher observers and followers
  • International organic certifications such as: USDA, EU, and NSOP (India)

Use This Checklist to Find Your Highest Quality Turmeric

To take advantage of all the great benefits turmeric has to offer you, I created a checklist on what you should look for in a turmeric supplement.

Whatever you do, don’t settle for second best.

Here’s my checklist to help you find the best turmeric source:

  • Contains only 100% certified organic ingredients — Turmeric extract with at least 95% curcuminoids
  • Comes in supplement form — Don’t rely on your typically low quality and unpredictable local grocery store spice. Additionally when you heat the spice during cooking many of the beneficial properties are lost.
  • Avoids fillers, additives, and excipients — No need for questionable “other ingredients” in the formula
  • Provides a vegetable capsule — Avoid gelatin-based capsules whenever possible
  • Is produced by a certified organic manufacturer with high-quality organic and safe production practices — Don’t settle for second best here!

13 Ways this Ancient Herb Can Help You
Spice Up Your Life (and Your Health*)

Let me summarize thirteen ways this 100% certified organic-based Turmeric can spice up your whole person:

  1. Boosts your antioxidant protection against free radicals*
  2. Helps promote your healthy skin*
  3. Supports your overall eye health*
  4. Provides you immune system support*
  5. Aids your skeletal system and joint health*
  6. Encourages your healthy liver function*
  7. Helps you maintain healthy cells with support against free radicals*
  8. Balances the health of your digestive system*
  9. Aids you in support of healthy blood and your circulatory system*
  10. Helps you maintain normal cholesterol levels to support your cardiovascular system*
  11. Assists your neurological system’s healthy response to stress*
  12. Promotes a healthy female reproductive system*
  13. Helps you maintain blood sugar levels already within the normal range*

And more…

Millions of people use turmeric on a daily basis in their lives today. In India alone, up to 500 million people use it in one form or another every day.

Isn’t it time you gave your body what it deserves?

Source: Dr. Mercola