Turmeric, a spice with anti-tumor properties, able to increase the effectiveness of oncological treatments, while reducing side effects. It is an ancient spice, known and used for millennia in the East for the treatment of many diseases.
Turmeric is a plant that I have been cultivating for a few years now in my fields, because in fact it also adapts well to the Mediterranean climate, just repair it during the colder months.
I strongly desired it when I discovered its innumerable therapeutic qualities, especially in the treatment and prevention of tumors. And in fact the advice to all patients, whether it is cancer, or another disease, because it has only positive effects on the body!
It is the plant that I recommend the Aloe together.
If you are interested in my site you can find it for sale as dried and reduced rhizome powder on this page .
Let’s now look more specifically at what its healing properties are.
Short description
Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a herbaceous plant native to India and Southeast Asia.
This rhizome is used for food and therapeutic purposes. It is characterized by a bright yellow color and a slightly bitter taste.
In the East, turmeric is used to flavor dishes and as an ingredient for the preparation of curry , which gives the intense yellow color. In the West, on the other hand, it is mainly used as food coloring , indicated on the label of products with the initials E100.
In addition to being a spice for food use, turmeric has been used for more than 4,000 years by Ayurvedic medicine, for the prevention and treatment of numerous diseases.
In fact it is one of the plants with more medicinal properties , especially when it comes to cancer prevention and treatment.
It is no coincidence that the Indians, or the largest consumers in the world of turmeric, at the same age, compared with Europeans and Americans, have significantly lower rates of prostate cancer, breast, colon and kidney ( source ).
Turmeric in the prevention and treatment of cancer
It is good to be clear right away: turmeric, alone, does not cure cancer.
However it can give a “big hand”, both in prevention and in the treatment of tumors.
This is due to the presence of curcumin , a substance with proven antitumor properties, capable of amplifying the effects of oncological treatments (chemotherapy and radiotherapy), while reducing the much feared side effects.
According to some scholars, it is the most powerful anti-tumor substance in nature .
And given that moderate doses do not have any side effects, I think it would be a shame not to take advantage of them.
The properties of curcumin
Curcumin is one of the most studied natural substances, especially for its known anti-cancer properties.
Below I report only some of the properties documented by studies and scientific research. Studies that, among other things, are easily consultable through the famous Pubmed portal (see bibliography at the bottom of the page).
- Painkiller : reduces peritumoral inflammation and pain produced by metastases [1], [2].
- Metastasis slows down : scientific studies have shown that curcumin is able to slow down the progression of metastases [3].
- It destroys the tumor cells : it causes the autolysis (enzyme-induced self-destruction) of the tumor cells [4].
- Antioxidant : prevents cellular DNA damage caused by free radicals [5], [6].
- Immunostimulant : curcumin stimulates the immune system, helping our body to self-defend against cancer [7].
- Reduces the defenses of the tumor cells : it inhibits the NF-kappa ß factor, which protects the tumor cells from the defense mechanisms of the immune system [8].
- Increases the effectiveness of chemo and reduces side effects : scientific studies show that curcumin enhances the effect of chemotherapy, while reducing the toxic effect, as it exerts a protective action on mucous membranes, liver and kidneys [9], [10], [11], [12].
- Increases the effectiveness of radiation therapy [13].
Other properties of Turmeric
In addition to the prevention and treatment of cancer, turmeric is very effective in the treatment of many other diseases.
- Arthritis and arthritis : being a powerful anti-inflammatory, turmeric has proved useful for the treatment of pain and inflammatory diseases, such as arthritis, arthrosis and periodontal diseases. [14], [15].
- Cardioprotective : the consumption of turmeric helps to prevent cardiovascular diseases (stroke, heart attack, etc.) [16], [17].
- It prevents neurodegenerative diseases : it helps to prevent the development of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, [18], [19].
- Irritable colon: it is useful in the treatment of inflammatory diseases of the colon, such as the irritable colon (colitis) [20].
How to take Curcuma
The ideal would be to add a teaspoon of turmeric to the diet.
This can be taken in many ways : added to raw salads, or cooked vegetables, to season risottos, pasta and soups, or shake or centrifuged with fruit and vegetables to taste, added to yogurt, etc.
Be careful though! Curcumin is a substance difficult to absorb in the intestine. However there is a food, or rather a particular spice, which increases the absorption of 2000% !! I’m talking about black pepper ( Cayenne pepper is good too) [21].
Even the extra virgin olive oil facilitates the absorption of curcumin. So the ideal would be to season foods using turmeric, black pepper (or cayenne) and extra virgin olive oil together.
Finally, you will be pleased to know that green tea further increases the beneficial effect of curcumin.
You could use this knowledge by preparing a good green tea in the morning, adding a pinch of pepper and turmeric. Trust me the taste is not bad at all, but if you do not like it you could correct it by adding mint (see for example my Moroccan tea), liquorice, cumin, or cardamom.
And to sweeten it is perfect stevia powder , also with anti-tumor properties (see the properties of Stevia ).
Contraindications
At moderate doses (about one teaspoonful a day), this spice has no side effect .
However, it may be contraindicated if you take certain medications, with which turmeric can interact. This is the case, for example, of hypoglycemic drugs (for diabetes), anticoagulants and immunosuppressants.
It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women and for children under 2 years.
Related products:
Bibliography :
[1] Discovery of curcumin, a component of golden spice, and its miraculous biological activities.
[2] Curcuma as a functional food in the control of cancer and inflammation.
[3] Curcumin-induced apoptosis in ovarian carcinoma cells is p53-independent and involves p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase activation and downregulation of Bcl-2 and survivin expression and Akt signaling.
[4] Curcumin down-regulates visfatin expression and inhibits breast cancer cell invasion.
[5] Phytochemical and cytotoxic investigations of Curcuma mangga rhizomes.
[6] Anti-breast cancer activity of curcumin on the human oxidation-resistant cells ZR-75-1 with γ-glutamyltranspeptidase inhibition.
[7] Autoxidative and cyclooxygenase-2 catalyzed transformation of the dietary chemopreventive agent curcumin.
[8] Evaluation of in vitro anti-proliferative and immunomodulatory activities of compounds isolated from Curcuma longa.
[9] Inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway by the curcumin analog, 3,5-Bis(2-pyridinylmethylidene)-4-piperidone (EF31): anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties
[10] Synergistic effect of curcumin and cisplatin via down-regulation of thymidine phosphorylase and excision repair cross-complementary 1 (ERCC1).
[11] Chemo-resistant melanoma sensitized by tamoxifen to low dose curcumin treatment through induction of apoptosis and autophagy.
[12] Curcumin enhances oral bioavailability and anti-tumor therapeutic efficacy of paclitaxel upon administration in nanoemulsion formulation.
[13] Curcumin, the golden spice from Indian saffron, is a chemosensitizer and radiosensitizer for tumors and chemoprotector and radioprotector for normal organs.
[14] Curcumin: preventive and therapeutic properties in laboratory studies and clinical trials.
[15] Efficacy and safety of Meriva®, a curcumin-phosphatidylcholine complex, during extended administration in osteoarthritis patients.
[16] Potent anti-inflammatory effects of systemically-administered curcumin modulates periodontal disease in vivo
[17] Cardioprotective effects of curcumin.
[18] Glutamoyl diester of the dietary polyphenol curcumin offers improved protection against peroxynitrite-mediated nitrosative stress and damage of brain mitochondria in vitro: implications for Parkinson’s disease.
[19] Challenges associated with curcumin therapy in Alzheimer disease.
[20] Therapeutic potential of curcumin in gastrointestinal diseases
[21] Influence of piperine on the pharmacokinetics of curcumin in animals and human volunteers.
NB : All information published on this site is informative and should not be considered as advice, or medical prescriptions, or other.