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[John Feltham]

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


By Dr. Mercola

For more than 5,000 years, turmeric has been an important part of  
Eastern cultural traditions, including traditional Chinese medicine  
and Ayurveda. Valued for its medicinal properties and warm, peppery  
flavor, this yellow-orange spice has more recently earned a name for  
itself in Western medicine as well.


Turmeric comes from the root of the Curcuma longa plant, which is  
native to Indonesia and southern India, and is widely used as an  
ingredient in curry dishes and yellow mustard. As research into this  
powerful spice has increased, it has emerged as one of nature’s most  
powerful potential healers.


Said Dr. David Frawely, founder and director of the American Institute  
for Vedic Studies in Santa Fe, New Mexico:


“If I had only one single herb to depend upon for all possible health  
and dietary needs, I would without much hesitation choose the Indian  
spice Turmeric. There is little it cannot do in the realm of healing  
and much that no other herb is able to accomplish.


Turmeric has a broad spectrum of actions, mild but certain effects,  
and is beneficial for long term and daily usage. Though it is a common  
spice, few people, including herbalists know of its great value and  
are using it to the extent possible. It is an herb that one should get  
to know and live with.”


Turmeric’s Beneficial Effects in a Nutshell

Strengthens and improves digestion

Reduces gas and bloating
Assists in the digestion of protein and with rice and bean dishes
Improves your body's ability to digest fats
Promotes proper metabolism, correcting both excesses and deficiencies
Maintains and improves intestinal flora
Improves elimination of wastes and toxins

Supports healthy liver function and detox

Turmeric helps increase bile flow making it a liver cleanser that can  
rejuvenate your liver cells and recharge their capability to break  
down toxins
Helps to prevent alcohol and other toxins from being converted into  
compounds that may be harmful to your liver
Supports formation of healthy tissue

Purifies your blood

Stimulates formation of new blood tissue
Anti-inflammatory: Helps to reduce irritation to tissues characterized  
by pain, redness, swelling and heat

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

Curcuminoids are potent phytonutrients (plant-based nutrients) that  
contain powerful antioxidant properties
Counteract the damaging effects of free radicals in your body
Relieve arthritis pain and stiffness, anti-inflammatory agent
Anti-carcinogenic: “Curcumin has been shown to prevent a large of  
number of cancers in animal studies. Laboratory data indicate that  
curcumin can inhibit tumor initiation, promotion, invasion,  
angiogenesis and metastasis.”
Supports treatment of Alzheimer’s disease: “Because Alzheimer's  
disease is caused in part by amyloid-induced inflammation, curcumin  
has been shown to be effective against Alzheimer's. Clinical trials  
are in progress at UCLA with curcumin for Alzheimer's.”

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

Most notably turmeric is known for its potent anti-inflammatory  
properties, which come from curcumin -- the pigment that gives  
turmeric its yellow-orange color, and which is thought to be  
responsible for many of its medicinal effects. There are an estimated  
three to five grams of curcumin in 100 grams of turmeric.

Curcumin has been shown to influence more than 700 genes, and it can  
inhibit both the activity and the synthesis of cyclooxygenase- 2  
(COX2) and 5-lipooxygenase (5-LOX), as well as other enzymes that have  
been implicated in inflammation.


Turmeric’s Cancer-Fighting Properties

In India where turmeric is widely used, the prevalence of four common  
U.S. cancers -- colon, breast, prostate and lung -- is 10 times lower.  
In fact, prostate cancer, which is the most frequently diagnosed  
cancer in U.S. men, is rare in India and this is attributed, in part,  
to turmeric.


Numerous studies have looked into this potential cancer-fighting link,  
with promising results. For instance, curcumin has been found to:

Inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells
Inhibit the transformation of cells from normal to tumor
Help your body destroy mutated cancer cells so they cannot spread  
throughout your body
Decrease inflammation
Enhance liver function
Inhibit the synthesis of a protein thought to be instrumental in tumor  
formation
Prevent the development of additional blood supply necessary for  
cancer cell growth
As for the results of research studies, a study in Biochemical  
Pharmacology found that curcumin can slow the spread of breast cancer  
cells to the lungs in mice.

"Curcumin acts against transcription factors, which are like a master  
switch," said lead researcher, Bharat Aggarwal. "Transcription factors  
regulate all the genes needed for tumors to form. When we turn them  
off, we shut down some genes that are involved in the growth and  
invasion of cancer cells."

A second study in Biochemical Pharmacology also found that curcumin  
inhibits the activation of NF-kappaB, a regulatory molecule that  
signals genes to produce a slew of inflammatory molecules (including  
TNF, COX-2 and IL-6) that promote cancer cell growth.


Turmeric’s Essential Role for Your Liver

Your liver’s primary role is to process and remove toxins carried in  
your bloodstream. When functioning at its peak, it can filter up to  
two liters of blood per minute and easily break apart toxic molecules  
to reduce their toxicity. Your liver is also a crucial part of  
vitamin, mineral, protein, fat, carbohydrate and hormonal metabolism.

However, poor diet, allergens, pollution and stress can cause your  
liver to become sluggish, and this can impair its vital functions.  
This is where turmeric can be a very useful part of your liver support  
system. Studies have shown that it:

May increase important detoxification enzymes in your liver

Induces the formation of a primary liver detoxification enzyme,  
glutathione S-transferase (GST) enzymes
Turmeric is also a natural cholagogue, a medicinal agent that promotes  
the discharge of bile from your system. Increased bile flow is  
important to help your liver detoxify and to help your body digest fats.

Turmeric for Your Heart, Brain and Overall Health

Turmeric inhibits free radical damage of fats, including cholesterol.  
When cholesterol is damaged in this way, or oxidized, it can then  
damage your blood vessels and lead to a heart attack or stroke.  
Therefore, research suggests that turmeric’s ability to prevent the  
oxidation of cholesterol may be beneficial for your heart. It’s also  
rich in vitamin B6, high intakes of which are associated with a  
reduced risk of heart disease.

Meanwhile, turmeric appears to be highly protective against  
neurodegenerative diseases. In fact, in India levels of neurological  
diseases such as Alzheimer’s are very low, and studies have shown that  
curcumin can slow the progression of Alzheimer’s in mice. The compound  
has also proven capable of blocking the progression of multiple  
sclerosis.

Further, Professor Moolky Nagabhushan from the Loyola University  
Medical Center, Chicago, IL, who has been studying turmeric for the  
last 20 years, believes that turmeric can protect against harmful  
environmental chemicals, and in so doing protect against childhood  
leukemia. The research showed that curcumin in turmeric can:

Inhibit the toxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)  
(cancer-causing chemicals in the environment)
Inhibit radiation-induced chromosome damage
Prevent the formation of harmful heterocyclic amines and nitroso  
compounds, which may result in the body when eating certain processed  
foods, such as processed meat products
Irreversibly inhibit the multiplication of leukemia cells in a cell  
culture

Turmeric's volatile oils also have external anti-bacterial action. As  
such, they may help prevent bacterial wound infections and accelerate  
wound healing. Johnson & Johnson even sells a curcumin-containing Band- 
Aid in India!

And the therapeutic potential of turmeric and curcumin do not end  
there. Evidence suggests the spice may also be beneficial for:

Cystic fibrosis
Type 2 diabetes
Crohn’s disease
Psoriasis
Rheumatoid arthritis
Cataracts
Gallstones
Muscle regeneration
Inflammatory bowel disease

Which Type of Turmeric is Best?

For use in cooking, choose a pure turmeric powder, rather than a curry  
powder. At least one study has found that curry powders tend to  
contain very little curcumin, compared to turmeric powder. Turmeric is  
also available in supplement form and for many this is a more  
convenient method to obtain these health benefits discussed above,  
especially if they are from a high-quality organic source and if one  
doesn’t particularly enjoy the taste of curry.

ooroo

Bad typists of the word, untie.