Curcumin Helps Some Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Patients

Curcumin is such an awesome spice (hey, it's even supposed to be good for pitta doshas).

Meanwhile, on a much more serious note, an encouraging study on curcumin and its effect on advanced pancreatic cancer was published recently in Clinical Cancer Research. Researchers noted:

"Twenty five participants were administered supplements incorporating a patented curcumin ingredient manufactured by New Jersey-based herbals specialist, Sabinsa, which was found to advantage pancreatic cancer sufferers despite the supplements demonstrating 'poor oral bioavailability.'"

While all patients did not respond the same way, given the non-toxic nature of curcumin (safe at levels up to 8g/daily for 18 months) and given the incredibly pessimistic statistics of recovery from pancreatic cancer (it's considered by the authors of the study as "almost always lethal"), curcumin's value for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer is promising.

According to a leading cancer researcher, Bharat B. Aggarwal, a Ph.D. biochemist who has studied curcumin for over a decade:

"The active component of turmeric turns out to be the best blocker yet of a natural chemical called TNF, or tumor necrosis factor, which contributes to cancers and arthritis and is resistant to chemotherapy drugs. You don't even need tens of thousands of dollars of TNF blockers. Turmeric does exactly the same thing."

Aggarwal, by the way, was second author on the recent study on using curcumin for treating advanced pancreatic cancer.

Here are some more links on curcumin's uses against cancer:

• Chemopreventive Effect of Curcumin, a Naturally Occurring Anti-Inflammatory Agent, during the Promotion/Progression Stages of Colon Cancer
• Curcumin Suppresses the Paclitaxel-Induced Nuclear Factor-B Pathway in Breast Cancer Cells and Inhibits Lung Metastasis of Human Breast Cancer in Nude Mice
• Curcumin Potentiates Antitumor Activity of Gemcitabine
• Curcumin enhances the apoptosis-inducing potential of TRAIL in prostate cancer cells
• Pancreatic Cancer Research

For health, consider adding more curcumin (turmeric), that bright yellow cooking spice that should be in your cabinet, to your meals at home, and order a lot more curry when you're out.