How Curcumin in Turmeric Inhibits Prostate Cancer

 Curcumin in Turmeric Inhibits Prostate Cancer


This is very good news for Indian people as they use more Turmeric in their food.

What is Curcumin?

Curcumin is a natural extract from the Turmeric spice. Turmeric is derived from the Curcuma Longa plant. Curcumin is best known as a powerful antioxidant with many potential benefits to the human body. Antioxidants are helpful to the body because they help neutralize free radicals. Free radicals are molecules in the body that are not structurally stable. They stabilize themselves by ‘stealing’ electrons, and In turn damaging, the body’s cells. Antioxidants can help prevent this from occurring in large amounts.

Why North American should use Indian Spices in food

What are health benefits of Indian Spice- Turmeric?

The well-known herb Turmeric (Curcuma longa), a native to tropical South Asia, is used as a culinary spice around the world. In Indian medicine, turmeric is used extensively as an anti-inflammatory, antiseptic wound healer for cuts, burns and bruises. It is also used as an antibacterial agent.

A number of modern studies show that turmeric has promise for fighting infections, reducing inflammation, and treating digestive problems. An important component of the herb, curcumin, has been shown to be a powerful antioxidant and an effective anti-inflammatory.Recent research suggests that turmeric may be helpful for a range of conditions that respond well to herbal anti-inflammatories. These include indigestion, ulcerative colitis, stomach ulcers, osteoarthritis and atherosclerosis.

Many of the other uses of turmeric stem from its anti-inflammatory activity. This may help maintain remission in people with suffer from ulcerative colitis. Because of its ability to reduce inflammation, turmeric may also help relieve the symptoms of osteoarthritis. Turmeric may help prevent the buildup of plaque that can block arteries.

How eating Indian dishes with Curry help in “innate” our immune system

What is Prostate Cancer?

Prostate cancer is a malignant (cancerous) tumor (growth) that consists of cells from the prostate gland. Generally, the tumor usually grows slowly and remains confined to the gland for many years. During this time, the tumor produces little or no symptoms or outward signs (abnormalities on physical examination). However, all prostate cancers do not behave similarly. Some aggressive types of prostate cancer grow and spread more rapidly than others and can cause a significant shortening of life expectancy in men affected by them. A measure of prostate cancer aggressiveness is the Gleason score (discussed in more detail later in this article), which is calculated by a trained pathologist observing prostate biopsy specimens under the microscope.

What are prostate cancer causes?

The cause of prostate cancer is unknown, but the cancer is not thought to be related to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The risk (predisposing) factors for prostate cancer include advancing age, genetics (heredity), hormonal influences, and such environmental factors as toxins, chemicals, and industrial products. The chances of developing prostate cancer increase with age. Thus, prostate cancer under age 40 is extremely rare, while it is common in men older than 80 years of age. As a matter of fact, some studies have suggested that among men over 80 years of age, 50%-80% of them may have prostate cancer! More than 80% of prostate cancers are diagnosed in men older than 65 years of age.

What are prostate cancer symptoms and signs?

In the early stages, prostate cancer often causes no symptoms for many years. As a matter of fact, these cancers frequently are first detected by an abnormality on a blood test (the PSA, discussed below) or as a hard nodule (lump) in the prostate gland. Occasionally, the doctor may first feel a hard nodule during a routine digital (done with the finger) rectal examination. The prostate gland is located immediately in front of the rectum.

Rarely, in more advanced cases, the cancer may enlarge and press on the urethra. As a result, the flow of urine diminishes and urination becomes more difficult. Patients may also experience burning with urination or blood in the urine. As the tumor continues to grow, it can completely block the flow of urine, resulting in a painfully obstructed and enlarged urinary bladder. These symptoms by themselves, however, do not confirm the presence of prostate cancer. Most of these symptoms can occur in men with non-cancerous (benign) enlargement of the prostate (the most common form of prostate enlargement). However, the occurrence of these symptoms should prompt an evaluation by the doctor to rule out cancer and provide appropriate treatment.

New Research-How Curcumin in Turmeric Inhibits Prostate Cancer

 Curcumin, an ingredient of the Indian spice Turmeric, has been shown to stop the formation of metastases in prostate cancer patients, researchers from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) in Munich, Germany, reported in the journal Carcinogenesis today.Tumeric, in powdered form, has been used for hundreds of years for the treatment of various illnesses, such as osteoarthritis. Curcumin, its active ingredient, stops inflammatory reactions, the scientists explained. Several studies over the last few years have discovered a wide range of potential medicinal uses for curcumin. In March 2012 researchers from Michigan State University found that curcumin may be beneficial for people with Parkinson's disease.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignancies in Western societies. Unfortunately, it is often diagnosed too late, when tumors have metastasized - spread to other parts of the body. When a cancer metastasizes, the chances of dying from the disease increase dramatically.PD Dr. Beatrice Bachmeier and team have been carrying out research on how a natural product that inhibits the formation of metastases behaves. Curcumin, as mentioned above, is found in turmeric, a plant that has had medicinal properties and has been widely used for thousands of years; it is also a major ingredient of curry. Curcumin is the polyphenol that gives curry its characteristic color. As curcumin is well tolerated, it can be used both as preventive therapy (prophylactic) as well as treating prostate cancer patients whose tumors have already metastasized (secondary prevention).Bachmeier and team had already shown that curcumin undermines the formation of metastatic tumors in the lungs in animal models with advanced breast cancer.

Mitigating metastasis

In this new study, Bachmeier and colleagues set out to determine how effective curcumin might be in preventing metastases in patients with prostate cancer. They also wanted to find out what the agent's mechanism of action is. They first looked at the molecular processes that are abnormally regulated in the cells of prostate carcinomas. Prostate and breast cancer have a lot in common. They are often linked to latent or chronic inflammatory reactions. Tumor cells in both types of cancers were found to produce the cytokines CXCL1 und CXCL2, both of them are pro-inflammatory immunomodulators. In a mouse model, they discovered and then demonstrated that curcumin reduces the expression of CXCL1 und CXCL2, which resulted in fewer cases of metastases.

 

Bachmeier said, Due to the action of curcumin, the tumor cells synthesize smaller amounts of cytokines that promote metastasis. As a consequence, the frequency of metastasis formation in the lungs is significantly reduced, in animals with breast cancer, as we showed previously, or carcinoma of the prostate, as demonstrated in our new study.

Curcumin and chemoprevention

The authors believe that curcumin may have useful properties for the prevention of cancers associated with inflammation, such as prostate and breast cancers, as well as inhibiting metastases. The authors wrote, this does not mean that the compound should be seen as a replacement for conventional therapies. However, it could play a positive role in primary prevention - before a full-blown tumor arises - or help to avert formation of metastases. In this context the fact that the substance is well tolerated is very important, because one can safely recommend it to individuals who have an increased tumor risk.

Bachmeier said that humans can consume up to 8gm of curcumin safely. Its anti-inflammatory properties have been used in traditional Chinese and Indian medicine for hundreds of years.An example of prophylaxis might be for patients with BHP (benign hyperplasia of the prostate), or females with a family history of breast cancer. The researchers believe that curcumin might also have beneficial qualities as a supplement for other cancers. A study carried out at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center showed that curcumin was beneficial for patients with head and neck cancers. Further studies are required to confirm these findings, preferably controlled clinical tests, they added. The team is currently planning to carry out a controlled clinical trial on patients with therapy-resistant prostate cancer.

(Source-Journal Carcinogenesis)

 Curcumin in Turmeric Inhibits Prostate Cancer