SCIENCE CONFIRMS TURMERIC AS EFFECTIVE AS 14 DRUGS
Turmeric is one the most thoroughly researched plants in
existence today. Its medicinal properties and components (primarily curcumin)
have been the subject of over 5600 peer-reviewed and published biomedical studies.
In fact, our five-year long research project on this sacred plant has revealed over
600 potential preventive and therapeutic applications, as well as 175 distinct
beneficial physiological effects. This entire database of 1,585
ncbi-hyperlinked turmeric abstracts can be downloaded as a PDF at our Downloadable Turmeric Document
page, and acquired either as a retail item or with 200 GMI-tokens, for those of
you who are already are members and receive
them automatically each month.
Given the sheer density of research performed on this
remarkable spice, it is no wonder that a growing number of studies have
concluded that it compares favorably to a variety of conventional medications,
including:
Lipitor/Atorvastatin(cholesterol
medication): A
2008 study published in the journal Drugs
in R & D found that a standardized preparation of curcuminoids from
Turmeric compared favorably to the drug atorvastatin (trade name Lipitor) on
endothelial dysfunction, the underlying pathology of the blood vessels that
drives atherosclerosis, in association with reductions in inflammation and
oxidative stress in type 2 diabetic patients. [i] [For addition curcumin and 'high cholesterol' research
– 8 abstracts]
Corticosteroids
(steroid medications): A
1999 study published in the journal
Phytotherapy Research found that the primary polyphenol in turmeric, the
saffron colored pigment known as curcumin, compared favorably to steroids in
the management of chronic anterior uveitis, an inflammatory eye disease.[ii] A 2008 study published
in Critical Care Medicine found
that curcumin compared favorably to the corticosteroid drug dexamethasone in
the animal model as an alternative therapy for protecting lung
transplantation-associated injury by down-regulating inflammatory genes.[iii] An earlier 2003 study
published in Cancer Letters
found the same drug also compared favorably to dexamethasone in a lung ischaemia-repurfusion
injury model.[iv] [for additional curcumin and inflammation research –
52 abstracts]
Prozac/Fluoxetine
& Imipramine (antidepressants):
A 2011 study published in the journal Acta Poloniae Pharmaceutica found
that curcumin compared favorably to both drugs in reducing depressive behavior
in an animal model.[v] [for additional curcumin and depression research –
5 abstracts]
Aspirin
(blood thinner): A
1986 in vitro and ex vivo study published in the journal Arzneimittelforschung found that
curcumin has anti-platelet and prostacyclin modulating effects compared to
aspirin, indicating it may have value in patients prone to vascular thrombosis
and requiring anti-arthritis therapy.[vi] [for additional curcumin and anti-platelet research]
Anti-inflammatory
Drugs: A
2004 study published in the journal Oncogene
found that curcumin (as well as resveratrol) were effective alternatives to the
drugs aspirin, ibuprofen, sulindac, phenylbutazone, naproxen, indomethacin,
diclofenac, dexamethasone, celecoxib, and tamoxifen in exerting
anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative activity against tumor cells.[vii] [for additional curcumin and anti-proliferative
research – 15 abstracts]
Oxaliplatin
(chemotherapy drug): A
2007 study published in the International
Journal of Cancer found that curcumin compares favorably with
oxaliplatin as an antiproliferative agenet in colorectal cell lines.[viii] [for additional curcumin and colorectal cancer
research – 52 abstracts]
Metformin
(diabetes drug): A
2009 study published in the journal Biochemitry
and Biophysical Research Community explored how curcumin might be
valuable in treating diabetes, finding that it activates AMPK (which increases
glucose uptake) and suppresses gluconeogenic gene expression (which
suppresses glucose production in the liver) in hepatoma cells. Interestingly,
they found curcumin to be 500 times to 100,000 times (in the form known as
tetrahydrocurcuminoids(THC)) more potent than metformin in activating AMPK and
its downstream target acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC).
We have found no less than 54 studies indicating that
curcumin can induce cell death or sensitize drug-resistant cancer cell lines to
conventional treatment.
We have identified 27 studies on curcumin’s ability to either induce cell death or sensitize multi-drug resistant cancer cell lines to conventional treatment.
Nourishing yourself, rather than self-medicating with ‘nutraceuticals,’ should be the goal of a healthy diet.
