Curcumin in the war against prostate cancer and dementia

Curcumin, the active anti-inflammatory compound found in the Indian spice tumeric, has gained an impressive reputation in the fight against many deadly forms of cancer. New evidence released in the journal Cancer Research finds that the natural phenol can slow prostate tumor growth by blocking receptors used to propagate cell tissue growth.

Additional research published in the journal PLoS One explains the precise mechanism exerted by curcumin molecules to target the amyloid fibrils associated with the unnatural progression of protein-like plaque tangles that are characteristic in Alzheimer's disease patients. Adding curry spice to your healthy diet or supplementing daily with a standardized curcumin capsule will help win your individual war against cancerous proliferation and Alzheimer's dementia.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of the disease, with more than 250,000 diagnoses in the US each year. Any natural compound that targets the proliferation of prostate cancer cells would provide a significant remedy compared with the allopathic methods of radiation, surgery and chemical agents. To conduct the study, researchers subjected prostate cancer cells to hormone deprivation in the presence and absence of curcumin with 'physiologically attainable' doses.


Curcumin blocks prostate cell receptors to thwart cancer progression
The researchers found that curcumin blocked two genetic receptors necessary for prostate cancer advancement. These receptors have been shown is past studies to predict cancer incidence and rate of growth of existing tumors. They noted that the spice extract was "a potent inhibitor of both cell cycle and survival in prostate cancer cells."

The lead study author, Dr. Karen Knudsen and her team found that other cancer cell lines multiply by a similar receptor mechanism and may also be inhibited by the curry compound. She commented that curcumin "also has implications beyond prostate cancer... in other malignancies, like breast cancer. In tumors where these play an important function, curcumin may prove to be a promising therapeutic agent."

In a separate research body, scientists found that curcumin prolongs life and enhances activity of brain neurons, acting as a neuroprotective shield against Alzheimer's disease advancement. The research team determined that curcumin acted to prevent the damaging accumulation of amyloid fibrils around the nerve synapse. Amyloid tangles are known to prevent normal electrical and chemical transmissions required to form memories and maintain cognition.

Scientific research models continue to extol the virtues of natural spice and herbal extracts such as curcumin to help prevent and treat many deadly diseases that kill countless millions each year. Incorporate curry spices as part of your healthy diet or include a daily supplement (250 mg to 500 mg standardized curcumin extract) to significantly lower cancer risk and support healthy brain function.



Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/035076_curcumin_prostate_cancer_dementia.html#ixzz1nXwnIT3n

Meal Plans Feb 19-25

Sunday Feb 19:
B: scrambled tofu, 12 oz fresh juice (apple, carrot, lemon, spinach)
L: tofu & mushroom miso soup,sea salt bagel chips
D: poptarts

Monday Feb 20:
B: Kashi golean cereal w/almond milk, 12 oz fresh juice (carrot, apple, lemon)
L: baby carrots, blueberries, pistachios, tea
D: LC pasta w/broccoli/mushroom/seitan/garlic


Tuesday Feb 21:
B: scrambled tofu, 10 oz fresh juice (apple, carrot, lemon)
L: blueberries, pistachios, tea
D: Lentil thai soup, salad (mixed greens, apple, walnuts, balsamic dressing)

Wednesday Feb 22:
B: oatmeal w/pecans/raisins/dates, 10 oz fresh juice (apple, carrot, lemon)
L:  Blueberries, pistachios, tea
D: tomato bisque soup, tofu stirfry thai

Thursday Feb 23:
B: oatmeal w/pecans/raisins, 10 oz fresh juice (apple, carrot, lemon)
L: blueberries, pistachios, tea
D: Tofu gado-gado

Friday Feb 24:
(no breakfast, fasting labs)
L: cream of broccoli soup, smoked tofu on foccacia
D: moroccan chickpea soup, bbq tofu & veggie stirfry

Saturday Feb 25:
B: Kashi GoLean cereal, soymilk, 10 oz fresh juice (apple, carrot, lemon)
L: cream of cauliflower soup, 1/2 pita (lettuce, pepper, hummus), pistachios
D: indian-cooked chickpeas, veggie &seitan curried stirfry w/rice

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Health Benefits of Turmeric

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a culinary spice that spans cultures - it is a major ingredient in Indian curries, and makes American mustard yellow. But evidence is accumulating that this brightly colored relative of ginger is a promising disease-preventive agent as well, probably due largely to its anti-inflammatory action.

 

One of the most comprehensive summaries of turmeric studies to date was published by the respected ethnobotanist James A. Duke, Phd., in the October, 2007 issue of Alternative & Complementary Therapies, and summarized in the July, 2008, issue of the American Botanical Council publication HerbClip.

 

Reviewing some 700 studies, Duke concluded that turmeric appears to outperform many pharmaceuticals in its effects against several chronic, debilitating diseases, and does so with virtually no adverse side effects. Here are some of the diseases that turmeric has been found to help prevent or alleviate:

1. •Alzheimer's disease: Duke found more than 50 studies on turmeric's effects in addressing Alzheimer's disease. The reports indicate that extracts of turmeric contain a number of natural agents that block the formation of beta-amyloid, the substance responsible for the plaques that slowly obstruct cerebral function in Alzheimer's disease.
2. •Arthritis: Turmeric contains more than two dozen anti-inflammatory compounds, including sixdifferent COX-2-inhibitors (the COX-2 enzyme promotes pain, swelling and inflammation; inhibitors selectively block that enzyme). By itself, writes Duke, curcumin - the component in turmeric most often cited for its healthful effects - is a multifaceted anti-inflammatory agent, and studies of the efficacy of curcumin have demonstrated positive changes in arthritic symptoms.
3. •Cancer: Duke found more than 200 citations for turmeric and cancer and more than 700 for curcumin and cancer. He noted that in the handbook Phytochemicals: Mechanisms of Action, curcumin and/or turmeric were effective in animal models in prevention and/or treatment of colon cancer, mammary cancer, prostate cancer, murine hepatocarcinogenesis (liver cancer in rats), esophageal cancer, and oral cancer. Duke said that the effectiveness of the herb against these cancers compared favorably with that reported for pharmaceuticals.

 

How can you get more turmeric into your diet? One way is via turmeric tea. There are also extracts in tablet and capsule form available in health food stores; look for supercritical extracts in dosages of 400 to 600 mg, and take three times daily or as directed on the product.

 

And, of course, one can simply indulge in more curried dishes, either in restaurants or at home. However you do it, adding turmeric to your diet is one of the best moves toward optimal health you can make.

 

Turmeric Tea

 

•Bring four cups of water to a boil.
•Add one teaspoon of ground turmeric and reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.
•Strain the tea through a fine sieve into a cup, add honey and/or lemon to taste.

 

Some people like to add a teaspoon of ginger along with the turmeric. While ground versions are more convenient, it's worthwhile to experiment with freshly grated turmeric for a more vibrant flavor. These distinctive, deep-orange roots are increasingly available in American grocery and natural food stores. Enjoy!

 

~~Dr. Weil.com~~

Yerba Mate Tea in the News

A recent scientific study found that yerba mate tea induces death in human colon cancer cells. Scientists discovered that in vitro cancer cells died when exposed to the bioactive compounds present in one cup of the beverage long valued for its medicinal properties by South American traditional healers.

Caffeine compounds cause cell death
University of Illinois associate professor of food chemical and toxicology Elvira de Mejia stated "The caffeine derivatives in mate tea not only induced death in human colon cancer cells, they also reduced important markers of inflammation." Mejia observed that this is important since inflammation can lead to cancer progression. Her study was published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research in latter part of 2011.

In the in vitro study, de Mejia and former graduate student Sirima Puangpraphant first isolated, and purified, then treated human colon cancer cells with caffeoylquinic acid (CQA) derivatives from mate tea. As the scientists increased the CQA concentration, cancer cells died. "Put simply, the cancer cell self-destructs because its DNA has been damaged," de Mejia said.

Inducing apoptosis, or cell death, is one of the tactics medical researchers have been trying to create through pharmaceutical anti-cancer drugs. However research has also discovered that natural medicines also possess this capability. The new University of Illinois study now demonstrates that yerba mate is one of those substances with this cancer-fighting power.


Yerba mate stops inflammation
The study suggests that the mate tea compounds not only have potential as anti-cancer agents but may also be effective against other diseases associated with inflammation. However, since the colon and its microflora play a major role in the absorption and metabolism of caffeine-related compounds, the anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects of mate tea may be most potent against bowel cancer. "We believe there's ample evidence to support drinking mate tea for its bioactive benefits, especially if you have reason to be concerned about colon cancer," de Mejia noted.

The scientists will also soon publish the results of a further study on yerba mate and colon cancer. The new study compares the development of colon cancer in rats that drank only mate tea against a control group that drank only water.

Sources:

ScienceDaily

http://www.patexia.com/feed/compounds-in-mate-tea-induce-death-in-colon-cancer-cells-2306

http://zeenews.india.com/ayurveda/yerba-mate-brew-bumps-off-colon-cancer-cells_1032.html

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/034806_Yerba_mate_colon_cancer_caffeine.html#ixzz1nBRERRUl

Meal Plans Feb 13-18

Monday Feb 13:
B: scrambled tofu, 10 oz fresh juice (carrot, apple, kale, lemon)
L: pistachios, chick'n & wild rice soup, tea
D: chipolte/tomato/garlic soup, salad (mixed greens, apple, walnuts, feta, balsamic dressing), tea

Tuesday Feb 14:
B: scrambled tofu, 10 oz fresh juice (carrot, apple, kale, lemon)
L: pistachios, grapes, tea
D: tomato & chedar soup, 3-cheese grilled sandwich**
  ** see post: Farewell to cheese

Wednesday Feb 15:
B/L: Kashi golean cereal, almond milk, 10 oz. fresh juice (carrot, apple, spinach, lemon)
D: pinto beans, mexican corn muffin

Thursday Feb 16:
B: scrambled tofu, 10 oz. fresh juice (carrot, apple, spinach, lemon)
L: pistachios, grapes, tea
D: tofu gado-gado, green tea

Friday Feb 17:
B: kashi heart to heart cereal, almond milk, 10 oz fresh juice, (carrot, apple, lemon)
L: chick'n & wild rice soup, mexican corn muffin, pistachios, tea
D: cream of broccoli soup, Reed's "extra ginger" ginger ale

Saturday Feb 18:
B: oatmeal w/raisin/pecans/almond milk , 10 oz fresh juice (carrot, apple, lemon, spinach)
L:grilled cod sandwich with steamed broccoli
D: Amy's veggie burger, salad w/ranch dressing

Recipe: Scrambled Tofu

 Ingredients:
1 red bell pepper, diced
2-3 green onions, diced
1 c. mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
14 ounces tofu, (firm or extra-firm) pressed/drained and crumbled
2 tbsp. of Bragg's liquid aminos
1/4  tsp. turmeric
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
additional salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:
1.Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the red pepper, green onions, and mushrooms...cook until the mushrooms begin to soften. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

2.Add the tofu and sprinkle it with the turmeric, then the Bragg's. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and the tofu is hot.

3.Reduce the heat to medium. Add the spinach and stir. If the mixture seems dry, add a tablespoon or two of water. Cover and steam, stirring every minute or so, until the spinach softens, about 3 or 4 minutes. Stir in the nutritional yeast, check the seasonings, and add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Cook for another minute or two until heated through.

Serves 4.