How the curcumin in tumeric turns back on the cancer cell suicide switch (4 min. 36 sec. video)

In this short (4 min. 36 sec.) video Dr. Michael Greger (nutritionfacts.org) explains:

*How the pigment in tumeric (curcumin) helps regulate cancer cell death (aka apoptosis) in several ways (theoretically making it harder for cancer cells to adapt as they virtually always eventually do to chemo drugs).

*How long it takes for the body to completely replace (through normal cell suicide) it’s 10 to 13 trillions cells (100 to 130 billions cells per day).

*How cancer cells “overstay their welcome” by somehow turning off their natural suicide switch.

*How curcumin somehow turns back on cancer cells suicide switch (using several different mechanisms of action) without harming normal cells.

*And much more.

The curry connection: tumeric and cancer prevention and treatment (4 min. 15 sec. video)

In this brief video (4 min. 15 sec.) by Dr. Michael Greger (nutritionfacts.org) you’ll learn about:

*The age around which most cancers start

*The age around which most cancers are diagnosed (hint: there’s often around a 30 year “incubation” period)

*Why pharmaceutical companies are much less interested in plant based cancer treatment products than synthetics although the plant based drugs may actually be less expensive, safer and naturally multi-target cancer cells (as opposed to the much more expensive single target approach commonly used today).

*How high tumeric consuming Southeast Asian countries, for example India, have cancer rates several times lower than the US: prostate cancer – 23 X less, male melanoma skin cancer – 14 X less.

*Other simple dietary factors that many scientists think contribute to the startlingly lower cancer rates in some Southeast Asian countries.

*The high anti-oxidant food category that Indians consume much more of that contribute to a much lower cancer rate than populations eating a typical Western diet (high fat, high white sugar, high refined flour, high red meat, etc.).

Wine and breast cancer survival or prevention

Above photo by speakinglatino.com (courtesy of Flickr and Creative Commons)

Below is a link to a recent blog post by Dr. Michael Greger about surviving and preventing breast cancer:

After diagnosis, women with breast cancer may cut their risk of dying nearly in half by just instituting simple, modest lifestyle changes. . . . .

Dr. Michael Greger

*Four simple guidelines for preventing breast cancer in the first place.

*Of the four simple preventive steps the one that science says has the most effect.

Link to blog post:
Breast Cancer and Wine | NutritionFacts.org.

Carcinogen blocking effects of tumeric curcumin (3 min. 32 sec. video)

In this brief (3 min. 32 sec.) video Dr. Michael Greger talks about the results of studies involving tumeric:

*How the active ingredient in tumeric (curcumin) appears to block every stage of cancer development (from normal cell to cancer cell to  proliferation to tumor growth to invasion to metastesis).

*How curcumin may help before carcinogens even get to normal cells.

*How less than a teaspoon a day of turmeric appears to significantly lower the DNA mutating ability of cancer-causing substances.

NOTE:

Please watch an earlier video I posted below on who scientific studies says may want to limit their intake of tumeric and how much may be too much.

An earlier posted video by Dr. Greger goes into the studies that have shown a significant increase in bio-availability of curcumin by adding black pepper.

I’m skeptical of a “magic bullet” fruit, vegetable or nutrient that, all alone will reverse advanced cancer without making any diet or lifestyle changes. But I do believe in using such herbs as tumeric as part of a complete science based integrative treatment plan (i.e. integrating the best conventional treatment the patient can access and science based nutritional and lifestyle strategies such as those advocated by Dr. Keith Block in his book Life Over Cancer–see my review in an earlier post below).

Tumeric is probably the best anti-inflammatory herb available but how much does science say is too much? (2 min. 43 sec. video)

According to Dr. Keith Block’s authoritative book on integrative cancer treatment, Life Over Cancer, (from my experience probably the best book available to laymen looking for science based nutrition and lifestyle strategies to help manage advanced and late-stage cancers) chronic inflammation is one of the six biochemical conditions in the body that can promote cancer establishment, growth and spread.

I’ve posted videos in the past about the anti-inflammatory effects of tumeric (or more accurately, the curcumin in tumeric). It’s one of the most effective anti-inflammatory herbs on the planet and has been used for centuries in recipes and medicines from India. (By the way, the addition of some ground black pepper has been shown through studies to dramatically increase the bio-availability of the anti-inflammatory nutrients in tumeric.)

But how much is too much of a good thing? In this video Dr. Greger puts that question to science to find an answer.