Curcumin or Turmeric

imagineit2010

Has anyone taken Curcumin or Turmeric supplements?
Cancer Lett. 2007 Oct 8;255(2):170-81. Epub 2007 Apr 19.

Curcumin for chemoprevention of colon cancer.
Johnson JJ, Mukhtar H.

University of Wisconsin, School of Pharmacy, 777 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705-2222, USA. jjjohnson6@wisc.edu

Abstract
The most practical approach to reduce the morbidity and mortality of cancer is to delay the process of carcinogenesis through the use of chemopreventive agents. This necessitates that safer compounds, especially those derived from natural sources must be critically examined for chemoprevention. A spice common to India and the surrounding regions, is turmeric, derived from the rhizome of Curcuma longa. Pre-clinical studies in a variety of cancer cell lines including breast, cervical, colon, gastric, hepatic, leukemia, oral epithelial, ovarian, pancreatic, and prostate have consistently shown that curcumin possesses anti-cancer activity in vitro and in pre-clinical animal models. The robust activity of curcumin in colorectal cancer has led to five phase I clinical trials being completed showing the safety and tolerability of curcumin in colorectal cancer patients. To date clinical trials have not identified a maximum tolerated dose of curcumin in humans with clinical trials using doses up to 8000mg per day. The success of these trials has led to the development of phase II trials that are currently enrolling patients. Overwhelming in vitro evidence and completed clinical trials suggests that curcumin may prove to be useful for the chemoprevention of colon cancer in humans. This review will focus on describing the pre-clinical and clinical evidence of curcumin as a chemopreventive compound in colorectal cancer.

PMID: 17448598 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

lesvanb

turmeric
I take 900 mg of turmeric with black pepper/day with my medical oncologist knowledge (I didn't take it during chemo)

1) Himalaya supplements has plain turmeric
http://www.ayurvedicherbsdirect.com is a ggod place to buy
2) Vitacost has the turmeric with black pepper
NSI NSI Turmeric Extract Curcumin C3 Complex® with Bioperine® -- 1160 mg per serving - 120 Capsules

Leslie

abrub

lesvanb said:

turmeric
I take 900 mg of turmeric with black pepper/day with my medical oncologist knowledge (I didn't take it during chemo)

1) Himalaya supplements has plain turmeric
http://www.ayurvedicherbsdirect.com is a ggod place to buy
2) Vitacost has the turmeric with black pepper
NSI NSI Turmeric Extract Curcumin C3 Complex® with Bioperine® -- 1160 mg per serving - 120 Capsules

Leslie

I just asked my onc about it
I asked my oncologist about it (at Memorial Sloan Kettering) and he said that the info keeps changing, but for now, I shouldn't take it.

Note - I had appendix ca, which, while not colon ca, falls under the umbrella of colon ca.

dianetavegia

My understanding
From what I've read, Tumeric OR Aspirin, but not both and I chose aspirin.
I HATE curry and cannot tolerate any black or white peppers. Even the smell of curry makes me ill. Ewwwwww

I do
ABCDEF

Aspirin, Better diet, Calcium, Vit. D3, Exercise (not enough) and F for Modified Citrus Pectin

imagineit2010

dianetavegia said:

My understanding
From what I've read, Tumeric OR Aspirin, but not both and I chose aspirin.
I HATE curry and cannot tolerate any black or white peppers. Even the smell of curry makes me ill. Ewwwwww

I do
ABCDEF

Aspirin, Better diet, Calcium, Vit. D3, Exercise (not enough) and F for Modified Citrus Pectin

It can't be ALL pleasent
I hear ya Diane but you can get Curcumin in pill form and it really does have some positive "study" responses to cancer cells. The difference between those two is they don't know why Asprin has some benefits but they do know the mechanisms that are at work with Curcumin and cancer. It's way more than just anti-inflamatory. If you haven't looked into it in a while you should maybe re-examine it. Plus, there are NO side effects with Curcumin compared to bleeding issues with Asprin.
Just FYI

dianetavegia

imagineit2010 said:

It can't be ALL pleasent
I hear ya Diane but you can get Curcumin in pill form and it really does have some positive "study" responses to cancer cells. The difference between those two is they don't know why Asprin has some benefits but they do know the mechanisms that are at work with Curcumin and cancer. It's way more than just anti-inflamatory. If you haven't looked into it in a while you should maybe re-examine it. Plus, there are NO side effects with Curcumin compared to bleeding issues with Asprin.
Just FYI

MSK says Tumeric should not
MSK says Tumeric should not be used during chemo. It should not be used by those with kidney stones, gall stones, stomach acid type concerns and it can cause bleeding so should not be used alongside aspirin.


ASPIRIN:
CHICAGO – Score another win for the humble aspirin. A study suggests colon cancer patients who took the dirt-cheap wonder drug reduced their risk of death from the disease by nearly 30 percent.

Aspirin already is recommended for preventing heart attacks and strokes, along with its traditional use for relief of minor aches and pains. Its merit in colon cancer prevention has been tempered by its side effects, bleeding from irritation of the stomach or intestines.

The new study suggests patients who already have colon cancer may benefit from taking aspirin along with surgery and chemotherapy. In a separate analysis of a subgroup of patients, only those with the most common type of tumor, those that overproduce the Cox-2 enzyme, saw a benefit.

"The paper is absolutely incredible, and I don't gush normally," said Dr. Alfred Neugut of Columbia University Medical Center in New York who has done similar research but was not involved in the new study. In an accompanying editorial, Neugut wrote that the study "comes as close as it can to offering patients a way to help themselves.".....
The yahoo link for this article is now old but a search can be done online for more information using the doctor's name.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm 60 and I may have taken 2 Tylenol type pills in my life. Aspirin has never given me any concerns. It's all my family will use.

Kerry S

went back on baby aspirin
I went back on baby aspirin after having my port pulled out. After 5 days my right leg twisted out 22 degrees and I felt like crap again. No more aspirin for me.

As for food intake. If I like it I eat it. If it has gravy on it or fat in it, God sent it to me. Salami and pepper cheese on rye are my basic food group for lunch. Right along with hot dogs and chips. I am 6 foot 2 inch and weigh in at 183. I need this type food.

Kathleen808

Hi
**** is currently taking CoCurcumin which is Curcumin plus MCT & Co Q10 from the naturapath that he has been seeing. He will let the surgeon and Dr. Lenz know that he is on it. He has been off chemo for about 4 weeks.

Aloha,
Kathleen

imagineit2010

Kathleen808 said:

Hi
**** is currently taking CoCurcumin which is Curcumin plus MCT & Co Q10 from the naturapath that he has been seeing. He will let the surgeon and Dr. Lenz know that he is on it. He has been off chemo for about 4 weeks.

Aloha,
Kathleen

sounds good
That's great. I have an appointment with a ND next week but I'm already taking the coQ10 and Turmeric. I'm looking for a good source for the Curcumin. From everything I've read this could be what all CC patients should take either before or after Chemo. Best of luck with your choice.
Chris

C Dixon

imagineit2010 said:

sounds good
That's great. I have an appointment with a ND next week but I'm already taking the coQ10 and Turmeric. I'm looking for a good source for the Curcumin. From everything I've read this could be what all CC patients should take either before or after Chemo. Best of luck with your choice.
Chris

Curcumin
Try www.vitacost.com. That's where I get mine. I take two a day.

NSI Turmeric Extract Curcumin C3 Complex® with Bioperine® -- 1160 mg per serving

Supplement Facts
Serving Size: 2 Capsules
Servings per Container: 60
Amount Per Serving % Daily Value

Turmeric Extract (Curcuma longa)(standardized to 95% curcuminoids)(rhizome)(curcumin C3 Complex®) 1160 mg *

Providing 0

Curcumin 1100 mg

Black pepper extract (piper nigrum)(standardized to 95% peperine)(fruit)(Bioperine®) 5 mg *

Not sure what "providing" means but it does include the black pepper which helps with absorption.

I took it while on chemo. I didn't know what Sloan Kettering said about it but I used the books Anti-Cancer and Life Over Cancer and it wasn't mentioned not to take it during chemo.

My Oncologist at Duke also said for Stage IV patients curcumin is probably the best choice because the studies with aspirin involved Stage 1 - III.

Catherine

coloCan

C Dixon said:

Curcumin
Try www.vitacost.com. That's where I get mine. I take two a day.

NSI Turmeric Extract Curcumin C3 Complex® with Bioperine® -- 1160 mg per serving

Supplement Facts
Serving Size: 2 Capsules
Servings per Container: 60
Amount Per Serving % Daily Value

Turmeric Extract (Curcuma longa)(standardized to 95% curcuminoids)(rhizome)(curcumin C3 Complex®) 1160 mg *

Providing 0

Curcumin 1100 mg

Black pepper extract (piper nigrum)(standardized to 95% peperine)(fruit)(Bioperine®) 5 mg *

Not sure what "providing" means but it does include the black pepper which helps with absorption.

I took it while on chemo. I didn't know what Sloan Kettering said about it but I used the books Anti-Cancer and Life Over Cancer and it wasn't mentioned not to take it during chemo.

My Oncologist at Duke also said for Stage IV patients curcumin is probably the best choice because the studies with aspirin involved Stage 1 - III.

Catherine

a researcher, in an article published 4/28 used curcumin
with some success in disabling cancer stem cells (CSC), which are capable of forming tumors. "His studies have found that curcumin also can lower the number of IGF-1R (insulin-like growth factor receptor)and can reduce CSCs further when paired with the siRNA (small interfering RNA) method he outlined in current study." Dosage, etc not indicated

Publisheds by www.physorg.com/print191667458.html

dianetavegia

Black Pepper
I can eat hot sauce or cayenne pepper til it comes out of my ears, but let me eat something with black pepper in it and I'm doubled over in pain. Been like that most of my life. Also, dehydrated onion powder.

Black pepper isn't digested (supposedly takes 7 years to digest or passes thru undigested) so how can it help with absorption?

John23

Cinnamon, spice, and everything cancerous

Some things to try are new, but others are thousands of years old.
I personally prefer the latter........

http://www.taoofherbs.com/articles/56/BasicsOfTCM.htm


Better health!

John

imagineit2010

dianetavegia said:

Black Pepper
I can eat hot sauce or cayenne pepper til it comes out of my ears, but let me eat something with black pepper in it and I'm doubled over in pain. Been like that most of my life. Also, dehydrated onion powder.

Black pepper isn't digested (supposedly takes 7 years to digest or passes thru undigested) so how can it help with absorption?

Keep looking into it
Great point Diane but that's just it, it keeps it from being digested too quickly. Apparently Curcumin doesn't stay in your systen long enough to be fully absorbed. The theory is that by mixing it with a substance that stays in your body it has more time to be processed and beneficial. The majority of any consumed Curcumin passes right through your body so the dosage has to be increased greatly. This is one of the reasons it is beneficial to throat cancer and digestive system cancers. Curcumin is absorbed into the lining of the esophogus and can act against those cancer cells and since it passes through quickly it remains in the intestines and colon for a longer period of time, thus having more time in one area. The majority of Curcumin is "wasted" in urine and feces but for us, that's better. That's where we want it sitting around being absorbed. I take mine at night hoping I'll go more hours before passing it. Makes sense to me....

C Dixon

dianetavegia said:

Black Pepper
I can eat hot sauce or cayenne pepper til it comes out of my ears, but let me eat something with black pepper in it and I'm doubled over in pain. Been like that most of my life. Also, dehydrated onion powder.

Black pepper isn't digested (supposedly takes 7 years to digest or passes thru undigested) so how can it help with absorption?

Pepper
Hi Diane,

The book "Anti-Cancer" states, "When researchers in Taiwan tried treating cancerous tumors with turmeric delivered in capsules, they discovered that it was very poorly absorbed by the digestive system. In fact, when it is not mixed with pepper - as it always has been in curry - tumeric does not pass the intestinal barrier. Pepper multiplies the body's absorption of tumeric by two thousand." It cites a study by Shoba & Joy entitled, "Influence of Piperine on the Pharmacokinetics of Curcumin in Animals and Human Volunteers".

It may be that the pepper is not digested but just aids in the absorption of the curcumin. I am not sure; I wasn't that successful in Chemistry..... I know that Stage IV patients like me want it to pass through the intestines into the organs. I am not sure how successful we are with supplements but it is worth a try.

I don't like black pepper either, especially during this go around with Folfiri and when I was pregnant.

Catherine