Curcumin is the active phytochemical in turmeric that has been found effective in preventing and treating a variety of maladies, including: cancer, colitis, arthritis, Chron’s disease, depression, lupus, irritable bowel, liver and heart disease, and diabetes.(1)
It is a potent anti-inflammatory—inflammation in the body is a known precursor to illness and disease.
The way that it works is by regulating the stimulation of apoptic proteins (responsible for cell death) to rid the body of abnormal cells and cytokines: pro-inflammatory molecules that promote communication between cells.(2)
Somehow, curcumin seems to know the difference between a healthy cell and an abnormal one and prevents abnormal cells from replicating and growing.(3)
Adding Turmeric To Your Diet To Ward Of Disease.
Its mild flavor can be added to almost anything and its bright yellow-orange color can enliven foods you already eat. Used extensively in Indian cuisine, this rhizome from the ginger family has been used in many cultures as a staple spice and home remedy.
Ingesting curcumin is effective in reducing inflammation and managing growth of abnormal cells, however, its full healing potential isn’t realized because its bioavailability is limited. Researchers have been looking for other ways to unleash curcumin’s power.
By injecting a solution directly into cancerous tumors, for example, residual curcumin levels have been found to linger for almost a month. By hanging around longer, the effects of apoptosis (self-destruction of cells) and inhibition of tumor growth are vastly increased.(4)
In recent years, intravenous therapy has been introduced as a means of treatment with curcumin. In one study, it was found to heal brain damage caused by trauma, stroke, and radiation treatment.(5)
A ground-breaking Chinese study showed that intravenous curcumin treatment was effective in inhibiting the growth of colon cancer cells.(6)
Because curcumin is fat-soluble, combining it with an intravenous solution enables its broader dispersion through the body.
According to the Advanced Rejuvenation Institute in Australia, curcumin helps combat cancer in several ways:(7)
- Curcumin has an ability to promote healthy cells to grow, while slowing down the proliferation and growth of cancer cells.
- It causes cancer apoptosis (programmed cell death) at lower stages of cancer than other treatments.
- Curcumin works against toxins and enzymes that promote cancer cell growth, significantly slowing down and often inhibiting the progression of cancer.
- It prevents angiogenesis (creation of new blood vessels), thus cutting off blood supply from cancer cells; cancer cells starve and stop growing.
- Curcumin slows down inflammation—an environment conducive to the growth of cancer cells—slowing down cancer growth.
Using curcumin intravenously means that it is absorbed by the body better and faster, which may be especially useful for cancer patients for whom time is vital.
Curcumin has antioxidant properties that, when combined with vitamin C, has been found to combat hepatotoxicity (liver damage caused by medication).
When tested separately in one study, neither the vitamin C nor the curcumin were able to reverse the damage, but were effective when combined.(7)
Curcumin causes the production of high levels of “the master antioxidant” glutathione; the relevance to liver damage: 4-HNE is a highly toxic substance that is produced in the liver when it has been compromised and glutathione has been shown to diffuse this substance, significantly reducing toxicity.(8)
Another curcumin partner that increases its bioavailability is phosphatidylcholine, a natural chemical that can be found in eggs, sunflower seeds, and mustard.
Phosphatidylcholine has been used intravenously to treat high cholesterol, liver disease, fatty tumors, atheriosclerosis, and hepatitis C.(9) These two substances combined are highly toxic to breast cancer cells—five times more effective than curcumin alone.(10)
You can try this fast and easy turmeric and black pepper soup at home (not to inject but to eat!)—click here for the recipe.