Turmeric ( curcumin )

1. Turmeric is a natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent, useful in disinfecting cuts and burns.

2. When combined with cauliflower, it has shown to prevent prostate cancer and stop the growth of existing prostate cancer.

3. Prevented breast cancer from spreading to the lungs in mice.

4. May prevent melanoma and cause existing melanoma cells to commit suicide.

5. Reduces the risk of childhood leukemia.

6. Is a natural liver detoxifier.

7. May prevent and slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease by removing amyloyd plaque buildup in the brain.

8. May prevent metastases from occurring in many different forms of cancer.

9. It is a potent natural anti-inflammatory that works as well as many anti-inflammatory drugs but without the side effects.

10. Has shown promise in slowing the progression of multiple sclerosis in mice.

11. Is a natural painkiller and cox-2 inhibitor.

12. May aid in fat metabolism and help in weight management.
      Turmeric Extract Suppresses Fat Tissue Growth in Rodent Models

13. Has long been used in Chinese medicine as a treatment for depression.

14. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, it is a natural treatment for arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

15. Boosts the effects of chemo drug paclitaxel and reduces its side effects.

16. Promising studies are underway on the effects of turmeric on pancreatic cancer.

17. Studies are ongoing in the positive effects of turmeric on multiple myeloma.

18. Has been shown to stop the growth of new blood vessels in tumors.

19. Speeds up wound healing and assists in remodeling of damaged skin.

20. May help in the treatment of psoriasis and other inflammatory skin conditions.


Turmeric contains the antioxidant and metal-ion chelating curcumin, which is useful as an anticancer nutraceutical. Curcumin potently inhibits the activity of:

1. 5-LOX, which converts arachidonic acid to 5-HETE.
2. TGF-B
3. 5-alpha-reductase enzymes, which convert testosterone to DHT
4. NF-kB
5. Galectin-3 which can cause cancer metastasis and cardiac problems.
6. COX-2 and synovial cell growth in arthritis


Turmeric skin cream activates Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 (FGF2 or Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor bFGF), which is a telomerase activator working on dermal fibroblasts. It cleans up wrinkles so effectively by lengthening telomeres in dermal fibroblasts that maintain the extracellular matrix that users confuse it with feminizing skin treatments like progesterone skin cream. In reality, it restores dermal fibroblast telomeres, enabling them to maintain wrinkle-free skin by supporting the production of collagenase and elastin via rejuvenated fibroblasts. It is not feminizing, but rejuvenating in its effect. Rubbing turmeric powder on the skin may have similarly good effect. However, FGF2 is an endothelial cell mitogen.

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Curcumin is found in the common spice turmeric. Curcumin in turmeric has a positive antioxidant effect on the peroxidation of lipids, and piperine in black pepper helps make the curcumin more bioavailable, as does nanoencapsulation.

Curcumin does not become cytotoxic until the dosage reaches about 8 grams/day in humans. Curcumin is a telomerase expression inhibitor. Curcumin inhibits nuclear localization of telomerase by dissociating the Hsp90 co-chaperone p23 from hTERT.

Curcumin inhibits COX-2 and synovial cell growth in arthritis, induces glutathione synthesis, and inhibits NF-kB activation and interleukin-8 release in endothelial cells. About 95% of cancers feature elevated levels of the inflammation-associated transcription factor NF-kB, a telomerase-activating tumor promoter which also drives cancer cell proliferation, invasion, tumor blood vessel formation, and metastasis pathways. Curcumin is one of the most potent NF-kB inhibitors available, making it widely useful in the treatment of cancer.

Curcumin also inhibits thrombosis, chelates metals such as iron and copper, and may increase HDL cholesterol by 50% while lowering LDL cholesterol by 40%.

Curcumin has been described as useful for the chelation of aluminum, which prevents neurofibrillary tangles due to aluminum poisoning.
Curcumin counteracts the aluminum-induced aging-related alterations in oxidative stress, Na+, K+, ATPase and Protein Kinase C in adult and old rat brain regions

Curcumin attenuates amyloid deposits before or after amyloid deposit formation. It also has anti-microbial properties, attenuating HSV-2 in a mouse model. - Caleb E. Finch, p.171. See also Mayank Singh and Neeta Singh, (2009), Molecular mechanism of curcumin induced cytotoxicity in human cervical carcinoma cells, Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Volume 325, Numbers 1-2 / May, 2009, Pages 107-119. Curcumin inhibits the growth of neuroblastoma cells. (Teiten, Eifes, Dicato and Diederich, 2010). See also J. Everett Borger, How Curcumin Protects Against Cancer, Life Extension Magazine, March 2011. Curcumin acts in this case by inhibiting the hTERT gene as a telomerase inhibitor.

Curcumin chelates both copper and iron, helping it both oppose the spread of cancer via copper and helping it to protect hippocampal mitrochondria against copper and iron, opposing cognitive decline, dementia, and Alzheimer's Disease. Iron can catalyze destructive lipid peroxidation chain reactions particularly destructive of mitochondria. See metal ions. Note that curcumin is a potent galectin-3 inhibitor, helping it to oppose cancer metastasis and cardiac problems related to galectin-3.

Curcumin is given as anti-venom for King Cobra snake bites.

Curcumin is thought to rev up metabolism and to promote thermogenesis by bodybuilders. Expression of different Heat Shock Protein family members is induced by curcumin.

Curcumin ameliorates ethanol and nonethanol experimental pancreatitis, Curcumin inhibits proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis and metastasis of different cancers through interaction with multiple cell signaling proteins.

Curcuminoid compounds are derivatives of ferulic acid, including curcumin (diferuloylmethane), demethoxycurcumin, and bisemethoxycurcumin, all of which are yellow.

Turmeric may be taken at up to 8 grams/day to prevent methylglyoxal damage in ketosis.

Turmeric extract suppresses fat tissue growth in rodent models