Dear friends:
    This is the recent conversation I had with "Ask the Doctor" forum.
However, the text of my response was not published. I thought youshould know
the contents of the text.
Please go on and read.
Raj
********
----- Original Message -----
From: "R.Rajaraman" <[log in to unmask]>
To: "Ask the Doctor" <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, June 22, 2005 4:55 PM
Subject: Turmeric: the spice for healthy life!


> Subject: Curcumin question
> From: "Anonymous" <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Mon, 20 Jun 2005 15:16:28 -0400
> X-Message-Number: 1
>
> Is it reasonable to suppose that people who eat turmeric on a regular
basis
> would have, if its active ingredient curcumin is neuroprotective, a lower
> incidence of Parkinson's than average? If so, are there any studies
looking
> at comparative rates of Parkinson's between people who eat a lot of curry
> and those who never do?
>
> jcm
> ****************
> JCM.
>
> I do not know the answer to your question.
>
> You may want to flip through the archive as I posted an article on this
> compound/tumeric; that showed it is used in chemotherapy and can cause
cell
> death (apoptosis), so be careful.
> ***********************
>
> Hi:
>     It is very true one has to take  anything with a pinch of salt and
this
> includes the above statement too, I am afraid.
> There are about 1318 publications listed in the pubmed on  curcumin. Most
of
> them deal with the anti-cancer effect of curcumin [Bioorg Med Chem Lett.
> 2005. 15: 2738-2744]; and quite a few of them deal with anti-oxidant,
> radioprotective, and most importantly the anti-inflammatory properties
> [Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2005. 15:  1793-1797] of curcumin. It is true that
> curcumin is actively studied for it anti-cancer treatment, which means  it
> can kill tumor cells [Curr Cancer Drug Targets. 2005. 5: 117-129]. That
does
> not necessarily mean that it will kill all normal cells either. In fact,
it
> protects normal cells against free-radical damage [Exp Physiol 2005. Feb
22.
> Epub ahead of print], against type 2 diabetes [J Agric Food Chem. 2005.
> 23:959-963], inhibition of carcinogenesis [Cancer Lett. 2005. 223:
181-190;
> Recent Results Cancer Res. 2005. 166: 257-275],  anti-aging properties
> [Biogerontology 2004. 5: 275-289], protects normal embryonic stem cells
and
> blastocysts (source of embryonic stem cells) [J cell Physiol 2005. 10:
Epub
> ahead of print], protect dopaminergic neurons [Neuropharmacology 2002. 42:
> 1056-1064], anti-angiogenic (helps prevent vascularization of tumors)
[Curr
> Pharm Des. 2005. 11: 357-373], inhibits Cox-2 enzyme [Oncogene 2004. 23:
> 9247-9258] involved in growth of cancer cells and progression of PD,
helps
> in cystic fibrosis [Gastroenterology 2004. 127: 1639=1640], inhibits
> formation of amyloid beta oligomers and fibrils, binds plaques, and
reduces
> amyloid in vivo (J Biol Chem. 2005. 280: 5892-5901], induces Glutathione
( a
> major anti-oxidant) biosynthesis [Antioxid Redox Signal. 2005. 7: 32-41],
> helps in radiation repair and regeneration of wounds [Plast Reconstr Surg.
> 2005. 115: 515-528], attenuates ischemia/reperfusion-induced contractility
> impairment following cardiopulmonary bypass [J Cardiovasc Pharmacol. 2005.
> 45:301-309; J Surg Res. 2005. 125: 109-106], decreases blood glucose
levels
> in diabetes mellitus rats [Therapie. 2004. 59: 639-644], preventive and
> therapeutic effects in rat colitis [World J Gastroenterol. 2005. 11:
> 1747-1752], medicinal use against gastrointestinal and respiratory
disorders
> [Life Sci 2005. 76: 3089-3105],  to cite a few of such references.
>     Thus, in my opinion, turmeric, a major source of curcumim (both are
not
> the same) appears to be a spice for healthy life. HOWEVER, I AM NOT A
> QUALIFIED MEDICAL DOCTOR TO GIVE ADVICE ON SUCH MATTERS. It is true that
> there are no studies specifically on PD patients. However, in my opinion,
> there will not be any study of that sort conducted by any pharrmaceutical
> company, as far as I can see. This is because nobody can patent turmeric.
> Therefore, there is no money to be made by such studies!
>     I am afraid one has to use his/her own judgement before one considers
> taking tumeric. I wouldn't worry about long term effect of  tumeric, since
> this experiment has been going on in India for thousands of years without
> much deleteriosu side effects. In the J Biol Chem studies on amyloid, they
> have given a maximum of  3000 mg for three months without any side
effects.
> Anything in moderation is the rule one has to remember.
>     People should learn to check the current info on the internet by
> punching in "PUBMED" and then searching for the specific info on anything
> they have doubt or quesions about.
>     Raj
>

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