Turmeric, a spice common to curries, prevents the spread of prostate cancer in mice, according to a new study from Rutgers University.

Over half a million men worldwide are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year, with over 200,000 deaths from the disease. The lowest incidence of the cancer is in Asia and the Far East, in particular India and China, and this has been linked to high dietary intake of compounds like turmeric.

There has been a great deal of research on turmeric’s anti-cancer potential.

Epidemiological studies have previously linked high turmeric intake to lower rates of leukemia, breast, lung and colon cancer.

Evidence from test tube and animal studies suggests that curcumin may help prevent, control, or kill several types of cancers, including prostate, breast, skin, and colon. Curcumin’s effects may be due to its ability to stop the blood vessels that supply cancerous tumors from growing, and its preventive effects may come from its strength as an antioxidant, protecting cells from damage

What is Turmeric?

Turmeric comes from the root of the Curcuma longa plant and has a tough brown skin and a deep orange flesh. Turmeric has long been used as a powerful anti-inflammatory in both the Chinese and Indian systems of medicine. Turmeric was traditionally called Indian saffron because of its deep yellow-orange color and has been used throughout history as a condiment and healing remedy.

The active ingredient in the spice, which is a significant component in curry powders, is the polyphenol curcumin.

Curcumin is thought to be the primary pharmacological agent in turmeric

Reported studies have revealed that curcumin possesses anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative and anti-angiogenic  properties against several cancer cell types and also demonstrates anti-microbial activities.  Nowadays, curcumin is under clinical trials mainly for cancer and related diseases.

In numerous studies, curcumin’s anti-inflammatory effects have been shown to be comparable to the potent drugs hydrocortisone and phenylbutazone as well as over-the-counter anti-inflammatory agents such as Motrin. Unlike the drugs, which are associated with significant toxic effects (ulcer formation, decreased white blood cell count, intestinal bleeding), curcumin produces no toxicity.

Studies have proven that Turmeric works best when combined with cruciferous vegetables

Rutgers researchers have found that the curry spice turmeric holds real potential for the treatment and prevention of prostate cancer, particularly when combined with certain vegetables.

The scientists tested turmeric, also known as curcumin, along with phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC), a naturally occurring substance particularly abundant in a group of vegetables that includes watercress, cabbage, winter cress, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, cauliflower, kohlrabi and turnips.

When tested singly, both phenethyl isothiocyanate and curcumin greatly retarded the growth of human prostate cancer cells implanted in immune-deficient mice. In mice with well-established prostate cancer tumors, neither phenethyl isothiocyanate nor curcumin by itself had a protective effect, but when combined, they significantly reduced both tumor growth and the ability of the prostate cancer cells to spread (metastasize) in the test animals.

The researchers believe the combination of cruciferous vegetables and curcumin could be an effective therapy not only to prevent prostate cancer, but to inhibit the spread of established prostate cancers as well.

The bottom line is that “PEITC and curcumin, alone or in combination, demonstrate significant cancer-preventive qualities in laboratory mice, and the combination of PEITC and curcumin could be effective in treating established prostate cancers,” said Ah-Ng Tony Kong, a professor of pharmaceutics at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

Suggested use for protection against prostate cancer

Cut cauliflower or Broccoli florets in quarters and let sit for 5-10 minutes; this allows time for the production of phenethyl isothiocyanates, which form when cruciferous vegetables are cut, but stops when they are heated. Then sprinkle with turmeric, and healthy sauté on medium heat in a few tablespoons of vegetable or chicken broth for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and top with olive oil, sea salt and pepper to taste.

A much more convenient option is to take a concentrated Cruciferous Vegetable Extract supplement product together with cucrumin.

A highly recommended Cruciferous Vegetable Extract supplement product is Triple Action Cruciferous Vegetable Extract with Resveratrol produced by Life Extension.

Triple-Action Cruciferous Vegetable Extract combines specific extracts from cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprout for the most comprehensive food-based plant compilation for cell protection yet that help maintain healthy hormone levels.

Turmeric absorption issues

Test tube studies reveal consistently positive results with Turmeric , but it’s just not absorbed very well by the body. Decades worth of research indicate that this potential superstar has relatively poor bioavailability.

The clinical advancement of this promising natural compound is hampered by its poor water solubility and short biological half-life, resulting in low bioavailability in both plasma and tissues. In fact, after oral administration of free curcumin (up to 12 g/day), only nanomolar concentrations of curcumin or corresponding metabolites were found in patient serum

Curcumin has a poor bioavailability (absorption) when consumed orally due to its rapid metabolism in the liver and intestinal wall.

To counteract the low bioavailability of curcumin, take a curcumin extract that contains Piperine.

Piperine, extracted from pepper, is a bioavailability (absorption) enhancer, that allows substances to remain in cells for longer periods of time.

Piperine is found in plants of the Piperaceae family including Piper nigrum (black pepper) and Piper longum (long pepper). In the U.S. piperine is sold under the trademark Bioperine.

In 1998 researchers at St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore, India combined piperine with curcumin to test the bioavailability (absorption) of curcumin in rats and healthy human volunteers. In rats, the bioavailability was increased by 154%. In humans, co-supplementation with 20 mg of piperine (extracted from black pepper) significantly increased the absorption of curcumin by 2000%.

A highly recommended  curcumin extract that contains Piperine is Super Curcumin with Bioperine by  Life Extension.

The turmeric extract in Super Curcumin with Bioperine has been standardized to 95% curcuminoids and enhanced with the thermo-nutrient Bioperine® in order to ensure optimal quality, potency, and bioavailability. This supreme product is available at Amazon.com.

Click here to read a comprehensive review on the benefits of curcumin for prostate cancer.

Related Articles:

Curcumin, an Extract of Turmeric Can Prevent and Stop the Growth of Pancreatic Cancer Tumors

Curcumin, an Extract of Turmeric Is Effective for The Treatment of Psoriasis

The Benefits of Turmeric – Curcumin for Treating Crohn’s Disease

Curcumin, an Extract of Turmeric Can Prevent and Stop The Growth of Breast Cancer Tumors