Gaelen
06-07-2006, 08:29 AM
One of my personal interests is investigating the beneficial/holistic effects of spices and herbs. A lot of this investigation leads to what pharmaceutical researchers (at least the people I work with) refer to as 'drafty' ... in other words, there are often a lot of un-dotted "i" and un-crossed "t" areas. ;) I agree, it's often hard to sort out the song-and-legend from facts in this area, and most of the information requires very careful evaluation. However, I DO believe that the research to either establish or debunk potential beneficial effects of many spices and herbs is pretty compelling.
While some people consider everything researched in this area a bit 'drafty,' there IS actual research going on under controlled conditions, and I tend by trade to pay attention to those controlled and formally designed studies. The most recent formalized study attempts were reported at the June 2-6 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncologists (ASCO) in Atlanta, GA. One 'track' of presentations included analysis of nutritional approaches in cancer therapy. Unfortunately, I forgot to log in from my work laptop so that I could access the members-only .pdf for this download, but I'll try to do that later and upload the article link.
One paper presented at ASCO concerned research into the beneficial/chemo-effective properties of curcumin, which has healing properties long recognized by holistic and non-traditional medicines practicioners. It's been formally studied for its antioxidant, chemo-active properties for about 15 years. Curcumin is the active ingredient in the spice known as turmeric, which is a principal ingredient in many regional Indian and Middle Eastern cuisines (although in the west, it's mainly used as a coloring agent rather than a spice.)
Here's the abstract...the full article to follow when I can access it.
ASCO -- Curcumin: A Potential Nutrition-Derived Chemopreventive Agent (http://www.asco.org/portal/site/ASCO/menuitem.c608d82cf53347fd506fe310ee37a01d/?vgnextoid=c759201eb61a7010VgnVCM100000ed730ad1RCR D&vmview=edbk_detail_view&confID=40&abstractID=200).
Here is a list of other research articles which first recorded, and then investigated, the potential beneficial (referred to as 'chemopreventative') properties of curcumin (http://www.curcumin.net/herbal-remedies/curcumin/research-on-curcumin). Be advised that these articles come from a site that sells curcumin capsules; however, the citation list is extensive enough that, IMO, it balances that out. One of the things this second list of citations establishes is that cooking curcumin (as in curries) doesn't seem to diminish its chemo-effectiveness, so I prefer to get my dosages by using turmeric in cooking. ;)
Exact beneficial doses of curcumin have yet to be established--although, like cinnamon, smaller amounts seem to be as effective as larger amounts. In a 1992 study where the research still stands, 500mg/day of curcumin for seven days was seen to affect cholesterol/lipid profiles. The human patient group was small, as was the dosage--500mg/day is only about a teaspoonful of turmeric, much less than the amount in a typical curry. Researchers "noted a 29% increase in good cholesterol (HDL) and a reduction of 11.6% total cholesterol. Lipid peroxidation was also reduced by 33%. {Soni KB, Kuttan R. Effect of oral curcumin administration on serum peroxides and cholesterol levels in human volunteers. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 1992 Oct;36(4):273-5.}
Curcumin can interact with anticoagulants like Cumadin/Warfarin, enhancing their action, so it should be used cautiously by people taking those meds, and its use should be discontinued prior to surgery and during post-surgical recovery to minimize risks of excessive bleeding. Pregnant women and those with liver disease should be careful if using the extract forms of curcumin, although there's no documented or observerd danger to those who use turmeric as a cooking spice. Formalized study of curcumin's preventative effects have now elevated this resident of the spice cabinet from 'could be beneficial' into documented chemopreventative.
The take-home message? Turmeric, and the curcumin it contains, may be one spice you may want to include in your life--both for flavor and health benefits!
While some people consider everything researched in this area a bit 'drafty,' there IS actual research going on under controlled conditions, and I tend by trade to pay attention to those controlled and formally designed studies. The most recent formalized study attempts were reported at the June 2-6 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncologists (ASCO) in Atlanta, GA. One 'track' of presentations included analysis of nutritional approaches in cancer therapy. Unfortunately, I forgot to log in from my work laptop so that I could access the members-only .pdf for this download, but I'll try to do that later and upload the article link.
One paper presented at ASCO concerned research into the beneficial/chemo-effective properties of curcumin, which has healing properties long recognized by holistic and non-traditional medicines practicioners. It's been formally studied for its antioxidant, chemo-active properties for about 15 years. Curcumin is the active ingredient in the spice known as turmeric, which is a principal ingredient in many regional Indian and Middle Eastern cuisines (although in the west, it's mainly used as a coloring agent rather than a spice.)
Here's the abstract...the full article to follow when I can access it.
ASCO -- Curcumin: A Potential Nutrition-Derived Chemopreventive Agent (http://www.asco.org/portal/site/ASCO/menuitem.c608d82cf53347fd506fe310ee37a01d/?vgnextoid=c759201eb61a7010VgnVCM100000ed730ad1RCR D&vmview=edbk_detail_view&confID=40&abstractID=200).
Here is a list of other research articles which first recorded, and then investigated, the potential beneficial (referred to as 'chemopreventative') properties of curcumin (http://www.curcumin.net/herbal-remedies/curcumin/research-on-curcumin). Be advised that these articles come from a site that sells curcumin capsules; however, the citation list is extensive enough that, IMO, it balances that out. One of the things this second list of citations establishes is that cooking curcumin (as in curries) doesn't seem to diminish its chemo-effectiveness, so I prefer to get my dosages by using turmeric in cooking. ;)
Exact beneficial doses of curcumin have yet to be established--although, like cinnamon, smaller amounts seem to be as effective as larger amounts. In a 1992 study where the research still stands, 500mg/day of curcumin for seven days was seen to affect cholesterol/lipid profiles. The human patient group was small, as was the dosage--500mg/day is only about a teaspoonful of turmeric, much less than the amount in a typical curry. Researchers "noted a 29% increase in good cholesterol (HDL) and a reduction of 11.6% total cholesterol. Lipid peroxidation was also reduced by 33%. {Soni KB, Kuttan R. Effect of oral curcumin administration on serum peroxides and cholesterol levels in human volunteers. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 1992 Oct;36(4):273-5.}
Curcumin can interact with anticoagulants like Cumadin/Warfarin, enhancing their action, so it should be used cautiously by people taking those meds, and its use should be discontinued prior to surgery and during post-surgical recovery to minimize risks of excessive bleeding. Pregnant women and those with liver disease should be careful if using the extract forms of curcumin, although there's no documented or observerd danger to those who use turmeric as a cooking spice. Formalized study of curcumin's preventative effects have now elevated this resident of the spice cabinet from 'could be beneficial' into documented chemopreventative.
The take-home message? Turmeric, and the curcumin it contains, may be one spice you may want to include in your life--both for flavor and health benefits!