Curry in a Hurry

[Guest guest]

Curry in a Hurry JoAnn Guest Jun 13, 2005 18:23 PDT

 

Curry, Curcumin, Berries—Anti-Cancer and Anti-Inflammatory.

http://www.willner.com/article.aspx?artid=30

 

Abstracted from Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D. Weekly CancerDecisions.com

Newsletter #57 10/16/02 and Newsletter #58 10/23/02

 

Curry in a Hurry

 

The big news at this month's American Society for Therapeutic Radiology

and Oncology (ASTRO) meeting concerned the surprising health benefits of

curry. Yes, curry. Scientists found that curcumin, which gives the spice

turmeric its yellow color, can protect the skin during radiation

therapy. Turmeric is a major ingredient in Indian curry powder.

Scientists from the University of Rochester Medical Center, New York,

found that curcumin protects the skin from the blisters and burns that

frequently occur during radiation treatment. They studied 200 mice given

three different doses of curcumin for seven days. On the fifth day, the

animals were given a dose of radiation. Twenty days later, the

scientists assessed their skin damage.

 

Dr. Paul Okunieff, head of radiation oncology at the university's

prestigious Wilmot Cancer Center, said, " This is significant because

skin damage is a real problem for patients undergoing radiation to treat

their tumors. If a non-toxic, natural substance can help prevent this

damage and enhance the effectiveness of our radiation, that's a winning

situation. " He further suggested that while clinical trials are needed,

today's patients could protect themselves by eating curries before,

during and after their radiation treatment.

 

It is a brave scientist who is willing, these days, to extrapolate from

his research and make clear recommendations to the general public.

Bravo, Dr. Okunieff!

 

Curcumin has other health benefits as well. It contains powerful

antioxidants and is a natural anti-inflammatory compound. It suppresses

new blood vessel growth within tumors, a process called

anti-angiogenesis. It is also inexpensive. Whether you are concerned

about cancer or simply want to improve your overall health, I recommend

adding curry powder and plain turmeric to your spice rack and

incorporating them into dishes whenever feasible. You can also buy

curcumin in capsule form at health food stores.

 

Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D.

References

Okunieff P et al. Protective effect of curcumin on radiation induced

skin damage involves down-regulation of chemokine gene expression.

IJROBP 2002;54:79.

Curries and Cancer Rates

 

Last week I wrote about the benefits of turmeric (the main ingredient in

curry powder) in protecting the skin from damage caused by radiation

therapy. But turmeric itself may have anticancer effects that could

benefit everyone. If turmeric is protective against cancer, as many

believe, we might expect to see lower rates of cancer in countries where

it is consumed in abundance. Such a country is the island nation of Sri

Lanka (formerly Ceylon), which not only grows turmeric but is a major

importer of the spice from nearby India. The daily diet of Sri Lanka is

primarily rice and curries of various sorts, mostly vegetable and fish.

 

 

Cancer is definitely on the rise in Southeast Asia but is still much

lower than in the West. In Sri Lanka, the age-adjusted cancer mortality

rate per 100,000 is 29.3 for men and 26.1 for women. By comparison, the

age-adjusted cancer mortality rate per 100,000 for Americans is 206.0

for men and 138.6 for women. Thus, on average, Sri Lankans have about

one-fifth to one-seventh chance of getting cancer as their American

counterparts.

 

Colon cancer is virtually unknown in Sri Lanka but is common in the US

and Europe. Compared to the breast cancer death rate in Sri Lanka of 1.6

per 100,000, the US rate is 32.7 per 100,000, a 20-fold greater risk.

The prostate cancer death rate in Sri Lanka is a miniscule 0.2 per

100,000, whereas in the US it is 23.5, over a 100-fold greater risk.

The prostate cancer death rate is even higher among African-Americans.

In Washington, DC, with its large African-American population, it is

40.1 per 100,000, a 200-fold greater risk than is seen in Sri Lanka.

 

Some people may attribute this dramatic difference between North

American and Sri Lankan cancer rates to genetic or hereditary causes.

But scientists discount this. First of all, Sri Lankans are themselves a

diverse population of many ethnic backgrounds. More importantly, when

people emigrate from countries that have a low cancer mortality to

high-mortality European or North American countries, their cancer rates

skyrocket. Within a generation or two, the cancer death rates of these

immigrant populations parallel those of their adopted homelands.

 

The most likely explanations for widely varying cancer death rates

around the world are not hereditary but environmental, and in particular

dietary. In the case of Sri Lanka, the consumption of turmeric in

curries is a key characteristic of the diet. It would not surprise me,

therefore, if the high intake of curries helps protect Sri Lankans from

the plague of cancer.

 

Another " Berry Good " Food

Another recent study pointed out that a powerful source of anticancer

protection is the berry. Blackberries, strawberries, and blueberries are

all highly protective against cancer, heart disease and other ailments.

But my favorites are raspberries. A few years ago I planted several long

rows of various raspberry plants in the rear of my garden. Raspberries

are eager to grow (some people foolishly regard them as a nuisance) and

they tolerate even a partially shady location.

 

Raspberries do need ample water. If you are experiencing a dry spell,

you could install soaker hoses at the base of the plants. Whenever rain

is lacking, turn on the hoses for a while and give the roots a good

soaking. This year I was blessed with an abundance of raspberries. . .

..

In choosing which varieties to grow, most gardeners focus on taste,

disease resistance, and viability in their particular climatic zone. But

raspberries can also be rated in terms of their antioxidant and

anticancer powers, which vary considerably from variety to variety.

 

In a study published last May, scientists from Cornell University

measured the antioxidant and anticancer potential of four popular

raspberry varieties: Heritage, Kiwigold, Goldie, and Anne. They found

that Heritage had the highest amount of antioxidants. Kiwigold was a

close second, followed by Goldie and Anne.

 

They also found a simple indicator of which variety is most potent: the

color of the juice. According to the Ithaca researchers, " The color of

the raspberry juice correlated well to the total phenolic, flavonoid,

and anthocyanin [i.e., antioxidant] contents of the raspberry. " Thus,

Heritage, which had the darkest colored juice, was also the most

concentrated source of antioxidants.

 

The intensity of the juice's color also correlated with its anticancer

activity. A small amount of juice from Heritage, Goldie or Kiwigold was

able to inhibit the growth of human liver cancer cells by an

extraordinary 87 to 89 percent. Although the Anne variety had the lowest

anticancer effect, it still inhibited cancer cell growth by 70 percent.

So even a " weak " raspberry is still powerful when it comes to fighting

cancer. . .

--Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D.

References:

Curries and Cancer Rates

Cancer mortality rates comparison: US - Sri Lanka - China - Japan.

http://www.truehealth.org/acompar1.html The mortality figures for Sri

Lanka are from World Health Organization statistics for 1996. The US

figures are for 1994-1998 and come from the American Cancer Society.

Another " Berry " Good Food

Liu M et al. Antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of

raspberries. J Agric Food Chem 2002;50:2926-30.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER

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