Profile; Curcumin By Harry Chrissakis, Herbalist, Natural MedicineCurcumin is a derivative of the spice Turmeric. Turmeric is part of curry powder and is what gives curry its distinctive yellow color. Turmeric has a long history of use in the Ayurvedic herbal tradition (India) for the treatment of multiple problems. The known active components of Turmeric are its Curcuminoids. The Curcuminoids are part of a much larger family of beneficial plant medicines known as Flavonoids. These plant compounds are often anti- inflammatory and act as antioxidants as well.In light of modern technology, Curcuminoids can be concentrated to 95% purity. Potency can be further enhanced (exponentially) by producing high ratio extracts (i.e. 95% Curcuminoids at 25:1 ratio. The 25:1 ratio means that if one ounce of Turmeric is compared to one ounce of the 25:1 Curcuminoid extract, the concentrated extract would contain 25 times more Curcuminoids. This is where technology dovetails with herbal medicine: manipulating a natural product and making it way better and stronger than it was. Way better and stronger is what is necessary in the treatment of a life threatening disorder like cancer. The next step after product concentration is enhancing digestion and absorption. This can be accomplished by consuming some form of fat with the Curcumin. My usual recommendation is the addition of a combination of essential fatty acids; DHA, EPA, GLA, Omega 9 from virgin olive oil. In order to ensure that curcumin is not quickly degraded in the bloodstream, the addition of the proteolytic enzyme Bromelain will slow the process of degradation down and help to maintain blood levels. In order to achieve full effect, dosage amount must be high, and frequency of dosage often; 1 – 2 grams 3-4 times a day in between meals. Curcumin is well tolerated in dosage of up to 8 grams a day. Now let’s take a look at what Curcumin can accomplish, in relation to cancer, when applied properly. Uncontrolled Inflammation plays a fundamental role in both the development and progression of cancer. Under normal conditions of a healthy functioning body, tightly controlled inflammation plays a positive role in both tissue regeneration and the ability of the immune systems to attack foreign invaders or cancer cells.Trying to give the body what it needs to help rebalance itself is a basic premise of natural healing. The use of pharmaceutical drugs is intended to completely remove the process of inflammation (great for acute crisis care and generally short term). Long term use of drugs has serious downsides. In contrast, Natural Medicine works in conjunction with bodily function often affecting multiple pathways simultaneously (side effect is often 0-minimal). The action is softer, slower, but much broader because of the range of active constituents that Curcumin has. A good description of herbal action is modification moving toward overall balance (homeostasis). Curcumin is both an excellent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, working directly on a problem as well as up and downstream of aberrant processes; meaning it works at the source of the problem as well as cleaning up the results of it. Inflammation is a process that is tightly controlled by the body. Under the influence of cancer, the body is no longer in control of this process; the cancer is. The 2 areas that are key in the control of inflammation are the Nuclear Factor kappa Beta (NFkB) pathway and the Eicosanoid pathway (Prostaglandin leading to COX and LOX pathways). These pathways work independently, but can also synergize and up regulate each other with very destructive results. The combination of Curcumin and Essential fatty acids normalizes both NKkB and the Eicosanoid pathways, This combination has a positive synergy which is true of many herb and supplement combinations. Curcumin is also a major player in the reduction of all the processes that create and strengthen cancer; Initiation, Progression, Invasion and Metastasis. Listing all the things Curcumin does to weaken the cancer and strengthen the patient would take about a page itself. The reach of the herb is truly amazing.Curcumin works hand in hand with a number of chemotherapeutic drugs. It is a chemo sensitizing agent. It enhances the chemo effect on the cancer by reducing Multi Drug Resistance in a number of ways. Curcumin’s effect is very broad in terms of its normalizing effect on many of the areas that the cancer has taken over and manipulated for its own ends. Two obvious areas are inflammation and oxidation from free radical damage. The most recent list of chemo drugs that work well with Curcumin is as follows. 5 FU, Doxorubicin, Cisplatin, Docetaxel, Gemcitabine, Gemzar, Paclitaxel. Many of these drugs are used for a variety of life threatening cancers such as Breast, Prostate ,Colon and Lung Cancers and therefore are in common use. Curcumin is also radio sensitizing, meaning it will enhance the effect of Radiation and help reduce some of the long and short term damaging effects of this harsh therapy. Radiation is far less forgiving than chemo, so all and any help is welcome. The drug Trental and high dose vit e are some of the more recent things used by Oncology to mitigate fibrosis due to radiation. Using Natural Medicine to help cancer patients who are receiving radiation is a before, during and after process. Two thirds of all Cancer patients are given radiation therapy at some point in their treatment protocol. Curcumin is also organ protective. One of the great beauties of Natural Healing is the ability to apply similar therapies to different disorders. Almost all major disorders have inflammation and free radical damage as part of their profile. Applying Curcumin in these circumstances would be part of a valid approach. I am hoping this article will help to clarify the rightful place that herbal medicine, and Natural Healing in general have in relation to the treatment of life threatening disorders. In real time, as a practicing clinician, there are many more players involved in dealing with a disease as complex as cancer. Curcumin is only one of them, but a very important one that has great application in cancer therapy.Harry Chrissakis Herbalist, Natural Medicine Oregon House Ca.530-933-8244