Cellular Health

Melatonin for Coronavirus: A Novel Treatment Option

As the Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, pandemic spreads across the globe, scientists all over the world are searching for a cure, while at the same time scrambling to create an effective vaccine. Research into the possibility of repurposing existing medications to treat this latest pandemic has uncovered an effective use of melatonin for this very purpose — treating and preventing coronavirus.

The Benefits of Drug Repurposing

COVID-19 has been found to be effectively combated by the immune systems of most healthy people. However, the majority of the fatalities that have resulted from COVID-19 infections to date have occurred in people who are elderly and/or already suffering from significant health conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and respiratory infections. While some of the latest research is focusing on creating new medications to prevent or treat the virus, other research is centered on repurposing existing medications that may have a positive effect in preventing the severity and the spread of the virus.

Successfully repurposing existing drugs has an important benefit: it means that they can be made publicly available in a shorter time frame. Existing drugs have also already gone through trials and government approval processes, and thus have already been proven safe for human use. Between the approval process and the time it would take to manufacture a new drug, repurposing an existing drug could save months, or even years.

Can Existing Drugs Be Used to Treat Coronavirus?

A study conducted at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology looked at how certain existing drugs, categorized as BSAAs, or broad-spectrum antiviral agents, would affect the COVID-19 virus. In the study, researchers focused their attention on this category of medication because BSAAs can attack two or more types of viruses simultaneously.

After testing 119 BSAAs, the researchers found that a couple seemed to be particularly effective in combating the COVID-19 virus. Specifically, the team found that chloroquine and remdesivir were effective in inhibiting the spread of the virus in laboratory experiments. Other medications that could potentially treat coronavirus are dalbavancin, emetine, monensin, oritavancin and teicoplanin. While it’s rare to repurpose antibiotics for use in treating viruses, it appears that the properties of these particular drugs could make them effective as antiviral agents as well.

The researchers will continue their research by pursuing the effectiveness of these drugs against COVID-19 in clinical trials. The hope is to show that broad-spectrum antiviral agents have a wide range of uses and can help improve recovery rates in the treatment in a variety of diseases.

Previous Research Supports Melatonin’s Potential

Some of the latest research is also focusing on using melatonin as a possible adjunct treatment for COVID-1 — but this isn’t the first time this hormone has been used in the fight against viral infections. Best known for its role in regulating the sleep-wake cycle and use as a sleep aid, melatonin has also been studied for its potential role in supporting virus treatment for decades.

As far back as 1988, researchers successfully used melatonin to protect laboratory rodents against viral diseases. In studies, the rats were infected with the encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV), or the Semliki Forest virus (SFV), which are both fatal within a 10-day window. However, daily doses of melatonin resulted in delayed and reduced symptoms. Additionally, instances of death were reduced.

Later, the outbreak of the Ebola virus in 2014 through 2016 prompted researchers to revisit the idea of using melatonin to help fight viruses. One consequence of the Ebola virus is to inhibit immune system function. Combined with its effectiveness in modulating inflammation and reducing oxidative stress, melatonin’s ability to protect the immune system made it a promising treatment possibility for the Ebola virus.

Through laboratory research, it was found that melatonin-based adjunct treatments also helped to protect blood vessels, which are also affected by the Ebola virus. The hemorrhagic shock that could result from the damage that the virus has on blood vessels was shown to be prevented in cases where melatonin was administered. Since hemorrhagic shock is a leading cause of death attributed to the Ebola virus, the ability to reduce vascular permeability with melatonin treatments made it a desirable option. While melatonin has never been found to be effective in negating viruses entirely, it has been shown to be effective in reducing the severity of symptoms that a viral infection may cause.

Researchers Examine Using Melatonin for Coronavirus

Research into the use of melatonin as an antiviral treatment has continued to the present day, when researchers are now focusing on repurposing melatonin for the treatment of COVID-19. This is because COVID-19, like any viral infection, increases the level of oxidative stress in the body. Left unchecked, oxidative stress can cause organ damage, but melatonin’s antioxidant properties can help combats the free radicals that cause this damage.

Administering melatonin along with other treatments may help keep a viral infection, such as COVID-19, under control, so it won’t become a life-threatening condition. In the meantime, melatonin will also protect the body as the immune system grows stronger and is able to combat the virus more effectively. Specifically, melatonin targets the same protein coding genes that the human coronavirus targets, helping to reduce the likelihood that the virus will infect those genes. Melatonin also works as an anti-inflammatory agent, which helps reduce the effects that an infected gene will produce.

Currently, research into the effects that melatonin and repurposed drugs have on the COVID-19 is in the early stages. While laboratory research has produced promising results, clinical trials are needed to confirm that these repurposed medications will have the same effects on living organisms. In the meantime, people are urged to continue practicing the safety guidelines for avoiding infection. These include washing your hands frequently, keeping a distance of at least six feet from others and self-quarantining inside your home as much as possible.

March 13th is World Sleep Day: What’s the Significance?

Mar 13 by Ewcopywriting

March 13th is World Sleep Day. On this day, the World Sleep Society is issuing a worldwide call to action regarding the importance of getting quality sleep each night. Read below to learn how you can achieve a more restful night.

How Does Getting Sufficient Sleep Improve Your Quality of Life?

It’s common to hear that getting a full seven to eight hours of sleep per night is good for us, but many people don’t know what good all of that rest actually does. The fact is, while we’re resting, our bodies are hard at work performing a broad range of functions. Here’s just a short list of things that happen as a result of getting enough quality sleep each night.

Improved Heart Health

Research has found that people are more likely to suffer heart attacks and strokes in the early hours of the day, and that those who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to develop hypertension and high cholesterol.

Optimal Cellular Health

The growth of tumors and cancer is more common in those who work graveyard shifts and sleep during the day. Scientists believe this has something to do with disruption of the circadian rhythm, which regulates sleepiness and wakefulness. By trying to sleep during daylight hours, or with a light turned on, your biological clock is disrupted and that may also affect the body’s immune system.

Reduced Stress

Failing to get enough sleep starts a cycle that can be very difficult to break. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body produces higher levels of stress hormones. Among the adverse effects these hormones have on the body is interfering with the sleep cycle. Higher levels of stress hormones make it more difficult to sleep soundly, which causes more stress hormones to be produced.

Reduce Inflammation

The stress hormones produced through the lack of quality sleep also cause inflammation throughout the body. While the immune system uses inflammation to help treat injuries and infections, prolonged, or chronic, inflammation is harmful. It increases the risks of heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Some scientists believe it also plays a part in causing the physical deterioration we experience as we age.

Improved Cognitive Health

Quality sleep also helps the brain rest and rejuvenate itself. This is why we wake up feeling more refreshed after a good night’s sleep. Specifically, a full night of rest improves memory recall, concentration and mental clarity. This occurs because the resting state provides time for the brain to link memories with sensory input and emotions, making it easier for you to learn new things.

Helping the Body to Help Itself

As you sleep, the body repairs the damage done throughout the day by harmful environmental factors and toxins you have ingested. Even healthy activities, such as physical exercise, cause damage and stress to the body’s muscles and tissue.

During sleep, the muscles, tissue, and organs are repaired and strengthened. This is also the time at which two hormones beneficial to weight loss, ghrelin and leptin, are released into the blood. In depriving yourself of enough sleep, these processes are halted, which is why it’s common for overweight and obese people to also suffer from sleep disorders.

World Sleep Day: Tips For Getting Better Quality Sleep

World Sleep Society established World Sleep Day® 13 years ago, because they wanted to remind us all of the importance of sleep. In addition to recognizing the value that a good night’s sleep provides, this annual event is also an occasion to share helpful tips for getting good quality sleep.

While getting enough rest doesn’t seem like it should be difficult, a large number of people do struggle with getting a full night’s sleep. These tips can help you get to sleep faster and stay asleep throughout the night.

Ditch the Stimulants

Caffeine is among the top culprits in keeping you from enjoying a deep sleep. Experts recommend stopping your caffeine intake at least six hours before bed, so your body will have time to process the last remnants of the stimulant. Additionally, turn off mobile devices at least one hour before bed. The blue light that these devices emit disrupts the circadian rhythm, which will offset your sleep cycle.

Increase Exposure to Daylight

You can also use the circadian rhythm to your benefit by getting more bright light exposure throughout the day. If you fill your waking hours with bright light, especially natural sunlight, the evening darkness will have a more profound effect on your brain. In one sleep study, participants fell asleep 83 percent faster when they were exposed to an increased level of brightness throughout the day.

Engage in Relaxing Exercises

You can also improve your sleep quality by developing a bedtime ritual that emphasizes relaxation. This can involve reading a book, taking a warm bath or meditating by candlelight. Some people find it helpful to listen to soft music just before bed, as well. You can choose any technique that helps you feel more relaxed, as long as it works for you.

Evaluate Your Sleeping Quarters

Sometimes, the problem with getting quality sleep is in the environment, so take the time to examine your sleeping quarters. Determine if your mattress is firm enough to support you comfortably. You may also need to replace your bedding by choosing sheets and blankets that are softer and more comforting. Heavier curtains and blinds can help eliminate any excess light that gets into your bedroom at night. If ambient noises keep you awake at night, try wearing earplugs or noise-canceling earmuffs.

If you try all of these suggestions and your quality of sleep doesn’t improve, you may need to consult your doctor. A physician can help you determine the cause of your sleep disorder and may prescribe supplements to help you sleep better. Since getting sufficient sleep affects every aspect of your life, suffering with a sleep disorder is not something you should do for long.

The Top Natural Nutrients for Cellular Protection

Feb 27 by Ewcopywriting

Oxidative stress is a harmful process similar to “rusting” that results when there are more free radical molecules than antioxidant molecules in the body. Because free radicals have an odd electron count, they can initiate long-chain chemical reactions in the body. While these reactions can either be harmful or beneficial, they more often produce adverse effects, including a greater risk of disease. Research is taking a greater interest in cellular protection and the nutrients that help keep cells healthy as we learn more about the causes of disease.

Why is Cellular Protection Against Oxidative Damage Important?

The threats to human health posed by an overabundance of free radicals are well known. Fortunately, compounds called antioxidants inhibit oxidation by lending an electron to a free radical without causing another odd electron count. This means an equal number of antioxidants can help negate the harmful effects that free radicals may have on the body.

If there aren’t an equal or larger number of antioxidants than free radicals in the body, the free radicals are left to wreak havoc, causing cellular damage throughout the body. They do this by randomly attacking DNA and fatty tissue, although lipids and proteins are also at risk of damage.

As a result, the cells that are made up of these compounds are compromised and, as a greater number of cells are damaged, certain diseases are able to develop. A few medical conditions that can result from this type of cellular damage include:

atherosclerosis
cancer
diabetes
heart disease
hypertension, or high blood pressure
Parkinson’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease

Which Nutrients Protect Against Cellular Damage?

While eating a plant-based diet can help you consume the nutrients your body needs to produce more antioxidants, you may still not have enough to combat the free radicals in your body. Taking a supplement engineered to boost cellular protection can establish a better ratio of antioxidants and free radicals.

Resverchron, a natural, broad-spectrum all-in-one anti-aging regimen, provides powerful ingredients in its morning Green Cellular Protect capsule, so you can ensure your body has the nutrients it needs to build a stronger defense against cellular damage. The benefits of some of this supplement’s primary ingredients are discussed below.

Green Tea Catechins

When you steep green tea in hot water, the polyphenols, or catechins, in the leaves are extracted and infused into the water. Once consumed, these catechins provide a number of health benefits throughout the body. They have been found to be beneficial for helping to maintain healthy weight, maintaining healthy blood glucose levels, encouraging cellular health and protecting against heart disease and many other common conditions.

Catechins can benefit these areas of health because they have antioxidant properties that help counteract the activities of the free radicals. In this way, green tea catechins help protect cells from damage throughout the body.

Glutathione

While glutathione is another powerful and naturally occurring antioxidant that can help maintain good health, its levels in the body can be negatively impacted by poor diet, stress and environmental hazards. Research has also found that the level of glutathione in our bodies decreases as we age.

When we take a supplement that contains a sufficient quantity of this compound, it offers cellular protection by helping to counteract the oxidative stress that free radicals cause. As a result, conditions such as psoriasis, liver disease, insulin resistance, autoimmune disease, Parkinson’s disease and many other conditions may be positively impacted.

Pyrroloquinoline Quinone

The compound, commonly referred to as PQQ, is a naturally occurring compound that produces benefits similar to those of a vitamin, although it’s benefits are just now receiving recognition. It plays a part in promoting healthy cellular growth and development, helping to ensure that cells remain healthy and active for longer. It also possesses strong antioxidant properties and is more powerful than many known antioxidants, aiding in the fight to combat the effects that free radicals have on our cells.

Which Vegetables Provide the Best Protection?

Resverchron’s morning Green Cellular Protect capsule also contains a vegetable extract blend that provides the benefits of a range of vegetables in one capsule. The benefits of some of these vegetables are listed below.

Broccoli

The most beneficial compounds in broccoli are carotenoids and sulforaphane, each of which are helpful in protecting cellular health. They do this by helping to flush harmful carcinogens out of the body. Additionally, broccoli extract is helpful in preventing the cell damage that can contribute to heart disease, cognitive decline and digestive problems.

Brussels Sprouts

The antioxidants contained in Brussels sprouts help promote healthy cell growth, while also encouraging cardiovascular health and healthy cholesterol levels within normal ranges. Compounds found in Brussels sprouts are also helpful in flushing harmful toxins out of the body.

Carrots

The beta-carotene in carrots does more for us than just help with eyesight. Additionally, certain compounds in carrots can help improve oral health, promote liver health, boost overall immunity and protect the skin.

Leeks

Hailing from the same family as onions and garlic, leeks provide powerful antioxidants that help protect heart health, promote cellular health and help maintain healthy LDL cholesterol levels within normal ranges. They also improve gut health, promote a healthy pregnancy and encourage healthy weight maintenance by boosting metabolism.

Kale

This superfood contains a hefty supply of vitamin C, but that’s just the beginning of the benefits it provides. Kale contains compounds that possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities, helping to protect cellular health, support heart health and promote healthy vision. It also promotes healthy cell growth and aids in detoxification.

Garlic

This superfood is widely known for its antioxidant properties and is helpful in promoting cellular health. Additionally, it’s effective in protecting the skin against acne, psoriasis and other blemishes. It can also promote healthier hair growth.

More beneficial extracts found in the vegetable extract blend offered by Resverchron include barley, spinach, radish, beet, tomato, onion, cabbage, parsley, cauliflower, celery and yellow pepper. Each one of these extracts possess powerful healing properties that can help fight against the free radicals that contribute to cell damage.

Unleash the Powerful Health Benefits of Superfruits

Feb 19 by Ewcopywriting

In simple terms, a superfruit is a food that contains a condensed serving of vitamins and powerful phyto-nutrients that are beneficial to human health. These foods benefit the immune system in a variety of ways and it has been found that they can even benefit the health of bone marrow. Research is only beginning to uncover some of the significant health benefits of superfruits, which may be why more people are adding these foods to their diets.

What Are Superfruits?

The power of superfruits to boost immunity may help stave off illness and help the body recover faster from injuries by providing the body with antioxidant-rich compounds that are called polyphenols. Polyphenols (flavonoids are just one example) are compounds that are found in many natural plant-based foods, but exist in richer concentrations in superfruits.

These compounds have been found to help the body fight off inflammation, while also acting as antioxidant agents. Research into the functions these compounds serve found that they can increase longevity by 30 percent or more when there’s a consistent high level of polyphenols in the body. To achieve this benefit, researchers recommend a daily intake of polyphenols that’s greater than 500 mg.

What Are the Health Benefits of Superfruits?

In addition to increasing longevity, there are many more benefits of superfruits that you can enjoy by adding these foods to your diet. Here is a short list of some of the health benefits that the polyphenols in these fruits deliver.

Regulate Blood Sugar Levels

While it’s common to experience a spike in your blood sugar levels after eating a meal, adding superfruits to your diet can combat that sudden increase. The polyphenols do this by keeping the body from breaking starch down and transforming it into simple sugars. The polyphenols in superfruits may also help regulate insulin production, so more sugars will be pushed to the cells for use as energy.

Improve Heart Health

The antioxidants that polyphenols contain help to decrease inflammation in the cardiovascular system. Since inflammation is a significant factor in causing heart disease, eating more superfruits may help you maintain a healthier heart. Additionally, researchers have found that polyphenols are effective in regulating healthier blood pressure levels and keeping LDL (bad cholesterol) levels lower. These compounds may also be effective in increasing the body’s HDL (good cholesterol) levels.

Protect Cellular Health

Since the antioxidants in polyphenols are effective in reducing inflammation, they may help protect against unhealthy cell growth. Additional research suggests that a high level of polyphenols in the blood may help prevent cancer cells from developing. Even after cancer cells have developed, test-tube research has suggested that polyphenols may help prohibit unhealthy cell growth.

Boost Digestion

If you have digestive problems, eating superfruits may help resolve those problems. This is because polyphenols also promote healthier gut bacteria, which is essential to proper digestion. A higher level of polyphenols has been linked to more diverse growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut microbiome, so peptic ulcers, inflammatory bowel disease and similar conditions may be alleviated.

Improve Cognitive Functioning

In a recent study, older adults who had experienced memory loss and difficulties in concentrating on complex tasks were given polyphenol-rich grape juice. By the end of the study, those seniors drinking the grape juice experienced improved memory and better mental focus. There’s also evidence that polyphenols can support oxygen-rich blood flow to the brain in seniors.

What Are Some of the Most Powerful Superfruits?

If you’re unsure about adding superfruits to your meal plan for each day, taking a supplement can help you boost the polyphenols in your blood supply. Resverchron is a high-quality daily supplement that incorporates the nutrients and beneficial compounds found in a broad range of superfruits. Adding this supplement to your daily routine can help you get that healthy boost even on days when you may not eat as healthily as you plan.

Here is a short list of some of the most powerful superfruits:

Plums: These fruits are known to help stave off metabolic disorders and cardiovascular-related health problems.

Cherries: While there are a few different types of cherries, they have all been shown effective in reducing the risks of degenerative diseases in seniors.

Blackberries: Regularly eating these berries can help reduce the risks of degenerative disorders that affect the brain.

Strawberries: The strawberry is one of the most powerful superfruits available, because of all it can do for human health. The polyphenols in this fruit reduce the risks of developing unhealthy cell growth, heart disease, inflammation and metabolic syndrome.

Apples: The polyphenols in this fruit have been credited for extending longevity by as much as 12 percent.

Peaches: This superfruit is effective in reducing the risks of metabolic syndrome, which is common in those suffering from obesity. Peaches may also help reduce risks to your cardiovascular health.

Nectarines: Eating more nectarines will help boost your immune system due to the high content of polyphenols that they deliver.

In general, eating more plant-based fruits will expose you to a greater supply of vitamins, nutrients and other beneficial compounds. Eating more natural foods will help you live a healthier life for longer, but adding some of these superfruits to your daily routine may give you an even bigger health boost.

As research continues, we may find that polyphenols provide even more health benefits, but changing your diet now can help reduce your risks of developing many of the common health hazards mentioned here.

Study Finds Anti-Aging Supplements Work Best in Specific Formula

Feb 13 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Are you one of the millions searching for a natural Fountain of Youth? Americans and the Western culture have turned staying young into a national pastime, partaking in surgeries and a variety of extreme procedures to keep their youth and vitality well into old age. While there are many research-supported anti-aging supplements that purportedly help extend youth and help stave off aging from the cellular level, science shows that many of these herbal and vitamin ingredients can have a better effect and better health benefits when taken together in a formula.

What Causes Aging?

In order to understand anti-aging supplements, it is important to understand what causes the aging process to occur. While there are many pathways and biological processes that can break down over decades of life, the mitochondrial pathway and oxidative stress pathway are key components when it comes to the effects of ravages of time.

Mitochondria regulate a multitude of metabolic and signaling pathways in the body and play an important role in programmed cell death. In short, the body’s mitochondria serve as the powerhouses of the cell, producing the energy that our cells need to function. Over time, mitochondria are damaged by oxidative stress, which is destructive to mitochondrial DNA and other structures. Oxidative stress pathways age our body’s cells in a variety of other ways, as well.

It’s no doubt, we need oxygen in order to survive. This element however, is extremely destructive to delicate cell structures, in fact, oxygen is more reactive than other elements in the human body and often converts into free radicals and other reactive oxygen species, all of which are incredibly damaging to the body’s cells.

To reduce the damaging effects from these forms of oxygen antioxidants can help reduce these oxygen species before they can impair cells permanently. As a result of their synergistic functionality, both oxidative stress and mitochondrial pathways share certain steps working together to either speed up or to slow down the aging process.

As the body’s cells begin to accumulate damage, they are less able to repair themselves, leading to the visibly noticeable aging of tissue. These damaged cells also have a harder time making energy as efficiently, which causes the gradual slowing associated with the aging process. As tissues become increasingly damaged, more severe symptoms arise and diseases such as heart disease and dementia occur due to the cells’ inability to function or repair themselves adequately.

Getting the Most Out of Anti-Aging Supplements

The process of aging isn’t prejudiced, that’s why it’s never too early to start an anti-aging regimen. While creams and serums were once the only go-to on the market for anti-aging, new advancements in research have paved the way for a new line of anti-aging management in the form of supplements.

To date, millions of people take anti-aging supplements such as coenzyme Q10 and resveratrol every day, but what if there was a way to make these compounds even more effective when it comes to anti-aging? Thanks to new research and anti-aging breakthroughs in treatment options, there is in fact a way to get the most out of these herbs and vitamins, ensuring that they have the very best effects, and it all comes down to formulation and timing.

First, and most importantly, anti-aging supplements should be taken together in a single supplement. This is because the ingredients can act synergistically, working on similar and related pathways all at once, including mitochondrial pathways and those that repair oxidative stress. When combined, the supplements and supplement ingredients work together and enhance each other’s function, having far greater effect than they would have if taken separately.

Is it Ever Too Early to Start?

Most people do not begin to worry about aging until they are beginning to approach their 30s, and some wait even longer and try to reverse the effects of time rather than preventing them from occurring. According to research in the field of anti-aging treatments and preventative measures, earlier appears to be better when it comes to starting an anti-aging supplement regimen.

In a study comparing starting periods of anti-aging supplements, researchers gave coenzyme Q10 to both middle-aged and elderly rats and then measured their grip strength, a major sign of aging in rats. Results found that the middle-aged ones who took the supplement had more overall improvement, suggesting that anti-aging supplements have more effect on people who aren’t as far along in the aging process.

Keeping Youth and Health Naturally

So, how can people help delay or protect against some of the effects of aging? Experts recommend attacking the root causes of aging by taking antioxidants and supplements that hone in on promoting healthy cellular inflammatory processes and healthy cell growth while protecting against oxidative stress. Since these supplements are more effective when taken together in a formula, look for an anti-aging supplement that contains:

Resveratrol: This antioxidant found in red wine helps to neutralize reactive oxygen species in the oxidative stress pathway.

Vitamin C: This vitamin is an important component in building healthy tissue and maintaining strong collagen to prevent wrinkles and fine lines.
Omega-3 fatty acids: These nutrients reduce oxidative stress and protect our DNA from reactive oxygen species.
BIOPQQ: This nutrient supports brain health and helps maintain high mitochondrial function in nerve cells, which are especially prone to damaging as we age.
MSM: This biological sulfur compound is the main active ingredient of soothing sulfur baths. In its organically bioactive form, MSM also supports healthy cartilage renewal.

Similarly, finding a supplement that reduces aging by specifically focusing on the mitochondrial and oxidative stress pathways, can help focus solely on cellular support and proper function of these pathways. Formulas specifically focused on mitochondrial function and protection against oxidative damage should include:

Coenzyme Q10: Often called CoQ10 for short, this coenzyme is important in preventing aging in both the mitochondrial and oxidative stress pathways.
NADH: A substance that’s an important part of the mitochondrial pathways that produce energy to keep cells running at their highest level.
L-carnitine: This nutrient offers natural detoxification for cells that also aids in mitochondrial energy production.

Combining these types of anti-aging and oxidative stress-fighting supplements together can be more effective, as they work on the same cellular pathways. Working to help maintain good cell repair, detoxification of reactive oxygen and maintenance of mitochondrial pathways, these supplements and ingredients can have lifelong effects, helping you maintain youthful health and energy levels for years to come.

Comprehensive Research Review Investigates Turmeric and Cancer

Feb 08 by Ewcopywriting

Cancer is a deadly disease that affects millions of people each year. In fact, it is the leading cause of death worldwide. Although there are a number of treatments that can be effective, including radiation and chemotherapy, there is no definitive cure. A recent research review took a closer look at the link between turmeric and cancer, particularly how the root’s active ingredient, curcumin, affects cancer growth.

What Do We Know About Cancer?

Cancer is a broad term that describes a number of different conditions in which cells act abnormally. The cells may either function improperly, or they may continue functioning for longer than intended. As these cells perform in unexpected ways, they begin to divide and multiply, creating even more defective cells.

When a large group of cells accumulates in one place, they come together to form a tumor. In other cases, cancerous cells spread throughout the body via the lymph nodes and inhibit the body’s immune system. During this process, which is called metastasis, the cancerous cells will travel to other organs and infect them as well.

Causes of Cancer

There are many different types of cancer and there are unique causes for each type. Even so, research has taught us that certain causes are preventable, while there are other risk factors that we can do nothing to change. Even when someone has high risk for developing a certain type of cancer, changing preventable causes can still decrease the likelihood that they will develop the disease.

Preventable causes of cancer include:

excessive alcohol or drug use
tobacco use
obesity
sedentary lifestyles
poor eating habits

A primary risk factor that cannot be changed involves genetics. For example, someone who comes from a family with history of leukemia will be more likely to develop that disease at some point in their lifetime. This is because genetics influence how cells develop, function and die in the body.

If the cells in the body lack the protein responsible for repairing them, those cells can continue to function in their damaged state. Ultimately, the damaged cell will divide and multiply, passing on the damage on to the new cells.

Treatments for Cancer

Chemotherapy is effective in treating most types of cancer. It involves the use of medication that targets cancerous cells and destroys them, so it’s effective in killing individual cells as well as tumors. However, the strong adverse side effects that the drugs cause encourage researchers to continue looking for more effective treatments with fewer side effects.

Radiation therapy is often used in conjunction with chemotherapy or other treatments. This is because radiation treatments can shrink the size of a tumor, but may not eradicate all of the cancerous cells in the body. Once the cancerous cells have been reduced, a surgical procedure may help remove the remaining defective cells.

Hormone therapy is effective in treating prostate and breast cancer, because these types of cancer grow as the result of faulty hormone functioning. Hormone therapy is used to limit the production of hormones that may promote the growth of these types of cancers.

An alternative method is immunotherapy, which involves taking drugs that strengthen the immune system. As the immune system becomes supercharged, it can fight cancer growth more effectively. Adoptive cell transfer and checkpoint inhibitors are two types of immunotherapy that are commonly used today.

Turmeric and Cancer

New research suggests that turmeric may be useful as an adjunct cancer treatment in the future, due to the effect that its main ingredient, curcumin, has on human health. While turmeric has been used as an ingredient in cooking over the centuries, recent studies have found that the curcumin it contains possesses anti-inflammatory properties. Since we already know that inflammation contributes to unhealthy cell growth, a recent study focused on the relationship between turmeric and cancer.

Specifically, the study looked at how turmeric affected the cell signaling pathways that promote the unhealthy growth of cancerous cells. Researchers narrowed their focus to specific types of cancer, such as breast and lung cancers, blood cancer and cancers that affect the digestive tract. The study revealed that curcumin exhibited an effect on four areas of cancer development:

transcription factors for replicating DNA
cell growth factors
cytokines for cell signaling
apoptotic proteins for regulating cell death

Challenges Warrant Additional Research

Before curcumin can be used as an adjuct therapy, further research on a method of delivery is necessary. When taken orally, curcumin is quickly broken down into metabolites, preventing the active ingredients in the compound from reaching the unhealthy cells in the body.

Some research on rats has found that enclosing curcumin in a protein nanoparticle helped to keep the compound from getting metabolized too soon. This may be one way to administer curcumin effectively, either alone or in addition to other forms of treatment.

Another challenge researchers face is in duplicating their results. So far, research on curcumin has been restricted to laboratory experimentation. This means the positive results achieved in the lab may or may not be the same in human subjects. Before a curcumin treatment can be developed and administered to patients, there will have to be additional studies that focus on the effects that curcumin has on human subjects.

While research is ongoing, there are supplements available that contain curcumin. Even though the substance may be broken down too early to affect cellular health, taking a supplement has proven effective in helping to modulate inflammatory processes in the body. Additionally, curcumin has been shown to be effective in promoting joint health, supporting healthy metabolism, aiding liver health and protecting nerve health.