Curcumin's immune boosting properties

[D Bergy]

I thought this was kind of interesting. I think it is the first time I have seen evidence on how Turmeric actually prevents Cancer.

I take 500 mg every week day.

Dan


Immune-Boosting Powers of Curcumin Are Pinpointed
April 2009

The health-boosting activity of curcumin may be due to the molecule’s ability to stabilize cell membranes and increase the cell’s resistance to infection, according to a new study.

The research, published in the prestigious Journal of the American Chemical Society, may help scientists understand how curcumin works inside the body. Ayyalusamy Ramamoorthy and colleagues at the University of Michigan used solid-state NMR spectroscopy to show that curcumin physically alters the cell membrane at an atomic level.

Curcumin, the natural pigment that gives the spice turmeric its yellow color, has increasingly come under the scientific spotlight in recent years, with studies investigating its potential benefits for reducing cholesterol levels, improving cardiovascular health, reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and for its potential protection against cancer.

According to Ramamoorthy, curcumin can induce a negative curvature of the membrane, which would explain the potential anti-cancer activity of the compound, since other studies have shown that such changes may increase the activity of proteins such as tBid, which play an important role in apoptosis, or programmed cell death.

Using solid-state NMR spectroscopy, Ramamoorthy and his co-workers report that molecules of curcumin insert themselves into cell membranes and make the membranes more stable and orderly. This makes the cells more resistant to infection by disease-causing microbes, they added. The study, supported by funds from the National Institutes of Health, also revealed that curcumin exerts this strong effect on the membrane structure at low concentrations.

Journal of the American Chemical Society 131(12):4490-4498, 2009

 

[fenway1971]

All this stuff you post, Dan, leads me to really question why i'm on immunosupressants. Seems bassackwards

 

[D Bergy]

It is all about what works best for the individual. If what you are using works for you there really is no reason to look elsewhere. Conversely, if it is not working, then why keep using it?

It seemed "bassackwards" to me also. I chose the immune boosting route, and it is working, so I will stick with it. I also had some alternative treatment failures before I found the right combination that worked for me.

The immune boosting properties of Curcumin are not really the type you are trying to suppress with Crohn's. They prevent microbes from infecting cells but do not increase the immune response that immune suppressants are affecting.

Curcumin also is a TNF inhibitor, and that is good for curbing inflammation, but larger doses are needed to have much effect. That is pretty much the same effect the Immune Suppressants are trying to accomplish.

So, you can use both Immune Suppressants and Curcumin without one affecting the other as far as I can tell, but always ask your doctor to be sure.

The anti-cancer properties are a good enough reason to use it by itself, since we have an increased risk already.

It has a slight blood thinning effect, so if you are using prescription thinners, higher doses may not be a good idea.

Dan

 

[BWS1982]

I always wonder if the effects of something like turmeric or Echinicea will boost my "suppressed" immune system and slightly offset my Immuran, or are the mechanisms too different by which they operate...I suppose this lends some clarity to it, but I still wonder about the Echinicea...

 

[D Bergy]

I do not find as much information on Echinicea. The specifics on how it boosts immunity is not clear from what I have read.

I guess I would not use it as a daily supplement until the mechanism is better understood. It would suck to find out it is interfering with your medication.

Dan

 

[BWS1982]

As a pharmacist my mom simply tells me to take echinicea when you think you are getting sick, otherwise it loses efficacy (similar to long term antibiotic usage)...

 

[Mazen]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...an-sooth-bowel-Study-/articleshow/4429245.cms

Here is an article about Turmeric and IBD; it links diet to a person's genotype, but unfortunately not much details are mentioned:

An international team has carried out the study and found that curcumin, the major yellow constituent of turmeric, helps in reducing inflammation in many people suffering from bowel disease, the 'British Journal of Nutrition' reported.

"This finding means that some people with Crohn's disease may benefit from eating turmeric, but this is entirely dependent on their genetic makeup. Others may not get any benefit, or may even have a severe reaction," lead researcher Christine Butts of Plant & Food Research said. And, according to the researchers, the discovery may assist in the development of diet-based treatments for people suffering from the equivalent genetic form of the disease.