Given the number of health benefits associated with curcumin, it’s a wonder that this compound – which is found in turmeric – hasn’t been more widely adopted in the average Western diet. Research has shown that curcumin supplements can help manage conditions as diverse as rheumatoid arthritis and heart disease. In addition, various studies have cast light on the role that curcumin may play in preventing the spread of certain cancers, and a new study has revealed another way that this nutrient can potentially combat this illness.
According to a study abstract available on PubMed, researchers from Butantan Institute in Sao Paolo, Brazil, have been investigating the effects of a curcumin analog – a synthesized version of the compound designed to promote bioavailability and capitalize on specific attributes – on a particularly aggressive form of cancer. The study focuses on metastatic melanoma, or stage four melanoma.
Melanoma typically develops as a skin cancer and is especially dangerous because of how rapidly it can spread to other parts of the body, including major organs, the Melanoma Research Foundation explains. Metastatic melanoma refers to the stage during which the disease has already affected the lymph nodes or other organs. Chemotherapy is the most common treatment method for this cancer, but metastatic melanoma, the Butantan Institute researchers note, has been known to resist this procedure.
Due to evidence of curcumin’s anti-tumor and anti-metastatic properties, among others, the researchers compared a curcumin analog called DM-1 to dacarbazine (DTIC), which is currently used in most chemotherapy treatments. Upon administering the curcumin analog to mice with melanoma, the scientists discovered that it was more effective at killing cancer cells and managing tumor size, and it may cause less damage to healthy cells.
“Altogether, these data confirm DM-1 as a chemotherapeutic agent with effective tumor control properties and a lower incidence of side effects in normal cells compared to DTIC,” the scientists concluded.
As beneficial as curcumin can be in the face of major illness, it can also help promote overall health on a day-to-day basis. Click here to read information about Nutrivene Longvida Curcumin.