Re: Turmeric treatment for Parkinson's

[Steve Rack <srack@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi all,
If curcumin really can arrest the progress of PD it would seem that 
India, Thailand and other curry eating populations would have lower 
numbers of PD sufferers. Does anyone know if this is so?  Are the 
curries we eat able to cross the brain barrier?
Steve

>Hi All.  For what it's worth: Some years ago, Laureen learned of a 
>curcumin study in England.  Several times, she spoke with a PD 
>patient undergoing curcumin trials there.  He could say nothing 
>conclusive relative to curcumin and PD at the time, but had a very 
>positive outlook.  I forget why this communication stopped, but 
>Laureen started taking curcumin supplements, as well as using more 
>turmeric and curry.  I can't remember how long her personal trial 
>lasted, but it was a fair test with no noticeable effects on her PD. 
>As I recall, though, the curcumin did have a positive overall tonic 
>effect.  I asked Laureen about her cucumin experience this morning, 
>in case I forgot something.  Although she couldn't recall any 
>specifics, she said she wouldn't mind taking it again.  Apparently 
>the tonic effect alone was worth taking it regularly.  Scott
>
>PS: I took curcumin myself at the same time, because of its health 
>properties, but since I'm feeling pretty well most all of the time 
>anyway, I really didn't notice any positive or negative effects.  I 
>stopped taking it when I ran out.  Like Laureen, though, if we 
>stocked up on it again I'd add it to my daily routine simply because 
>I like putting healthy supplements in my body.
>
>PPS: If the trial patient in England I mentioned (above) is on this 
>list, please let us know how you're doing and if any of my 
>recollections are incorrect.
>
>Scott E. Antes
>Northern Arizona University
>Department of Anthropology
>PO Box 15200
>Flagstaff, AZ 86011
>________________________________________
>From: Parkinson's Information Exchange Network 
>[PARKINSN@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of mschild 
>[mmoo@xxxxxxxxxxx]
>Sent: Monday, March 22, 2010 12:36 PM
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>Subject: Turmeric treatment for Parkinson's
>
>Turmeric treatment for Parkinson's
>Bhargavi Kerur / DNA
>Monday, March 22, 2010 8:26 IST
>http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/report_turmeric-treatment-for-parkinson-
>s_1361848
>
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>Bangalore: Turmeric, that quintessential ingredient in many an Indian food
>item, now has one more medicinal property to its name. A collaborative
>research study, which involved scientists from the National Institute for
>Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (Nimhans) also, has found that the spice's
>anti-oxidant property could be effective in treating Parkinson's disease.
>Turmeric gets the anti-oxidant property from curcumin, which gives the spice
>its yellow colour. Curcumin improves the body's immunity against various
>diseases.
>"Curcumin is recognised worldwide for its medicinal property," said MM
>Srinivas Bharath, the co-author of the study and a faculty member at the
>department of neurochemistry, Nimhans. "It can be used as a drug for any kind
>of disease as it is an anti-oxidant that provides immunity to the body."
>But it cannot be absorbed by the human body cells since it is insoluble in
>water. Scientists from Nimhans, along with researchers from Indo-Russian
>Centre for Biotechnology in Allahabad, and Cellworks Group Inc in Bangalore,
>"improvised" curcumin to get round its "non-bio availability" (low absorption
>rate in the body). "During the experiment, we found positive results for
>treating Parkinson's disease," Bharath said.
>The disease is caused by the loss of neurons - in the mid-brain - that produce
>the chemical, dopamine, which controls body movements. Oxidative stress (the
>presence of free radicals in the body that react with cell molecules and
>damage the cells) caused by the depletion of the cellular antioxidant,
>glutathione (GSH), is said to be responsible for the neurodegeneration. This
>then manifests as tremors in limbs and uncontrolled body movements, the
>symptoms of Parkinson's disease.
>"Curcumin can prevent the degeneration or the death of the cells," Bharath
>said. Besides anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties, curcumin also had
>therapeutic potential for neurological disorders, he said. It also had the
>ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, he said.
>The research team - G Harish, Rajeswara Babu Mythri, C Venkateshappa, Shiv
>Kumar Dubey, Krishna Mishra, Neetu Singh, Shireen Vali and MM Srinivas Bharath
>- embarked on the study to increase the solubility of curcumin in the body
>using bio-conjugates in 2007.
>The scientists attached amino acids, which are easily absorbed by the body, to
>curcumin and injected it into cultured cells. The amino acids easily entered
>the cells along with curcumin. "Once curcumin enters the cell, it is de-tagged
>from the amino acids and carries on its function of preventing the
>degeneration or death of the cells," the co-author explained.
>The "improvised" curcumin can act as a supplementary medicine for treating
>Parkinson's disease. "The drug available now generates dopamine to control the
>movement of the body, but it is not able to stop the cells from dying. Hence,
>it fails to attack the cause," Bharath said. "When used with curcumin, which
>prevents degeneration of the neuron cells, it can delay the disease."
>Curcumin could also increase the anti-oxidant load responsible for immunity in
>the body, he said.
>The studies, however, were only at experimental stages and yet to go for human
>trials, Bharath said. "Once it goes through human trials it will become the
>drug to fight any disease," he said.
>The researchers have successfully tested the efficacy of curcumin in 
>its purified
>form in mice. "We are planning to test the improvised one soon," he said.
>"Now, there is promise of a molecule that can fight the disease."
>
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-- 
Steve in VT

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