Curcumin's abilities and cancer

Curcumin's ability to wage war on cancer stem cells further verified by research

(NaturalNews) Promising new research has demonstrated once again that the ingredient curcumin, which is the principal curcuminoid of the widely used Indian spice turmeric, a member of the ginger family, is a major cancer fighter, this time proving effective against esophageal cancer.

According to researchers at the University of Kansas'Cancer Center and Medical Center, study results indicate that "curcumin inhibits the growth of esophageal cancer cell lines," though how it works "is not well understood."

The results of the study are especially noteworthy given that esophageal cancer is the eighth most common type of cancer in the world and the sixth most lethal.

This 'novel' cancer treatment works wonders

In the U.S. alone, between four and 10 persons for every 100,000 die from esophageal cancer every year. The disease mostly strikes men over the age of 50, according to published statistics.

In 2011, the American Cancer Society estimated that 16,980 Americans (13,450 men and 3,530 women) were diagnosed with the disease. The organization also estimated that a majority of those diagnosed with esophageal cancer - about eight in 10 - would die.

"Esophageal adenocarcinoma, the major form of esophageal cancer in the U.S., is the most rapidly rising cancer in the western world," said a summary of the study's results. "It is generally diagnosed at a late stage and has a poor prognosis, with a five-year survival of less than 10 percent."

"Although the current treatment includes chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and, if possible, esophagogastric resection, many patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma experience progression of disease despite such treatment, suggesting that such tumors are resistant to standard therapy," the summary said.

Enter curcumin therapy. Other "novel" forms of treatment and therapy have not proven as effective, say researchers, especially in patients who have advanced cancer.

"The magnitude of this problem mandates the need for novel therapeutic agents, specifically the use of agents for chemoprevention. This is most attractive for esophageal adenocarcinoma since a pre-malignant condition, Barrett's esophagus, is a well-recognized lesion," says the summary.

In short, a common form of cancer that is resistant to current standard treatments is being bested by treatment with an age-old spice.

"Curcumin seems to have multiple molecular targets and its enhanced potency in cancer in various cancer cell lines and xenograft tumors renders it a strong candidate for therapeutic applications for esophageal cancer as well as other cancers and inflammatory disease states," said the study.

Dramatic reductions in the spread of cancer

Previous research has also found that curcumin - and its primary element, turmeric - have been found to reduce cancer growth and brain tumors as much as 81 percent.

"Used by ancient Chinese and Indian systems of medicine, curcumin has been shown to reduce brain tumor size by 81 percent in 9 out of 11 studies," say researchers from the University of California-Los Angeles.

"Turmeric and curcumin are both extremely cheap methods of boosting your health, and are readily available almost worldwide," said Mike Barrett, co-founder of alternative health organization, Natural Society. "The ubiquitous nature of turmeric both in the form of supplementation and spice sets up turmeric to be the next vitamin D over the next few years. As more medical professionals begin to recognize the benefits of turmeric and curcumin, a major media blitz will follow as it did regarding the multiple known effects of vitamin D."

In the UCLA study, 21 participants who had contracted head and neck cancer saw the spread of their disease halted after being given chewable supplements containing 1,000 mg of curcumin each.

"Curcumin, the main component in the spice turmeric, suppresses a cell signaling pathway that drives the growth of head and neck cancer, according to a pilot study using human saliva by researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center," the National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, said, confirming the university's results.

Sources:

http://www.plosone.org

http://www.cancer.gov

http://www.prnewswire.com

link: http://www.naturalnews.com/038184_curcumin_cancer_stem_cells_research.html

Chaga Mushroom

Mushroom found on birch tree holds promise as a potent anti-cancer tonic
(NaturalNews) A little known mushroom is establishing a solid reputation in medical circles as a powerful defense against cancer. Although relatively unheard of in mainstream media, the chaga mushroom has been used in folk medicine for generations. Research has shown chaga to be extremely effective in protecting cellular DNA from damaging free radicals. It also has anti-tumor and immune stimulating benefits.

Chaga mushroom (Inonotus obliquus) is a fungus that grows on birch and other hardwood trees. The variety that is found on birch is believed to be the most potent because of its high concentration of betulinic acid which is toxic to cancer cells. Chaga is unusual in the mushroom world as it resembles porous wood and is black and hard - similar to lumpy charcoal. Natives of China, Siberia, Finland, Japan, Poland, and North America have all recognized chaga's importance for centuries. Russian author and Nobel laureate Alexandr Solzhenitsyn is given credit for introducing chaga to the West where the principal character in his novel Cancer Ward is cured of his illness by the mushroom.

Healing properties

Several studies support chaga's medicinal value. Researchers at Kyunghee University in Seoul, South Korea examined chaga's effectiveness in protecting cellular DNA. Cells were treated with chaga mushroom extract then exposed to oxidative stress. The extract-treated cells had 40 percent less DNA mutation compared with the untreated cells. In another study, Japanese researchers discovered that chaga had higher levels of cell protective antioxidants than other medicinal mushrooms included in the investigation. Chaga has been shown to be effective against cancers of the liver, uterus, breast, colon, skin, cervix and lung. It also attacks tumor cells without disturbing healthy tissue. Additionally, this mushroom has been found to be antiviral and anti-inflammatory.

Chaga mushroom is nutrient rich. Sterols, flavonoids, polysaccharides, polyphenols, vitamins and minerals are just a few of the constituents found in chaga. Immune function is enhanced by the beta glucans present in the mushroom which activate T-cell activity and the production of antibodies.

Methods of consumption

Chaga can be taken as a tea, applied to the skin, consumed as a powder or inhaled as smoke. For a traditional tea, dissolve one teaspoon of the dehydrated mushroom in one cup of water. Recommended dosage for alcohol extract (1:5 tincture): 40-60 drops, two to three times a day.

Sources for this article include:

"Chaga Mushroom" Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Retrieved on July 26, 2012 from: http://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/herb/chaga-mushroom

"Chaga mushroom health benefit, review of effect on immune system and cancer" Ray Sahelian MD. Retrieved on July 26, 2012 from: http://www.raysahelian.com/chaga.html

"Benefits and Properties of Chaga Mushroom" Malja Haavisto, August 17, 2009, Natural Medicine at Suite 101. Retrieved on July 26, 2012 from: http://suite101.com

About the author:
Carolanne enthusiastically believes if we want to see change in the world, we need to be the change. As a nutritionist, natural foods chef and wellness coach, Carolanne has encouraged others to embrace a healthy lifestyle of organic living, gratefulness and joyful orientation for over 13 years. Through her website www.Thrive-Living.net she looks forward to connecting with other like-minded people from around the world who share a similar vision.

Read her other articles on Natural News here:

http://www.naturalnews.com/Author1183.html

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/036974_chaga_mushroom_anti-cancer_tonic.html#ixzz24rN0Esn5

Generation X and Climate Change

Generation X Is Surprisingly Unconcerned About Climate Change

ScienceDaily (July 19, 2012) — As the nation suffers through a summer of record-shattering heat, a University of Michigan report finds that Generation X is lukewarm about climate change -- uninformed about the causes and unconcerned about the potential dangers.

"Most Generation Xers are surprisingly disengaged, dismissive or doubtful about whether global climate change is happening and they don't spend much time worrying about it," said Jon D. Miller, author of "The Generation X Report."

The new report, the fourth in a continuing series, compares Gen X attitudes about climate change in 2009 and 2011, and describes the levels of concern Gen Xers have about different aspects of climate change, as well as their sources of information on the subject.

"We found a small but statistically significant decline between 2009 and 2011 in the level of attention and concern Generation X adults expressed about climate change," Miller said. "In 2009, about 22 percent said they followed the issue of climate change very or moderately closely. In 2011, only 16 percent said they did so."

Miller directs the Longitudinal Study of American Youth at the U-M Institute for Social Research. The study, funded by the National Science Foundation since 1986, now includes responses from approximately 4,000 Gen Xers -- those born between 1961 and 1981, and now between 32 and 52 years of age.

Only about 5 percent of those surveyed in 2011 were alarmed about climate change, and another 18 percent said they were concerned about it. But 66 percent said they aren't sure that global warming is happening, and about 10 percent said they don't believe global warming is actually happening.

"This is an interesting and unexpected profile," Miller said. "Few issues engage a solid majority of adults in our busy and pluralistic society, but the climate issue appears to attract fewer committed activists -- on either side -- than I would have expected."

Because climate change is such a complex issue, education and scientific knowledge are important factors in explaining levels of concern, Miller said. Adults with more education are more likely to be alarmed and concerned about climate change, he found. And those who scored 90 or above on a 100-point Index of Civic Scientific Literacy also were significantly more likely to be alarmed or concerned than less knowledgeable adults. Still, 12 percent of those who were highly literate scientifically were either dismissive or doubtful about climate change, Miller found. He also found that partisan affiliations predicted attitudes, with nearly half of liberal Democrats alarmed or concerned compared with zero percent of conservative Republicans.

"There are clearly overlapping levels of concern among partisans of both political parties," Miller said. "But for some individuals, partisan loyalties may be helpful in making sense of an otherwise complicated issue."

Given the greater anticipated impact of climate change on future generations, Miller expected that the parents of minor children would be more concerned about the issue than young adults without minor children.

"Not so," he said. "Generation X adults without minor children were slightly more alarmed about climate change than were parents. The difference is small, but it is in the opposite direction than we expected."

Miller found that Gen X adults used a combination of information sources to obtain information on the complex issue of climate change, with talking to friends, co-workers and family members among the most common sources of information.

"Climate change is an extremely complex issue, and many Generation X adults do not see it as an immediate problem that they need to address," Miller said.

"The results of this report suggest that better educated young adults are more likely to recognize the importance of the problem, but that there is a broad awareness of the issue even though many adults prefer to focus on more immediate issues -- jobs and schools for their children -- than the needs of the next generation. These results will not give great comfort to either those deeply concerned about climate issues or those who are dismissive of the issue."

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided byUniversity of Michigan. The original article was written by Diane Swanbrow.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

link:  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120719082600.htm

Cell Division

Cell Division: Puzzling Findings Relating to Centromere Structure Reconciled

ScienceDaily (July 19, 2012) — Scientists at the Stowers Institute of Medical Research have developed an innovative method to count the number of fluorescent molecules in a cluster and then applied the novel approach to settle a debate rampant among cell biologists -- namely, how DNA twists into a unique chromosomal structure called the centromere. Knowing this helps explain how cells navigate the hazards of division and avoid the disastrous consequences of ending up with the wrong number of chromosomes.

A novel microscopy approach -- fluorescence correlation spectroscopy coupled with calibrated imaging -- revealed the number of Cse4 molecules within single centromeric nucleosomes over the course of the cell cycle. (Credit: Courtesy of the Stowers Institute for Medical Research)

Centromeres, which sit at the cross point of the "X" used to represent duplicated chromosomes, are DNA structures that link those duplicated strands when cells are poised to divide. As division starts, a complex cellular machine drags each chromosome to opposite poles of the cell by grabbing onto centromeres and pulling each arm of the "X" into what will become a daughter cell.

Researchers had known that a nucleosome -- a short coil of DNA twisted around a core of proteins -- forms at each centromere. Within the core is a protein, called Cse4 in yeast, that is found only at that location. But the overall architecture of that nucleosome was unknown. Now, Stowers Associate Investigator Jennifer Gerton, Ph.D., has used live cell imaging to reveal constituents of the centromeric protein core. That study is published in the July 20, 2012 of the journal Cell.

"Understanding centromeres is critical because of the role they play in maintaining genomic integrity," says Gerton. "Losing a chromosome is catastrophic for any cell. And if it happens in sperm or egg cells, it is associated with conditions like Down's Syndrome."

Gerton, whose lab uses both the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and mammalian cells to study the mechanics of cell division, says that, previously, people had proposed at least 6 different centromere structures. "What we found is that centromeric nucleosomes change their structure during cell division," she says. "That explained why people had observed different structures. They had likely been looking at different phases of the cell cycle."

"By demonstrating a new method for monitoring the composition of centromeric nucleosomes in living cells, this work helps to resolve some of the controversies surrounding the architecture of the centromere," said Anthony Carter, Ph.D., of the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of General Medical Sciences, which partially funded the research. "The findings have important implications for understanding chromosome segregation, and may lead to insights on how the process goes awry in certain genetic diseases."

Aiding the effort were Stowers Research Advisors Jay Unruh, Ph.D., and Brian Slaughter, Ph.D., who combined two microscopy methods to probe yeast cells engineered to express Cse4 hooked to a green fluorescent protein (GFP) tag. The approach allowed them to track and then count in a living cell the number of Cse4 molecules in a centromeric nucleosome, a question hotly debated in the field.

Slaughter describes the controversy more prosaically: "To a microscopist, the question came down to, how many GFP molecules can we see in a fluorescent dot in the middle of a yeast cell?"

Although the microscopy technology applied -- fluorescence correlation spectroscopy coupled with calibrated imaging -- sounds and is complicated, doing the math required to settle the controversy hardly required a calculator. Yeast cells have 16 chromosomes, each with one centromere. If each centromere contained just one copy of Cse4, then the dot glowing in each cell should be 16 times brighter than a single GFP molecule. And it was. But only right before cells began dividing. Once chromosomes separated and moved to opposite poles of a dividing cell, a stage biologists call anaphase, the intensity of the signal increased.

"To our surprise, we quickly realized that we observed 16 Cse4-GFP molecules early in the cell cycle, and then 32 Cse4-GFP molecules in anaphase," says Slaughter. "That meant the composition of the complex was changing." Further analysis indicated that as cells moved into anaphase a component of the centromeric nucleosome got booted out of the core complex and was replaced by an extra molecule of Cse4, changing both the shape and size of the centromere.

Gerton's team, led by the study's first author Manjunatha Shivaraju, Ph.D., confirmed these findings using additional approaches. They found evidence that two molecules of Cse4 were interacting at the centromere in anaphase, but these interactions were not present during the rest of the cell cycle.

This work will be published back to back with a parallel study of human cells by Yamimi Dalal, Ph.D., of the National Cancer Institute. "The timing of structural changes differs in yeast and human cells," Gerton says, referring to the human study. "And we visualized nucleosomes differently than the Dalal group did. But our conclusions are the same -- that human and yeast centromeres undergo similar dynamic changes with the cell cycle."

Unruh and Slaughter, who developed the microscopy approach used in the study, act as in-house consultants to Stowers investigators about molecular imaging. "Research Advisors provide collaborative support for projects requiring particular expertise," says Slaughter. "We develop novel ways to address questions the PIs are asking." (Stowers also employs research advisors specializing in mathematical modeling and genomics.)

Why such massive effort should be expended on centromere components is evident, given the disastrous consequences of cell division errors. "Most cancer cells are aneuploid," says Shivaraju, referring to a condition in which cells exhibit abnormal numbers of chromosomes. "Knowing that centromeres undergo this structural oscillation could tell us how aneuploidy occurs at a molecular level."

Gerton concurs but also sees the work as reinforcing the utility of yeast as a model organism. "The fact that nucleosome structure is conserved between humans and yeast shows that yeast is a fantastic model for studying molecular mechanisms underlying cell division," she says. "We will continue to use yeast to understand factors that trigger structural changes we see in centromeric nucleosomes."

In addition to Unruh and Slaughter, Mark Mattingly from Stowers and Judith Berman, Ph.D., of the University of Minnesota contributed to this study.

The work was supported by the National Institute of General Medical Science (R01GM080477).

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided byStowers Institute for Medical Research, via Newswise.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. Manjunatha Shivaraju, Jay R. Unruh, Brian D. Slaughter, Mark Mattingly, Judith Berman, Jennifer L. Gerton. Cell-Cycle-Coupled Structural Oscillation of Centromeric Nucleosomes in Yeast. Cell, 20 July 2012 DOI:10.1016/j.cell.2012.05.034

link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120719132549.htm

Green tea

Green tea shown to fight obesity

(NaturalNews) Pennsylvania State University researchers have discovered yet another impressive property of green tea - it can slow down weight gain and counter obesity. This recent study analyzed the health development of a test group of obese mice that were fed a high-fat diet mixed with green tea extracts, and compared it to that of a control group of obese mice that were fed the same diet, without the green tea compounds. The mice in the test group gained weight at a much slower rate than the mice in the control group, and they appeared to be in better health overall.



Assistant professor of food science in agricultural sciences, Joshua Lambert, who was part of this research, explained that "in this experiment, we see the rate of body weight gain slows down."

Green tea is believed to have originated in China, although many Asian cultures traditionally prepare and consume this type of tea. It is produced from the leaves of Camellia sinensis that have only undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea has the highest content of antioxidants among commonly consumed foods and beverages, and that is why it has consistently attracted scientific attention over the last few decades.

Green tea can also provide the body with considerable amounts of carotenoids, vitamin C, and trace elements (including chromium, manganese, selenium and zinc). Both animal and human studies have revealed that green tea has the potential to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and to help with the prevention of tooth decay by improving bone quality and density, as well as to fight against different forms of cancer.

The study recently conducted at Penn State had the test mice on a high-fat diet enriched with Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (or EGCG), which is an important compound found in green tea that is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. These mice gained weight at a 45% slower rate than the control group of mice, who were on the same high-fat diet.

The mechanism of action is believed to be linked to how the body absorbs fats. The analysis of fecal matter from the test mice revealed that they eliminated 30% more lipids than the mice in the control group, which implies that green tea may reduce lipid absorption.

Assistant professor Lambert explained: "[T]here seems to be two prongs to this. First, EGCG reduces the ability to absorb fat and, second, it enhances the ability to use fat." Moreover, green tea had no impact whatsoever on appetite, as both groups of mice consumed roughly equal amounts of food. To match the EGCG quantities used in the study, a normal person would have to drink around 10 cups of green tea per day; however, Lambert assures us that only a few cups per day may also help obese individuals control body weight.

He also added that although his study was conducted on mice, "human data, and there's not a lot at this point, shows that tea drinkers who only consume one or more cups a day will see effects on body weight compared to nonconsumers."

Assistant professor Lambert's team included Kimberly Grove and Sudathip Sae-tan, who are both graduate students in food science, as well Mary Kennett, professor of veterinary and biomedical sciences. The study was featured in the online version of the journal Obesity, and it is supported by the National Institute for Health.

The science team pointed out that although green tea interferes with lipid absorption in individuals of all body weights, its impact is more noticeable when used with overweight individuals who want to shake off extra pounds.

[Editor`s Note: NaturalNews is strongly against the use of all forms of animal testing. We fully support implementation of humane medical experimentation that promotes the health and wellbeing of all living creatures.]

Sources for this article include:

http://www.endocrine-abstracts.org/ea/0020/ea0020P470.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111004123824.htm
http://www.greentealibrary.com/GT%20&%20Obesity%20-Article.htm
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16470636

About the author

Raw Michelle is a natural health blogger and researcher, sharing her passions with others, using the Internet as her medium. She discusses topics in a straight forward way in hopes to help people from all walks of life achieve optimal health and well-being. She has authored and published hundreds of articles on topics such as the raw food diet and green living in general. In 2010, Michelle created RawFoodHealthWatch.com, to share with people her approach to the raw food diet and detoxification.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/033894_green_tea_obesity.html#ixzz1yv7H27tn