| Breast Cancer and Spices | | | | Most breast cancers are hormone dependent, |
| - The incidence of breast cancer and the death rate | | | | requiring oestrogen as a growth stimulant. Tamoxifen, |
| from this disease are four to five times lower in | | | | which is one of the most used drugs in the |
| countries where large quantities of spices are eaten. | | | | treatment of breast cancer, works against this |
| - The inclusion of more spices in the diet should be | | | | hormone-mediated process, interfering with |
| part of any breast cancer preventive program. | | | | oestrogen's tumour stimulating effects. |
| East and West | | | | Curcumin exhibits its anti-oestrongenic effects by |
| Breast cancer is the commonest cancers in women | | | | blocking the oestrogen-dependent receptors on |
| globally with 95% of them diagnosed in women over | | | | tumour cells, thereby interrupting the |
| 40 years of age. Early diagnosis and appropriate | | | | cancer-stimulatory effects of oestrogen and slowing |
| treatment help to reduce the mortality rate from this | | | | tumour growth. Some studies have shown that |
| scourge. However some types of aggressive cancer | | | | curcumin may be at least as effective as tamoxifen |
| do not respond readily to hormone therapy, radiation | | | | as an oestrogen antagonist |
| or chemotherapy. | | | | HRT, turmeric and breast cancer |
| The most staggering breast cancer statistic is the | | | | Curcumin blocks the carcinogenic effects of hormone |
| vast difference in incidence of this disease between | | | | replacement therapy in post menopausal women. |
| east and west. It varies from a low of 22 per 100 | | | | Most hormone replacement preparations prescribed |
| 000 in the East to 90 per 100 000 in North America. | | | | for post menopausal problems include a combination |
| In other words there is approximately a five fold | | | | of estrogens and progestin hormones. It is the latter |
| difference in the incidence and death rate of breast | | | | synthetic progesterones that increase the risk of |
| cancer between these two regions! | | | | breast cancer in those who have such bad |
| And, if you look at a map that shows global incidence | | | | menopausal symptoms that they cannot do without |
| of breast cancer, you will see that the areas where | | | | hormone replacement therapies. |
| there is a high level of spice consumption correspond | | | | Progestins increase the risk of breast cancer by |
| to there areas where there is a low incidence of | | | | stimulating the blood supply to developing cancer cells. |
| breast cancer - and vise-verse. | | | | They do this by enhancing the production of a |
| Contemporary research into the cancer-fighting | | | | growth factor that is responsible for the formation |
| properties of spices tells us why this is so. Many | | | | of new blood vessels. |
| spices, turmeric in particular, contain compounds that | | | | By blocking the production of the |
| have proven cancer fighting abilities. Moreover, this | | | | progestin-stimulated growth factor, curcumin |
| research shows that combinations of spices and their | | | | attenuates the blood supply to breast cancer cells |
| constituent phytonutrients are far more effective | | | | without which they cannot survive. |
| than the individual compounds themselves. | | | | Black pepper |
| Turmeric | | | | Black pepper is an antioxidant-rich spice that has been |
| Turmeric's main constituent phytonutrient, curcumin, is | | | | shown to protect against several cancers. Moreover |
| one of the most remarkable and most studied of all | | | | it contains an important compound, piperine that |
| the spice compounds. In addition to its other medicinal | | | | enhances the anti-cancer effects of other spice |
| properties, curcumin is an extremely valuable | | | | compounds including curcumin. |
| chemoprotective agent. | | | | Without piperine curcumin would be almost totally |
| Much of the research and interest in curcumin has | | | | ineffective against cancer cells. Piperine increases the |
| centred on breast cancer, but it has also been found | | | | bioavailability of curcumin by several hundred per cent |
| to have protective effects against cancers of the | | | | and is a good illustration of the importance of using |
| bladder, stomach, uterus and cervix. | | | | spices in combination to combat diseases such as |
| When measured against other compounds that | | | | cancer. |
| protect against cancer, curcumin exhibits at least a | | | | Other important cancer fighting spices: |
| ten times greater chemoprotective potency than its | | | | All spices have high antioxidant activity and as such |
| closest rival. | | | | provide defense against cancer-inducing free radical |
| Laboratory studies have shown that a single dose of | | | | damage. Spice that have attracted specific |
| curcumin inhibits cancer cell proliferation for over six | | | | anti-cancer research are: cumin, garlic, ginger, citrus |
| days following its administration. | | | | zest, anise basil, capsicums, clove fennel, rosemary, |
| Curcumin | | | | caraway, mustard |
| Curcumin assists the body's natural | | | | Other important cancer fighting foods: |
| tumour-suppressing mechanisms in the following | | | | Green tea, soy, grapes, brassica vegetables such as |
| ways: | | | | broccoli. |
| - Stimulating cancer cell death, | | | | Eat more spices |
| - Inhibition of DNA synthesis in cancer cells | | | | In order to help prevent breast and other cancers it |
| - Disruption of the blood supply to cancer cells | | | | is important to eat a variety of herbs and spices |
| Anti-oestrogenic effects | | | | rather than one or two specific types. |