HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - Supplements,food:interaction with cancer treatments

heblaj01 · 01-26-2007, 06:00 PM

A referenced article in the above listed web site iindicates that based on lab experiments, curcumin may work differently according to dosage.
At low dose it may work as an antioxidant while at high dose it may cause "elevated level of reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation generated by curcumin. The lack of DNA damage at low doses suggested that low levels of curcumin does not induce DNA damage and may play an antioxidant role in carcinogenesis"
http://toxsci.oxfordjournals.org/cgi...tract/91/2/476

Since the bioavailability in humans of ingested curcumin is quite low the supplement might likely work as an antioxidant. This may be one reason it is not recommended in conjunction with oxidative chemo (such as cyclophosphamide or adryamicin).
This may not be true in the gastrointestinal track where curcumin concentration can be high.
Other reasons for abstaining from or supporting the use of curcumin are detailed in the previously posted link:
http://breastcancer.evidencewatch.com/
Click on the "SPECIAL ISSUES" heading & select "Drug/herbal/CAM interactions in oncotherapy"

In separate experiments researchers speculated that some undiscovered metabolites of curcumin may explain its apparent beneficial activity in spite of the low levels of curcumin achievable in blood circulation.

01-26-2007, 06:00 PM	#2
heblaj01 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 543	Curcumin: possible different modes of action of low & high doses A referenced article in the above listed web site iindicates that based on lab experiments, curcumin may work differently according to dosage. At low dose it may work as an antioxidant while at high dose it may cause "elevated level of reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation generated by curcumin. The lack of DNA damage at low doses suggested that low levels of curcumin does not induce DNA damage and may play an antioxidant role in carcinogenesis" http://toxsci.oxfordjournals.org/cgi...tract/91/2/476 Since the bioavailability in humans of ingested curcumin is quite low the supplement might likely work as an antioxidant. This may be one reason it is not recommended in conjunction with oxidative chemo (such as cyclophosphamide or adryamicin). This may not be true in the gastrointestinal track where curcumin concentration can be high. Other reasons for abstaining from or supporting the use of curcumin are detailed in the previously posted link: http://breastcancer.evidencewatch.com/ Click on the "SPECIAL ISSUES" heading & select "Drug/herbal/CAM interactions in oncotherapy" In separate experiments researchers speculated that some undiscovered metabolites of curcumin may explain its apparent beneficial activity in spite of the low levels of curcumin achievable in blood circulation.