Nutraceuticals and nootropics for anti-aging

Curcumin continues to show promise for combatting melanoma.

Researchers at the University of Texas have shown that curcumin — the main colored component of the turmeric spice — inhibits the spread of melanoma cells and causes them to self-destruct. Melanoma, you may recall, is the most deadly of skin cancers. The work was done in cell culture, not in animals or in a clinical trial.

It is interesting to note that curcumin was identified as a possible anti-melanoma treatment more than 20 years ago. Yet in all that time not a single clinical trial has been conducted, nor has the concept been tested in animals. This should tell us something about the pathetic state of affairs in the medical research world.

On the other hand, the lack of clinical data does not prevent us from making use of this substance. Thanks to the fact that nutritional supplements are relatively unregulated in the U.S., a person diagnosed with melanoma (or someone who wants to take prophylactic measures against the disease) can easily buy concentrated curcumin and try it out. One would be foolish not to, in the opinion of this writer.

Link to news article:

Curry ingredient fights skin cancer - U.S. study

Links to research articles:

Curcumin-induced antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects in melanoma cells…

In vitro and in vivo anti-tumoral effect of curcumin against melanoma cells.

Activity of camptothecin, harringtonin, cantharidin and curcumae in the human tumor stem cell assay.

---

LifeLink carries curcumin as PriMeric™ in 333 mg capsules.