· Curcumin .... 'Cure all'? · Jarrow Formulas, Inc.Curcumin Curcuma Longa The impressive and wide-ranging immune boosting properties of this active ingredient in the natural spice Turmeric,which has been used for many generations in traditional medicine - are highlighted in this study from the American Chemical Society. *"The health-boosting activity of this ingredient of curcumin may be due to the molecule’s ability to stabilize cell membranes and increase the cell’s resistance to infection, according to a new study. The research, published in the prestigious Journal of the American Chemical Society, may help scientists understand how it works inside the body. Ayyalusamy Ramamoorthy and colleagues at the University of Michigan used solid-state NMR spectroscopy to show that it physically alters the cell membrane at an atomic level. Curcumin has been found to have a wide range of antioxidant qualities as well as anticarcinogenic - antimutagenic and anti-inflammatory abilities. It is the natural pigment that gives the spice turmeric its yellow color, has increasingly come under the scientific spotlight in recent years, with studies investigating its potential benefits for reducing cholesterol levels, improving cardiovascular health, reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and for its potential protection against cancer. According to Ramamoorthy, it can induce a negative curvature of the membrane, which would explain the potential anti-cancer activity of the compound, since other studies have shown that such changes may increase the activity of proteins such as tBid, which play an important role in apoptosis, or programmed cell death. Using solid-state NMR spectroscopy, Ramamoorthy and his co-workers report that molecules of curcumin insert themselves into cell membranes and make the membranes more stable and orderly. This makes the cells more resistant to infection by disease-causing microbes, they added. The study, supported by funds from the National Institutes of Health, also revealed that it exerts this strong effect on the membrane structure at low concentrations." *Source - *Journal of the American Chemical Society 131(12):4490-4498, 2009 Scientists at UCLA and their colleagues from UC Riverside and the Human BioMolecular Research Institute have concluded that a form of Vitamin D3 along with Curcumin , which is found in the spice Tumeric - may help to stimulate the destruction of amyloid plaques which are considered the main culprit of Alzheimer's Disease. These findings can be found in the July issue of The Journal of Alzheimer's Disease - which will help to begin opening new avenues in the current treatment policies of the established medical profession in regard to Alzheimer's. "We hope that Vitamin D3 and Curcumin, both naturally occurring nutrients , may offer new preventive and treatment possibilities for Alzheimer's disease", said Dr. Milan Fiala, the author of this study and a researcher at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the Veterans Affairs Greater Lost Angeles Healthcare System. The study team has found that the Curcuminoids enhanced the surface binding of the amyloid beta to macrophages (our body's cleaning crew) and also that Vitamin D3 stimulated the amount of uptake and absorption of amyloid beta in the macrophages in the majority of people. Dr. Fiala also said that ... "Since Vitamin D and Curcumin work differently with the immune system, we may find that a combination of the two or each used alone may be more effective - - depending on the individual patient." The source for the above is from : University of California - Los Angeles. "Vitamin D, Curcumin May Help Clear Amyloid Plaques Found In Alzheimer's Disease." ScienceDaily 16 July 2009 - 27 August 2009 . natural health information site by shopping through us for your health care needs Thanks for helping us to 'Pay it Forward' 
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