| Recent research has turned up very encouraging | | | | Furthermore, it is a matter of record that many |
| evidence that Curcumin and Piperine (substances | | | | natural substances do a better job than their |
| derived from Turmeric and Black Pepper | | | | man-made counterparts, more safely, with fewer |
| respectively) have huge potential as breast cancer | | | | or no side effects and at a fraction of the cost. |
| treatments. | | | | This is of course bad news for the pharmaceutical |
| A recent study, published online in the journal | | | | industry that works hard and at great expense to |
| "Breast Cancer Research and Treatment," reveals | | | | bolster the "PR" of the drug-profit-drug paradigm |
| for the first time the exact mechanics of how | | | | and steer the people away from nutrition and |
| these natural spice compounds can prevent or | | | | allied sciences. In so doing it labors to stave off its |
| even eliminate cancer. | | | | own extinction. |
| The study shows that Curcumin and Piperine | | | | There is more good news for human health - and |
| target cancer stem cells. Stem cells are basic, | | | | correspondingly bad news for the |
| unspecialized cells, the blank templates so to | | | | psycho-pharmacy - in that the same study |
| speak, from which can grow any type of cell in | | | | showed the aforementioned compounds had no |
| an organ and cancer stem cells comprise the cells | | | | effect on cell differentiation, which is the normal |
| that fuel the growth of malignant tumours. | | | | process of cell development and that means |
| This discovery is of huge importance because | | | | these spice compounds are not toxic to normal |
| chemotherapy is useless against these cells, which | | | | breast tissue. |
| is the reason why cancers so often recur and | | | | Women who are at high risk of breast cancer are |
| spread in spite of highly intrusive treatment with | | | | currently given the choice of drugs such as |
| very expensive, toxic and unpleasant "chemo." | | | | Tamoxifen or Raloxifene for prevention, but most |
| The new study does show that the Turmeric and | | | | women won't take them because they are much |
| Black Pepper derivatives Curcumin and Piperine | | | | too toxic. In addition, Tamoxifen and Raloxifene |
| are able to do what chemo can't - they limit the | | | | are designed to target estrogen but the most |
| self-renewal of stem cells. | | | | aggressive and deadly breast cancers are often |
| If the cancer stem cells can either be eliminated | | | | not estrogen-related and tend to be problematic |
| or their growth stopped, or both, using agents | | | | to treat. |
| derived from nutrition and which cause little or no | | | | The spice compounds, however, could affect |
| side effects, this, is extremely good news for | | | | malignancies whether they are estrogen-sensitive |
| breast cancer victims and women in general. | | | | or not and this and the discovery that such |
| It is also good news for the health system in | | | | dietary compounds also present very low toxicity |
| general because substances that already occur in | | | | make this an important and exciting development |
| nature cannot be invented in a laboratory and | | | | in the forward march of nutritional science. |
| thus patented, rendering them the exclusive | | | | Here then is yet more compelling evidence that |
| property of the inventor/manufacturer who can | | | | dispensing with the overly drug-oriented medical |
| thus set a high price for them and make vast | | | | paradigm presents a quantum leap forward in |
| profits while the patent lasts. | | | | human health. |