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Letter
from Dr. Janson
Curry for The Brain and More
Ask Dr. J.
In the Health News
Recipe of the Month: Curried
Red Lentils
Dear Friends,
In November, Dr. Stephen Straus, the director
of the National Center for Complementary and
Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) at the NIH, told
Congress that “While augmenting one’s
natural healing powers may prove beneficial
for some illnesses...there is no scientific
basis to believe that [alternative medicine]
would be of much value in the context of virulent
diseases incited by biological weapons.”
Dr. Wayne Jonas, the former director of the
Office of Alternative Medicine had reported
on a study of homeopathy in mice with the infectious
disease tularemia, and he found that the death
rate was reduced by 22 percent by the treatment.
Straus and Jonas were testifying before the
House Government Reform Committee, which has
displayed the most serious interest in alternative
medicine of any government body (sometimes including
even the NCCAM).
While I agree with Dr. Jonas when he says that
purveyors of many supposedly alternative remedies
(such as colloidal silver), through the Internet
and other avenues, had little scientific justification
for their remedies for infections, this is not
to say that all alternative remedies are useless
for these conditions.
Straus said enigmatically that if effective
alternative remedies existed, they probably
would have been found already. In such a comment,
he makes the assumption that all alternative
remedies have been in use for centuries, and
that there have been no recent discoveries.
Why he should assume this is unclear, as unconventional,
or “alternative” does not mean old,
such as the recent discovery that the spice
turmeric appears to help prevent Alzheimer’s
disease. This and other spices have a long history
of use, but only recently have some of their
benefits been revealed. Reuters Health quoted
Straus regarding measles, yellow fever, smallpox,
typhus, and HIV as saying, “Had the traditional
healing rituals and natural products available
to pre-20th-century man been truly effective,
our history would have been rather different.”
This is naive and ill-informed. History is
different—different from what it might
have been had they not had traditional healing
methods.
These remedies may well have reduced the incidence
and mortality of these diseases, although probably
not as much as better hygiene (the alternative
remedy of a century ago) and modern plumbing.
More importantly, recent discoveries about natural
remedies have contributed to our knowledge and
treatment of disease, including infectious disease.
No healing art is stagnant. We always learn
new things. At one time there were medical specialists,
pellagrologists, treating the many varied manifestations
of pellagra, until it was discovered that this
was a simple deficiency disease, treatable (unbelievably
to the medical community) with a simple vitamin,
niacin. This “alternative” treatment
wiped out not only pellagra, but a whole medical
specialty.
Elderly people in India have a much lower
incidence of Alzheimer’s disease than those
in the Western world. It is known that high
doses of antioxidants, such as vitamin E, as
well as supplements of ginkgo biloba can delay
the progression of Alzheimer’s dementia.
Now research suggests that the reason Alzheimer’s
is lower in the Indian population may be the
high consumption of curry in food. The rate
of Alzheimer’s in India is less than one
percent among the population over the age of
65, and this is the lowest in the world.
Curry is a mixture of spices, including turmeric,
which is responsible for its yellow-orange color.
Turmeric is a root-like rhizome in the ginger
family, containing a group of compounds known
collectively as curcumin, or curcuminoids. This
mixture of phytochemicals has potent anti-inflammatory
and antioxidant effects, as well as liver protective
benefits.
Curcumin is a natural substitute for
drugs, such as the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
agents (NSAIDS) in managing symptoms of injury,
arthritis, and other inflammatory diseases.
These drugs include such heavily advertised
and prescribed products as Celebrex and Vioxx,
and the over-the-counter Advil and Aleve. The
former two are known as COX-2 (cyclo-oxygenase)
inhibitors, relating to the inflammatory enzyme
that they block. The latter two are not as specific,
blocking both forms of cyclo-oxygenase.
While these drugs can relieve symptoms, they
commonly cause side effects, which are often
serious, such as bleeding in the gastrointestinal
tract. NSAIDS account for a significant proportion
of the more than 100,000 annual deaths from
prescription drugs, and recent information links
the COX-2 inhibitors to heart deaths and kidney
problems. The COX-2 inhibitors were supposed
to be safer on the stomach, but an FDA advisory
panel has been unwilling to drop the warning
about this side effect.
Turmeric, like ginger, reduces inflammation
and provides free-radical protection. It is
a natural COX-2 inhibitor, but it does not have
the side effects of the drugs. Researchers have
given daily doses up to 8000 mg without toxicity.
In the recent study of Alzheimer’s disease,
the researchers injected rats with a substance
called amyloid, which accumulates in the brains
of Alzheimer’s patients, in order to mimic
the disease.
When they fed the rats a diet rich in curcumin,
the animals accumulated less beta-amyloid, they
retained protein in the synapses (cell junctions),
and they performed better on memory tests. They
also observed that the animals in the treatment
group had less inflammation of the brain and
neurological tissues. A previous study in mice,
by the same researchers, showed a reduction
of two Alzheimer’s markers–the proinflammatory
cytokine interleukin-1 beta, and activated microglial
cells.
In addition to its benefits for the brain,
the reduction of inflammation not only helps
conditions such as arthritis, hepatitis, and
acute injuries, but also is likely to reduce
heart disease. Numerous studies now support
the role of chronic inflammation as a risk factor
for hardening of the arteries. Studies have
related the level of C-reactive protein, or
CRP, an inflammatory marker in the blood, to
increased heart disease.
Curcumin reduces the adhesiveness of platelets,
lowering the risk of blood clotting in blood
vessels compromised by atherosclerosis. Aspirin
in low doses is given to inhibit platelet aggregation,
but even the low doses have potential side effects,
and curcumin, among many other natural products
(garlic, essential fatty acids, ginkgo biloba,
bilberry, and ginger are examples) lowers platelet
activity without side effects.
The antioxidant effects of curcumin may be
partly responsible for protection of the brain
from Alzheimer’s disease. This effect is
also protective against heart disease by reducing
cholesterol, raising good HDL, and lowering
oxidized LDL cholesterol, which damages cells
and arteries.
Curcumin has specific benefits in prevention
and treatment of cancer. It causes cell death
in eight different melanoma cell types, even
cells that are resistant to chemotherapy. It
inhibits the growth and causes cell death in
breast cancer cells, prostate cancers implanted
in mice, and in gastric and colon cancers.
Try to include curry dishes in your meal planning.
You will find many books and online sources
for recipes, but understand that in India, they
eat curry virtually every day, so this would
be quite a change from typical diets. However,
curcumin is so valuable in both prevention and
treatment of so many health problems that it
is a good idea to take supplements. Standardized
extracts of turmeric, are available, containing
90 percent curcumin. Typical doses of such supplements
are 600 to 1200 mg per day, but for acute injuries
or serious illnesses, larger doses may be useful.
Consider the benefits of combining curcumin
with other protective nutrients, such as vitamin
E (400 to 800 IU daily), ginkgo biloba (120
mg), N-acetyl cysteine (NAC, 1000 to 2000 mg),
and vitamin C (2000 to 4000 mg). With a complete
health program of exercise, whole, natural foods,
and relaxation, you should be able to preserve
brain function while preventing many chronic
diseases and slowing down the aging process.
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Q. My elder brother has had adult diabetes for
many years. He still has trouble controlling
his blood sugar with medications, and he is
developing numbness in his feet. Any suggestions?
A. Diabetes is an increasing problem in the
USA, and by 2050 the numbers may increase to
165 percent of current levels, so your brother
is not alone. Diet and exercise are most important.
I recommend a high fiber diet (vegetables, whole
grains, legumes, fruits, nuts, and seeds are
all high in fiber, and they have essential fatty
acids).
The most important exercise is regular, moderate
activity, done at least every day (a gorilla
has to exercise every time it wants to eat!).
Walking, jogging, cycling, stair or ski machines
will all give a good workout. Aerobics and mild
weight exercise will help build muscle, and
extra muscle metabolizes sugar more efficiently.
Supplements of chromium, usually in high doses
of 1000 mcg per day, significantly reduce blood
sugar levels, and many patients can come off
their medications with this supplement. Your
brother should be careful with his medication
dose when taking any of these supplements.
Alpha-lipoic acid, a sulfur-containing, high-potency
antioxidant, can also help control blood sugar.
The numbness in the feet that your brother describes
could be the early stages of peripheral neuropathy,
a nerve degeneration commonly seen in long-term
diabetics. Alpha-lipoic acid also helps to reverse
peripheral neuropathy. The usual dose for sugar
control is about 300 to 600 mg, and for neuropathy,
about 600 to 1200 mg per day.
The heart is also affected by neuropathy, with
reduction of the normal variation in heart rate.
One study showed that within four months of
daily treatment with 800 mg of alpha-lipoic
acid, the heart was significantly improved.
As an antioxidant, alpha-lipoic acid has advantages:
it absorbs easily, crosses the blood-brain barrier,
and works both inside and outside of cells for
protection of the brain and other neurological
tissues.
Alpha-lipoic acid works even better when taken
with supplements of gamma linolenic acid (GLA)
of 240 mg daily. This is found in capsules of
borage oil or evening primrose oil.
I also recommend vitamin B12 for neuropathy,
either by injection or taking 1000 to 2500 mcg
orally. High doses of oral B12 can substitute
for injections. Complement these with B-complex,
vitamins C and E, magnesium, and bioflavonoids.
•Antibiotics are far overused, partly
due to patient pressure on doctors, even when
no antibiotics are indicated. Viral infections
are not helped by antibiotics, but in 1600 physician
visits, researchers found that about 80 percent
of the antibiotic prescriptions were unnecessary
for respiratory infections. (Scott JG, et al.,
J Fam Pract 2001 Oct;50(10):853-8) Patients
made requests, modified symptoms, and suggested
diagnoses; physicians rationalized their inappropriate
treatment. Patients and doctors need education
on the dangers of antibiotics overuse, and the
alternatives for immune support, such as vitamins
C and E, echinacea, astragalus, garlic, and
low sugar diets.
•People with mildly increased blood pressure
that is not considered abnormal, frequently
go on to develop significant hypertension within
four years. (Ramachandran et al., Lancet November
17, 2001; 358: 1682-86) People with optimal
BP of under 120/80 had only one-third the risk
of developing hypertension as those in the range
of 120-129/80-84. This means that it is important
to maintain optimal BP through a high-fiber,
mostly-vegetarian diet with garlic and onions,
exercise, stress management, and supplements,
such as vitamins C and E, omega-3 oils, and
magnesium. For already elevated BP, add supplements
of coenzyme Q10, garlic, arginine, and taurine.
•Obese people who have had a heart
attack have a higher risk of recurrence than
people of normal weight. This finding was not
explained by diabetes, cholesterol, hypertension,
exercise, smoking, age, sex, or heart failure.
(Rea TD, et al., Am J Cardiol 2001 Sep 1;88(5):467-72.)
Other factors that the authors suggested might
play a role: inflammation, increase in thrombosis
factors, or nervous system activity.
Sauté onions, garlic, celery and carrots
in a small amount of olive oil, then add curry
powder to taste (hot or mild curries are available).
I add extra cumin, which is a component of curry
blends (in addition to coriander, cardamom,
anise, turmeric, cinnamon, fenugreek, and hot
peppers). Fold in one cup of red lentils, mix
well, and add 2 cups of water (with extra water
you can make this a soup, called mulligatawny
in India). Simmer to infuse the flavors until
the lentils are cooked. Add extra chopped chard,
spinach, or mustard greens at the end, and after
turning off the heat fold in some chopped cilantro.
Serve this with brown rice or whole wheat flat
bread (chapati), and a salad.
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