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Ingredient
in Yellow Curry can reduce Heart Enlargement
and may prevent Heart Failure
Newswise — Eating
curcumin, a natural ingredient in the spice
turmeric, may dramatically reduce the chance
of developing heart failure, researchers at
the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre of the Toronto
General Hospital have discovered.
In a study entitled,
“Curcumin prevents and reverses murine
cardiac hypertrophy,” published in the
February edition of the Journal of Clinical
Investigation, researchers found when the
herb is given orally to a variety of mouse
models with enlarged hearts (hypertrophy),
it can prevent and reverse hypertrophy,
restore heart function and reduce scar
formation.
The healing properties
of turmeric have been well known in eastern
cultures for some time.
The herb has been used
in traditional Indian and Chinese medicine
to reduce scar formation. For example, when
there is a cut or a bruise, the home remedy
is to reach for turmeric powder because it
can help to heal without leaving a bad scar.
Unlike most natural
compounds whose effects are minimal,
curcumin works directly in the cell nucleus
by preventing abnormal unraveling of the
chromosome under stress, and preventing
excessive abnormal protein production.
“Curcumin’s ability to
shut off one of the major switches right at
the chromosome source where the enlargement
and scarring genes are being turned on is
impressive,” says Dr. Peter Liu,
cardiologist in the Peter Munk Cardiac
Centre and Scientific Director at the
Canadian Institutes of Health Research –
Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory
Health.
However Dr. Liu
cautions that moderation is important, “the
beneficial effects of curcumin are not
strengthened by eating more of it.”
Dr. Liu, who holds the
Heart and Stroke Foundation’s Polo Chair
Professor in Medicine and Physiology at the
University of Toronto, says that since
curcumin is a naturally occurring compound
that is readily available at a low cost, it
might be a safe and effective means of
preventing heart failure in the future.
“Whether you are young
or old; male or female; the larger your
heart is, the higher your risk is for
developing heart attacks or heart failure in
the future. However, until clinical trials
are done, we don’t recommend patients to
take curcumin routinely.
"You
are better off to take action today by
lowering blood pressure, reducing
cholesterol, exercising and healthy eating,”
says Dr. Liu.
If clinical trials of
curcumin support initial findings of heart
enlargement prevention, it may offer hope
for millions of patients with heart
enlargement in a relatively safe and
inexpensive manner.
Curcumin-based
treatments are currently in clinical trials
for pancreatic and colorectal cancer
patients with promising results.
This study was funded
by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the
Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
Canadian Institutes of
Health Research (CIHR)
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
is the Government of Canada's agency for
health research.
CIHR's mission is
to create new scientific knowledge and to
catalyze its translation into improved
health, more effective health services and
products, and a strengthened Canadian
health-care system.
Composed of 13
Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and
support to more than 11,000 health
researchers and trainees across Canada.
http://www.cihr.ca/
Heart and Stoke Foundation
The Heart and Stroke
Foundation, a volunteer-based health
charity, leads in eliminating heart disease
and stroke and reducing their impact through
the advancement of research and its
application, the promotion of healthy
living, and advocacy.
Peter Munk Cardiac Centre
The Peter Munk Cardiac Centre is the premier
cardiac centre in Canada. Since it opened in
1997, the Centre has saved and improved the
lives of cardiac patients from around the
world.
Each year,
approximately 17,000 patients receive the
innovative and compassionate care from the
Peter Munk Cardiac Centre multidisciplinary
heart team. In addition, the Peter Munk
Cardiac Centre trains more cardiologists and
cardiovascular surgeons than any hospital in
Canada.
The Centre is based at
Toronto General Hospital – a member of
University Health Network, which also
includes Toronto Western Hospital and
Princess Margaret Hospital. All three are
research hospitals affiliated with the
University of Toronto.
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