Science Journal Confirms Eating Turmeric Cured Myeloma Cancer In 57-Year-Old Woman

Science Journal Confirms Eating Turmeric Cured Myeloma Cancer In 57-Year-Old Woman. Graphic © herbshealthhappiness.com. Photo © Lifestyle_Studio – shutterstock.com (under license)

In a case report recently published in the British Medical Journal in mid-2017, curcumin was found to stabilize the condition of a 57-year-old woman diagnosed with myeloma. Taking curcumin over the next five years after she stopped chemotherapy was able to plateau her cancer, despite the rapid progression of the disease since she was first diagnosed in 2007. Compared to the aggressive medical treatments the patient had undergone since her diagnosis, she reports that curcumin turned out to be the one thing that really improved her health and quality of life. ^[1]

Looking Into Myeloma

Myeloma is a kind of “blood cancer” that targets the body’s plasma cells. Plasma cells are found in the bone marrow and play an important role in immunity. Cancerous plasma cells can rapidly multiply which can cause the growth of a tumor called a plasmacytoma, typically found in the bones. However, not all cases of myeloma have tumors as a manifestation. ^[2]

What You Can Expect From Being Diagnosed With Myeloma

1. Low Blood Counts

Because of the rapid multiplication and growth of plasma cells, they can “crowd out” other kinds of cells like red blood cells (RBCs). This can manifest as anemia in blood tests (e.g. complete blood counts). People who suffer from anemia are often pale, fatigued, and may have difficulty breathing. The proliferation of cancerous plasma cells can also cause low levels of platelets (called thrombocytopenia), which can increase a person’s risk for bleeding. Platelets are primarily responsible for preventing bleeding if there is tissue damage. Leukopenia, or low counts of white blood cells, can also manifest in cases of myeloma, which can lead to problems with immunity. White blood cells are responsible for fighting off infection. ^[2]

2. Bone Destruction

Because the progression of myeloma occurs in the bone, you can expect that people affected with this type of cancer experience problems with their bones, specifically the cells that help keep bones healthy. When cancerous plasma cells interrupt the bones’ osteoblasts and osteoclasts (which have the job of breaking down and creating new bone), bones can become brittle and weak. Myeloma cells cause the osteoclasts to speed up the breakdown of bone and stop osteoblasts from creating new bone. The risk for fractures is thus higher in people diagnosed with myelomas. ^[2]

The Historical Value Of Turmeric

Did you know that that spice that you keep in your kitchen cupboards to flavor curry and other dishes has potent abilities to keep you healthy? Turmeric or Curcuma longa has been used for more than 4,000 years to manage cancer, reduce inflammation, and digestion problems. There have been hundreds of studies done of animals and humans that showcase the healing abilities of turmeric. It can be due to its powerful antioxidant properties which help with scavenging free radicals, but there is no doubt that turmeric can be used to improve your health – and today, light has been shed on its cancer-fighting abilities as well. ^[3]

The Case Study Of Mrs. Ferguson

Mrs. Ferguson, is a 57-year-old woman who was diagnosed with myeloma, specifically MGUS or monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance, in 2007. It is a kind of myeloma that isn’t as serious or manifests the same way as typical myelomas (e.g. low blood counts and bone problems). MGUS doesn’t particularly cause health problems in affected individuals; however, MGUS can eventually develop into multiple myeloma, lymphoma, or amyloidosis, which is the worst-case scenario MGUS patients need to fight. In Mrs. Ferguson’s case, her MGUS rapidly developed into stage 3 myeloma in the next 15 months after she was diagnosed. ^[1][2]

After undergoing chemotherapy with various drugs and medications and receiving multiple blood transfusions due to the both the cancer’s and treatment’s effects on her blood counts, her new bone marrow biopsy still revealed 50% of myeloma cells were present. She underwent 17 more cycles of chemotherapy and stem cell harvesting but these attempts failed, and the patient’s blood counts were far too low in order to continue with aggressive treatment. It was at this moment that Mrs. Ferguson decided to go the natural route. ^[1]

Her regimen consisted of eight grams of oral curcumin a day, taken in the evening on an empty stomach. The curcumin was aided by bioperine (a substance found in black pepper) to facilitate increased absorption. After a few months on curcumin, Mrs. Ferguson also underwent hyperbaric oxygen therapy to further improve her condition (since low blood counts mean that less oxygen is delivered to the body’s tissues). Slowly but steadily, her condition plateaued and the rapid progression of her myeloma miraculously stopped. For the past 5 years (60 months), curcumin and hyperbaric oxygen therapy remained as Mrs. Ferguson’s anti myeloma treatment – no further chemotherapy or other medical interventions were done – and no further progression of her disease was seen. Any degeneration of her bones during this time was attributed to aging (osteoarthritis).

How Curcumin Works

The British Medical Journal reports that curcumin’s antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and analgesic properties are its weapons in fighting the multiplication and spread of cancer cells. In vitro examination of curcumin proved that it was able to stop myeloma cell proliferation by inducing cancer cell death or apoptosis. Furthermore, curcumin was able to actually improve the effectiveness of traditional chemotherapeutic drugs.

While the case of one woman isn’t enough to claim that turmeric supplements will work on everyone, just the fact that it did work on one woman can mean that it can work on other people affected with myeloma as well. Further studies are needed in order to find out if curcumin can work on other types of cancers and different cases of myeloma, but thanks to Mrs. Ferguson, a light has been shed on how curcumin can be used to help others diagnosed with cancer.

Here’s our video on the health benefits of turmeric:

Further Reading:

Study Finds Turmeric Better At Treating Depression Than Prozac

600 Reasons Turmeric May Be The World’s Most Important Herb