Curcumin and bioperine target BC stem cells

I tried the Curcumin supplements but did not have the level of effectiveness when I used Turmeric and black pepper mixed with olive oil. I am now buying turmeric from BulkHerbStore.com. Turmeric has a shelf life of three years and the turmeric is very fresh.

I found a conversion table that converts turrmeric into levels of Curcumin. for example:

1 teaspoon Turmeric = 2485mg curcumin  4.93cc  so adding the 1/2 teaspoon black pepper activates the bioavalability. pepper is always half the amount used of turmeric.

1 tablespoon = 7456mg curcumin, 14.79 cc  

1/2 tablespoon = curcumin 3728mg curcumin, 7.39cc

I hope this helps anyone who would like to try the Turmeric powder with Black pepper, olive oil and v8 juice. Just use enough olive oil to turn the dry powder into a soft paiste. Using to much oil could cause a person to spend more time in the reading room than they would have liked.

I did find many studies that show how Curcumin lowers the hormone levels of estrogen and can lower toxins that mimick estrogen. I was not sure if the two would work together well but they are exploring the mix along with studies of how curcumin inhanced the effectiveness of radiation treatment. I stopped taking the Curcumin when I started Tamoxifen but went back on the curcumin when we found out I could not take it.

There is fantastic indepth information on this thread about curcumin.  My significant other belongs to Life Extention and told me yesterday that he had read about curcumin and stem cells.  Low and behold I logged onto my favorite thread on this site and there it was!  He has Life Extention's Tumeric Extract with BioPerine -900 mg., so I have started taking it with my fish oil.  I took 2 with my morning fish oil yesterday and again with my fish oil at night and will continue with this regiment.

I was unable to tolerate the side effects of Tamoxifen and am afraid of Arimidex now that my blood work shows that I am able to take it.  I am scared being "unprotected" as my oncologist calls me.  Of course she would like to see me on Arimidex.  I had such awful SE's from the Tamoxifen that I do not want to chance it with Arimidex.  I am very sensitvie to medications.  I know bone pain is a SE and I had that with Tamoxifen.  I just don't want to go through that again.

Anyway, I have been researching as much as I can about natural substances.  I was on DIM but my hair began to fall out in clumps which scared me.  It did the same thing on Tamoxifen, so I know it must have been doing something similiar.  My scalp itched and burned as well, so I stopped it.  My mulitvitamin from Vita Cost has a lot of the broccoli and other substances that the dim had in it along with berry complex and other substances, so I am hopeful that it will help in some way in warding off a recurrence.  

I also ordered a supplement with Rosemary in it which I read was important for Vitamin D3 absorption.  My onc always tests my D3 level and it is in the low 50's, but after having researched that I would like to see it higher.

I have also ordered the Anticancer Book that I found out about on this site. I have been doing daily yoga for years and sporatically meditating, which I want to get back into practicing regularly.  I am interested in his journey along with other lifestyle changes I can make.  The reviews sound wonderful.  I wish my onc had told me about this book, but she probably does not know about it.

This is a wonderful site and being that I am trying to stay healthy in a natural way, I can't thank everyone for the helpful information contributed here.  I have to admit there are times I am scared, being that I am not on "traditional western medicine" at this time.  I did have a lumpectomy and had to go back in to get a wider margine in one tiny area.  After healing from that I had 38 radiation treatments.  Luckily, my tumor was just under the size for chemo.  I had the ONCO test and had a 19% chance of a reocurrence if I stayed on Tamoxifen for 5 years.  That has always confused me and I was never given an answer what it would be without the hormonal therapy.  

I called Life Extention and they called me right back.  The doctor I spoke with said that given that I was a Stage I, Grade I with no lymph node involvement that I am a very low risk and that he felt that Tamoxifen would be of marginal if any help to me.  He advised their IC3 complete formula for me which I took until reading that DIM was better due to its absorption.  I also had a naturopath who agreed with that.  

Sorry for going on and on.  I just get so confused as to what to take, but I think I will stick with the curcumin from Life Extention, upping the Vitamin D, fish oil and my complete multivitamin with the addition supplements in it and adding the Rosemary.  I have to be careful because at one time I was taking so many supplements I became toxic.  It was awful, I was losing my balance, forgetful, absolutely exhausted etc.  I brought all of my supplements to the naturopath and he almost feel over.  While I thought I was helping myself, I was actually killing myself.  He weeded them out and left me on a few.  So I am now very careful about what I take, but I think the the curcumin is harmless and from what Fariry49 wrote along with what was in Life Extention it sounds very promising!  Thank you Fari49 for that indepth and fascinating research and information you provided for us.

I am so glad that you are all here on board.  I really feel as with anything, unless you have gone through something, you really don't understand.  It is wonderful to have people available who understand this journey we are all on.  Bless you all.

facetedjewel - I am by no means an expert - I am learning about supplements everyday. One thing about DIM and I3C as I understand it, is that they work on both Phase 1 and Phase 2 detoxification pathways. We are all so biochemically unique. For example, I found out I have an overactive Phase 1 and an underactive Phase2 - so I have to watch that I am not accelerating my Phase one without balancing my phase two. I don't know if this was an issue for you - but maybe something to discuss with your naturopath.

There is Another supplement - called SGS - sulphorphane - from broccoli sprouts - it only works on Phase 2 and there are some interesting studies from John Hopkins about it's success with breast cancer. You may want to investigate as an option to the I3C/DIM.I think the study was done based on either consuming an ounce of broccoli sprouts a day or 30mg of SGS.  There is also a broccoli sprout tea. I'm sorry that I didn't save more of the research I did - but here are two links that may give you a start.

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/press/1997/SEPT/970903.HTM

http://www.hopkinsbreastcenter.org/services/ask_expert/index.asp

Beth

Beth, I have been ODing on the SGS Brassica Teas developed by Johns Hopkins.  The only guaranteed SGS containing broccoli sprouts are the ones grown by their approved growers using certain approved seeds...Brocco Sprouts is the Brand Name.....the ones at my Walmart are always old and yucky...hence my dependence on the teas.  Lillie on the Ask an Expert site of Johns Hopkins...in answer to my question...said she does not know of an amount Brassica Tea that is too much. (they always suggest 2 a day but I'm one of those who tends to err on the side of too much and I know research shows at least 7 cups of green tea a day to do amazing things)  So most mornings, I make a big 4 cup pyrex measuring cup of at least 4 SGS tea bags and at least 3 more of those or some other kind of green tea or white tea.  I drink this over ice.  If it is a little strong, I throw in a dash of organic pomgranate or some other fruit juice.  Brassica also has some SGS caffeine free Red Bush Tea that I use at night especially if I didn't have my daytime tea.

If anyone knows a reason why I should not be doing this...PLEASE tell me...I am still learning the dos and don'ts also!!!

Be careful with Bioperine....my research said not to take more than  I think it was 15 mg per day (not 100% sure on that number)...anyway..you can buy Natures Plus 10 mg Bioperine Nutrient and Herb Enhancer which I had done prior to ordering Life Extension Super Curcumin with Bioperine.  So Then I stopped taking the BioPerine capsule and started taking 2 LE Super Curcumin with Bioperine for 1600 mg of Curcumin and 10 mg of Bioperine plus a TBLspoon of olive oil and 4 Jarrow Curcumin 95 500 mg for an additional 2000 mg of Tumeric Concentrate ( Curcumin 380 mg, Demethoxycurcumin 90 mg,  Biodemethoxycurcumin 15 mg...per 500 mg capsule of Tumeric Concentrate

Apparently, Life Extension thought they should come up with another formula for Curcumin as they now offer Super Bio-Curcumin 400 mg which claims "UP to 7 Times Greater Absorption".  This one does not appear to contain Bioperine...don't know why...maybe they found something better??  Maybe they were worried about those of us taking more than 800 or 1600 mg and getting too much Bioperine???  When I asked the guy at LE...he didn't really answer.Don't know if the formula would still work better with oil and/or pepper or not.

As often as possible if I am eating something that I can put oil, pepper and tumeric on...I take my curcumin supplements along with that...hoping that they will work better combined with the actual foods.....Have NOT researched this idea...It just seemed to make sense to me.

I also do this with other things like if I am going to eat something citrus...I take my Vit C then, etc.

edited for typos

Helen-Jackie

Double check this by googling Tamoxafen and curcumin...since I don't take Tamox or AIs I don't totally remember the research....BUT I think I remember reading that "they" think curcumin helps tamox work better...to which I of course thought maybe curcumin is the wonder drug not tamox....either way, I think I remember reading that it is good to take curcumin with tamox...but PLEASE research this as I could be confusing curcumin with something else.

Helen-Jackie  sorry I haven't answered your question...haven't checked this thread lately

I am post meno and had had a polyp requiring 2 D&Cs..one to remove and another to see if it had grown back.  Pre BC ....Gyno, 2nd Opinion Ovarian Cancer Specialist, PCP  all said just keep having D&Cs if you need them even if it is 6 or 8....I was always questioning why Vets always suggest spaying and neutering dogs so they won't get cancer but I should possibly have D&C after D&C with no worry about irritation or cancer????

 When I re-asked about a Hysty/Ooph after Bi-Lat Mast for BC......ALL the docs said SURE....so why did they change their minds in unison....don't know. I don't know if they assumed I would be on Tamox and should try to avoid the ovarian cysts and cancers it can cause?  Or if they just figured " who cares, if it makes her feel better and less worried about the othe parts...she has enough to deal with"???  Who knows why they all jumped on the bandwagon.  I will try to remember to ask my gyno at my next appt.

Sooooo...you asked why I did it.  The same reason I had the Bi-Lat instead of a single Mast.  I could do without the parts at my age (55) and I didn't want to constantly be worried about them.  I do realize that you can get ovarian cancer in the vacant cavity and I do realize that since my stats do not indicate to doctors that I should have periodic scans of any kind that cancer could come back and be there for some time without me knowing since no one is looking.....but I just do feel better having the parts gone.  

Maybe it was overkill and maybe I have caused myself to be missing something irreplaceable.  But, I am replacing the progesterone of which I had a measely .4 and I don't want to replace the testosterone which my body can change and store as estragen and since I was post meno there should not have been any estrogen production anyway. If I ever think I am too low on estrogen, I will find out where Fairy is getting estriol which is the "good" estrogen since I don't want production of estradiol.

Also, since my gyno had already sent me to the ovarian cancer specialist for the 2nd opinion initially....he had me go ahead and have him do the Hysty/Ooph using the Davinci Robot....this way if anything was found wrong with the tissue during the surgery...he could take some lymph nodes during the same procedure just like during my Bi-Lat Mast (nothing was found and the lymph nodes were not sampled as they were for the BC).  The recuperation from a laproscopic by my gyno would have had the same easy recovery but if anything had been found in the tissue, a second lymph sampling surgery would have been required.

I figure I have done the best I can to do everything I think is positive.  I have chosen the surgical and supplement route.  I have changed everything I eat and drink...mostly, sometimes I splurge but then get right back on track.  For this round, I have chosen not to do the poisons.  If I have to deal with this in the future, those options are still available. 

Did I NEED to lop everything off????   Who knows?  But, I am satisfied with all the choices I have made so far.  I wish I could get my supplement regimen finalized....I do think a year out is too far for me to still be uncertain about all the dos and don't of that.....But as far as the surgeries, Yes, I am happy with the decisions even if they could have turned out to be unnecessary.  My biggest goal was to avoid radiation and chemo.  Goofball oncologist still wanted me to do chemo...fought me getting the OncotypeDX test....then wanted me to do Tamox because that is what the test is based on (AIs weren't available when they began the clinical trials and even the Oncotype people told me that AIs would give a better result)  Anyway, for a O% local and a 3% chance of distant, I decided against Tamox or AIs for now.  That 2 people out of 100 (oh wait, they call going from 1 to 2 out of 100 a 50% improvement with Tamox) percentage improvement didn't seem like enough if it would give me a 2% chance of heart failure and lower my 3% chance of distant by 2%.

Sorry I took so long to answer.  Hope this makes sense to someone besides me.

All my best to all you wonderful women (and Timothy) who continue to share information and support to me and each other.  Thank you for continuing to be a source of information and strength to all the new people who arrive here in such frantic angst. Your constant volunteering for others is so worthwhile even if it goes unlauded.

LoriL...They kept me overnight but I felt fine.  It was easy.  But technically it is still a big surgery and you are supposed to treat it as such.  You will probably feel "normal" as soon as the drugs clear your system.  The hard part will be reining yourself in so you don't overdo while your insides are healing.  I had to keep reminding myself not to lift things. 

I have read that curcumin is one of the supplements like fish oil and vitamin E that should be stopped two weeks before surgery for that very reason.

Maybe this is why the list of supplements Life Extension puts out for BC includes 10.8 grams of curcumin AND 10 mg of Vit K per day.  They also include E and fish oil on tht list.  It is the first list of recommendations I have seen that includes Vit K. 

www.lef.org/protocols/ptcl-022.htm 

Life Extension has a good product, so does Jarrow, Doctor's Best, and Thorne (which is the brand my integrative dr recommends, however, I stick with the LEF version.  The Thorne version is chelated with a secondary carrier so it is easier for uptake, however, the LEF super absorb does this too, albeit, with a different method.  Just make sure you get the 95% polyphenol standardization which should be stated on the label. 

oops, curcuminoids.....sorry, I had internet stupor.....

would you happen to know the effects it would have on radiation?  

thanks so much.  I start on july 13.   

aspaw.....please explain the part about cabernet Sov. 8 oz glass of wine and skin?????

haven't heard about that

Deleted