Curcumin is one of the hottest products in the office today.  Patients are consistently asking us for it as it seems that their awareness has grown about curcumin. People are aware of not only its anti-cancer properties but also its role in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.

Curcumin is the same thing as the herb turmeric which is a type of ginger. The Latin name for turmeric is Curcuma longa which gives curcumin its name. It is well known for its anti-inflammatory effect as it is a cox-2 inhibitor. Curcumin increases cellular levels of glutathione and activated phase II enzymes which help with the body’s natural detoxification process.

With all the benefits it isn’t surprising that many people are using cucumin. However there is one major problem with curcumin. To get these affects you need to have curcumin into your blood stream from your gut. This is a big problem as the oral absorption of curcumin is very low. In fact, one study found that curcumin couldn’t be detected in the blood of anyone taking less than 4 g per day.

The good news is there is a new product on the market called Meriva^®. Meriva^® is a standardized curcumin specially formulated to enhance absorption. Meriva when compared to regular curcumin had an absorption rate of approximately 29 time that of the regular curcumin. Meriva can help enhance blood levels with a much smaller dosage.

Vitamin K1 (also known as phytonadione) is found in foods such as leafy green vegetables, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, plant oils and margarine.  In supplement form, it is taken orally and it is commonly used to prevent or treat hypoprothrombinemia which can cause delayed blood clotting or spontaneous bleeding.

Vitamin K1 is the generally preferred form of vitamin K because it has the greatest potency, rapid effects, and low toxicity.  It is important to have the proper levels of Vitamin K, and some research suggests that the recommended intake of vitamin K should be increased.

Vitamin K1 also has benefits for the skin.  It can be effective for treating spider veins, bruises, scars, stretch marks and burns.  When applied topically, vitamin K1 has been found to speed healing, reduce postoperative bruising and swelling and have positive results in the treatment of rosacea.

Uses for Vitamin K1:

• To counteract excessive doses of oral anticoagulants
• To prevent hemorrhagic disease in newborns
• To treat hypoprothrombinemia
• To prevent and treat osteoporosis
• To relieve itching associated with primary biliary cirrhosis
• To treat skin conditions including rosacea, bruising, stretch marks and other conditions

Other Forms of Vitamin K

Vitamin K2 (or menaquinone) is used to treat bone loss including osteoporosis and to lower cholesterol in dialysis patients.  It can be obtained from meat, cheese and eggs.  Vitamin K3 (menadiol acetate) can be used in combination with vitamin C for treating prostate cancer and breast cancer, and vitamin K4 (menadiol sodium diphosphate) is used to treat hypoprothrombinemia which results from impaired absorption or synthesis of vitamin K.

Certain research suggests another benefit of vitamin K2: that having a higher dietary intake of vitamin K2, especially the MK-4 fraction, can result in a reduced risk of coronary calcification and fatality due to coronary heart disease.

Vitamin K May Be Used to Treat the Following Conditions:

• Coronary heart disease
• Hypercholesterolemia
• Osteoporosis

Vitamin K is thought to be safe for children and adults, even for pregnant or nursing mothers, when taken orally and used appropriately.

Researchers have conducted studies to determine the risk of women who have celiac disease(CD) developing certain cancers.  The results of long-terms studies revealed that women who have celiac disease may be less likely to develop certain kinds of cancer.

Celiac Disease

Celiac disease (CD) is a widespread autoimmune disorder that affects the small intestine. It is a genetic disease that is characterized by gluten intolerance, so one who suffers from CD must be careful to avoid wheat, rye, barley, and any other food that contains gluten.  If one who has CD ingests gluten, it can cause the body to damage the small intestine which then prevents nutrients from being absorbed properly.  This can result in malnutrition which impairs the functioning of the body and can cause other damage.

Women Who Have Celiac Disease May Have Reduced Risk of:

• Breast Cancer
• Endometrial Cancer
• Ovarian Cancer

Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is unfortunately a common cancer that develops in the breast tissue.  While some men suffer from breast cancer, it is far more common in women.  The main cause of breast cancer (about 90%) is genetic abnormalities that result from both aging and the stresses and strains which are common to all throughout life.

Risk Factors for Breast Cancer:

• Gender
• Age
• Family history
• Defective genes
• Early onset of menstruation
• Late menopause
• Late childbearing

While many of these risk factors are common to women who have celiac disease, researchers believe that early menopause may be one of the reasons that women who have celiac diseasemay be less likely to develop breast cancer, and other diseases that typically affect women.