Just Ask Terry

Terry is happy to provide his opinion on diet and nutrition, supplements and lifestyle choices. This information is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to replace the advice of your physician and is not to be considered medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Should you have any concerns please contact your physician directly.

Q. Dear Terry, “I have breast cancer, have had surgery, and am now undergoing chemotherapy. I have read a great deal about curcumin and cancer and I want to try it. Is it OK to use with chemotherapy? —Valerie L., Murray, IN A. Dear Valerie, First, let me say how very sorry I am that you are struggling with this difficult disease. My prayers are with you as you recover from this illness. I will share with you what I know about using curcumin with chemotherapy, but please keep in mind that this does not replace your doctor’s oversight and guidance. Please discuss openly with him/her your desire to incorporate supplements into your daily plan, and your reasons for doing so. There have been thousands of studies on curcumin. In fact, over 1,300 studies specifically on curcumin and cancer are archived on the electronic database of the National Institutes of Health Institutes of Medicine (PubMed) as of this date. To the best of my knowledge, there has not been any study that indicated that curcumin interacted negatively with chemotherapy treatments. In fact, many prestigious cancer researchers believe that integrating curcumin into your supplement plan can make the chemotherapy even more effective. Because of its impact on reducing inflammation and oxidative stress, as well as its ability to moderate unhealthy cellular signaling pathways, curcumin is quite effective for both prevention and aiding in the treatment of any cancer. Most doctors are using 750 mg bioavailable curcumin twice daily. In some instances, they are increasing to 1500 mg twice daily, but this is probably not necessary for most people. The bioavailable curcumin I recommend is up to 10 times more absorbable than plain curcumin. They do this with a process of micronization and re-blending with essential turmeric oil rich in tumerones and natural plant phospholipids. But please DO NOT use a curcumin blended with black pepper or black pepper extract (piperine). Piperine interacts with many chemotherapy agents. In fact, it interacts with most prescription medications. Some companies are using this black pepper extract to improve curcumin absorption, but it is creating a lot of problems because of the drug interactions. The high-bioavailability curcumin I use and recommend DOES NOT contain this problematic substance! Good luck to you for continued health and healing, Terry