A woman's deadly blood cancer was stopped in its tracks when she began taking a daily dose of an Indian-made compound based on turmeric, prompting experts to call for further research.
Ferguson had myeloma diagnosed more than a decade ago. Her illness has an average survival of just over five years - making it one of the most fatal forms of the disease. It was rapidly spreading - causing increasing back pain - and she had already had a second relapse.
Treatment with chemotherapy and stem cells failed and she faced a third relapse. After research online she began taking 8 grams of curcumin, one of the main compounds in turmeric, each day in a tablet made by Indian company Sabinsa, costing £50 every 10 days.
Doctors said that, despite having no further treatment, her condition had remained stable for the last five years. Her case was published in BMJ Case Reports.
Dr Abbas Zaidi, a haematologist at Barts NHS Health Trust, said, "Here we describe a myeloma patient who started a daily dietary supplement of curcumin when approaching her third relapse.
"In the absence of further antimyeloma treatment the patient plateaued and has remained stable for the last five years with good quality of life."
The remarkable improvement described in BMJ Case Reports follows previous research into the health benefits of turmeric, which is packed with antioxidants.
In India, the benefits of turmeric have long been recognised by traditional systems of medicine and are known to every homemaker. But as kitchen turmeric contains two per cent curcumin it would be physically impossible to eat enough to get the same dose.
In the West, since the turn of the century more than 50 clinical trials have tested curcumin - the pigment in turmeric that gives it that bright yellow colour. These suggest the spice can protect against lung disease, myeloma, cancers of the pancreas, colon and breast as well as Alzheimer's, heart disease and depression.
It has also been shown to help speed recovery after surgery and effectively treat arthritis.
Writing in BMJ Case Reports, Dr Zaidi said, "Curcumin is a polyphenol derived from the perennial herb turmeric and has - for centuries - been used as a traditional Indian medicine.
''Several reports published over the two decades have claimed various health benefits of curcumin and this has led to its increasing popularity as a dietary supplement to prevent or treat a number of different diseases.
''The biological activity of curcumin is indeed remarkable.''
It produces multiple effects through its ''natural antioxidant, anti-in ammatory, antiseptic and analgesic properties.''
Dr Zaidi added, ''Here, we present a case of a heavily pretreated relapsing myeloma patient who, in the absence of further treatment options at the time, started daily curcumin and has since remained stable for the past five years.''
Dieneke continues to take curcumin without further anti-myeloma treatment and her cancer cell count is negligible.
Dr Zaiudi said, ''Over the last 60 months, her myeloma has remained stable with minimal uctuation in paraprotein level, her blood counts lie within the normal range and she has maintained good quality of life throughout this period.''
Dieneke, who lives in north London, first came across the potential remedy on the internet and decided to try it as a last resort.
Myeloma occurs when the white blood cells produced in the bone marrow multiply uncontrollably and stop producing the normal antibodies needed to fight infection. The process causes bone damage, intense pain, fatigue and nerve damage.
Dieneke uses a product from Sabinsa made from three forms of curcumin molecules and which has been recommended by patient forums.
The tablets are relatively expensive even by UK standards, but provide a form of curcumin that's better absorbed by the body.
This woman shares how TURMERIC helped her recover from blood cancer - Times Now
New Delhi: We already know that turmeric is a wonder spice, which provides a plethora of health benefits - ranging from preventing cancer to aiding in weight loss. Now, a woman claimed that taking this potent spice, rich in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, has helped her overcome her deadly myeloma - a cancer of plasma cells in the bone marrow.
According to a report published in the British Medical Journal Case Reports, Dieneke Ferguson, 57, was diagnosed with blood cancer in 2007 after complaining of high blood pressure. She underwent three rounds of chemotherapy and four stem cell transplants, however, the treatments failed to work and her cancer began to spread rapidly.
It is reported that the cancer was also causing increasing back pain and she already had a second relapse. After research online and stopping conventional medical treatments, in 2011, she started taking 8g of curcumin a day - one of the main compounds in turmeric - as a last resort. The tablets, which contain a high level of curcumin, are expensive costing her £50 for 10 days.
Dieneke, who took eight grams of curcumin - the equivalent of about two teaspoonfuls of purely powdered curcumin - each night on an empty stomach, is now leading a normal life. Doctors say her case is believed to be the first recorded instance in which a patient has recovered just by using curcumin without conventional medical treatments.
“To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report in which curcumin has demonstrated an objective response in progressive disease in the absence of conventional treatment,” her doctors, from Barts Health NHS Trust in London, wrote in the British Medical Journal Case Reports.
A few months later, she also embarked on a once-weekly course of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (90 min at 2 ATA) which she has maintained ever since.
Despite having no further treatment, over the last five years, doctors said her cancer had remained stable and her blood counts are within the normal range with daily curcumin.
Her case has prompted to do further research on the spice. Curcumin in turmeric is well-known for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. A number of studies linked curcumin to improved brain function and a reduced risk of lung disease, heart disease and depression.
About 5,500 people are diagnosed with myeloma -- a relapsing-remitting cancer for which there is currently no cure -- every year in the UK.
Details of the type of curcumin taken by Dieneke Ferguson
Dear friend,
I hope that this will help you in combating your illness. But please remember that I am not a doctor and have been taking this for my personal use. Every human body reacts differently so you will have to experiment to see what works for you. So, please note that the 8 g per day I have been taking for multiple myeloma cancer has so far worked for me. But I must say it is the recmmended amount. Curcumin also helps other cancers but the quantities might not necessarily be the same.
The brand I have been taking is Dr Best C3 Curcumin with Bioperine 1000mg pills. The key ingredients are the 3 types of Curcumin (hence C3) and the bioperine, which is pepper that helps with the absorption. There are other brands available. The key thing is that they have C3 Complex curcumin with bioperine and that they are 1000 mg pills. Subsequently after the case study was written up I found out that Sabinsa the company that manufactures the C3 Complex Curcumin with bioperine also sells the curcumin. This is the link to the C3 Complex Curcumin at Afisupplements.com . Their pills come in pots of 60 pills instead of pots of 120 pills.
I was taking 8 g all at once at night with an empty stomach as it helps with the absorption. However other people take it at a different time of the day. In fact, I am currently taking 9 g per day.
When you start, you build up over 4 weeks. The first week you take 1 pill (1 g) , week 2: 2 pills (2 g), week 3: 4 pills (4 g) and week 4: 8 pills (8 g).
The protocol comes from Margaret’s Corner blog and the initial protocol is here. In the end everybody has a different way of taking them. Margaret’s latest update on her protocol is here
I normally Google the companies that offer the Dr Best C3 Curcumin or look on Amazon. They are about £50 (pot of 120 pills) but some e-shops give a discount depending on quantity you buy, so I mostly buy 5 or 6 at a time. So it is worth your while to shop around. When you compare the prices, make sure to take into account the shipping as well.
You might want to listen to the 30 minute long BBC4 Radio Food Programme. The episode is called Turmeric and gives a good overview of the many aspects of turmeric. In addition to myself the presenter Sheila Dillon also interviews my consultant Prof Jamie Cavenagh about my case during the last 6 minutes of the programme. During the programme, other people are interviewed and talk about different uses of the curcumin as well. The link to the Turmeric Programme is this . Here you will also find details of the Case Study and Margaret’s Corner blog.
Good luck
Dieneke
* Disclaimer – Sami-Sabinsa’s products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
