MGUS and curcumin: new results from the Australian clinical trial!

This afternoon I received a Google Alert about a new study on curcumin and myeloma. I got so excited that I could barely finish reading the abstract! (see: http://tinyurl.com/mc8vth)

I have already asked my dear Sherlock if she can get her hands on the full study. In the meantime, the abstract informs us that 26 MGUS patients were given a daily dose of four grams of curcumin. Hmmm, come to think of it, these must be more results from the Australian MGUS-curcumin trial that I posted about on March 13 2009. Yes, I am sure of it…same names, same hospital. Well, well.

Let’s go directly to the results, which show that oral curcumin is able to decrease paraprotein load in a select group (i.e., those having a paraprotein level of >20 g/L) of patients with MGUS. Fifty percent (5 of 10) of these patients had a 12% to 30% reduction in their paraprotein levels, while on curcumin therapy. In addition, 27% of patients on curcumin had a >25% decrease in urinary N-telopeptide of type I collagen.

I’d never heard of this urinary peppy thingy, so I had to look it up. I found a study that explains its significance for myeloma patients: http://tinyurl.com/lqls9e Basically, it is a sensitive and specific marker of bone resorption in multiple myeloma. High levels of urinary N-telopeptide of type I collagen, or NTx, are found at advanced stages of disease. Okay, so the lower, the better.

But hey!, have a look at the Conclusions: Due to the possible progression of MGUS to multiple myeloma, the potential role of curcumin as a therapeutic intervention for MGUS patients warrants further investigation. Well, I’ll be…! Just knock me down with a Tetris tile! Oh, I can’t wait to read the whole shebang…!!!

7 Comments

  1. Hi M! This is good news! I haven’t publicized it, but I started taking 4 grams of curc in December 2008. I take 2 g in the morning and 2 at night. Could this be what’s kept my numbers stable since the SCT 2 years ago?

  2. Same here. IgA pre-curcumin era in the 600’s, 700’s, highest 819.
    Post curcumin era able to bring it down to 509, now 536. Normal upper range I believe is either 463 or 483, not sure.

  3. Hey Margaret!

    That’s great! I’d like to know all about this study, too. I’m taking 3 grams of curcumin in capsule form daily since April this year and the free kappa/lambda light chain ratio decreased rapidly:

    Date Kappa Lambda K/L ratio
    16.4.’09 351 4,79 73,28
    29.5.’09 392 8,51 46,06
    17.7.’09 351 12,60 27,86
    8.9.’09 316 8,92 35,43

    Last result is a bit worse, as you can see, and I really don’t know why. I spent three wonderful weeks at the sea-side with my family just before the tests, eating lots of fish and usual vegetables, cycling, walking and swimming a lot. Also my M-spike is a bit higher (7%, used to be 6%), whereas my WBC, RBC, Hemoglobin etc are all better.

    Now I’m thinking about taking 4 grams daily.

    Thanks for all you do for all of us! Take care!

  4. Just found out my blood tests showed Monoclonal gammopathy.
    Real scary but thanks to this article I feel better. I shall start taking Curcumin today. Thanks again

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