Iron, copper, and curcumin
 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0520125049.htm

"The researchers got a surprise when they tested substances that bond to iron and copper and could protect NEIL1 from the metals. One of the strongest protective agents was the common South Asian spice curcumin, which also has been shown to have other beneficial health effects.

"The results from curcumin were quite beautiful, actually," Hegde said. "It was very effective in maintaining NEIL activity in cells exposed to both copper and iron."

Yes!
 

I just read this great and encouraging article. It supports what so many of us have been concluding. Keep taking that Curcumin! Also, Reverett123, it supports your comparative maps - showing India (high consumption of Turmeric) with a low occurrence of Parkinsons.

guess i better jump on this bandwagon- what dose do you guys take?

md

curcumin
 

Hi Moondaughter.
Well, it can't hurt.
I take one capsule of Jarrow brand daily. It is called curcunin 95.
It says 500 mgs and is supposed to be 95% curcuminoids.
I also try to make some kind of curry about once a week with about a tablespoon of curry powder or straight turmeric.
I hope that helps and I hope the turmeric can help all of us.
:hug:

Curcumin
 

Hi Rick,
Well spotted, this adds to the long list of positive papers we have seen on curcumin over the years.
As you know I have been taking it now for 8 to 9 years, and believe it is responsible for slowing down my progression. After 20 years of PD, I am averageing around 200mg levodopa per day. I now take a 1000 mg curcumin tablet once per day.
I would caution again that you should not expect rapid improvements in symptoms, it is slow acting, but you are building up a resistance steadily to oxidation damage which iron and copper catalyse, and lowering levels of toxic heavy metals like iron coppper mercury and others. Curcumin is a good chelator.
One problem is curcumin is not easily absorbed by the body, but this can be overcome by buying it containing piperine (also known as bioperine),
which enables it to be much more bio-available. Piperine is obtained from black pepper.
You need to exercise caution reading too much into the incidence figures for India (14 cases per 100,000) and USA/UK |(240 cases per 100,000). The shorter expectation of life in India may be complicating the figures, since figures are higher in old age.
Another problem you should be ready for is curcumin is a powerful yellow dye!! It stains everything, but worth suffering it!!
Ron

phytochemicals
 

...are simply compounds produced by plants. They are looking more and more like they are key to avoiding degenerative diseases. If one looks at this objectively, it makes perfect sense. If my hairy little ancestors were evolving in a jungle full of plants making powerful toxins to drive away insects and ancestor "A" had the ability to use those chemicals to further her own health and ancestor "B" did not, it would be logical that I would have more genes from A and these plants would be good for me.

Curcumin, tea, ginseng, quercetin, ashwagandha, all show promise. They are not a cure but they may be a toolkit.