Turmeric may fight bladder cancer

Scientists have found that Turmeric inhibits various kinds of cancer in laboratory and animal studies. In this study bladder cancer was given to rats. Separately the scientists found that adding Turmeric to human bladder cancer cells stopped them from growing and caused them to die. The cancer killing ability of Turmeric was better than the powerful chemotherapeutic drug Cisplatin. Large-dose and short-term use of Turmeric was lethal to human bladder cancer cells. In the animals Turmeric was also killing the bladder cancer; it inhibited and slowed the growth of the cancer showing that Turmeric could prove to be an effective agent for helping prevent and treat bladder cancer. The study is published in the March 12th 2008 issue of Cancer Letters.

Strontium reduces back pain in women with arthritis of the spine

The mineral Strontium may reduce back pain in women with osteoporosis and osteoarthritis (OA) of the spine, according to this newly published study. The compound may also delay worsening arthritis of the spine.
Strontium has a compound effect on bone and it stimulates bone formation while inhibiting bone resorption whereas drugs either accomplish one activity or the other usually the latter.
Dr. Olivier Bruyere from University of Liege, Belgium and colleagues explain their findings "Strontium ranelate may have symptom- and structure-modifying effects in women with osteoporosis and OA."
The investigators reviewed the effects of 3 years' treatment with Strontium ranelate on the clinical and structural progression of spinal OA in 1105 women. As participants in the Spinal Osteoporosis Therapeutic Intervention and Treatment of Peripheral Osteoporosis trials, 566 women had received Strontium ranelate and 539 had received placebo.
The researchers found that the proportion of women with worsening overall spinal OA score was reduced by 42 percent in the Strontium ranelate group relative to the placebo group.
In addition, significantly more women in the Strontium ranelate group saw improvement in back pain after 3 years compared with placebo.
"This study has implications not only in the potential treatment of chronic back pain, but also for progression of OA at other sites," the researchers conclude.
Strontium is indicated for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis and has been shown to reduce the risk of fractures the researchers note. They point out that Strontium is also being studied in patients with OA of the knee. The study is published in the March 2008 issue of the journal Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.