The first advice a doctor gives a person who has started a cardiovascular disease progress is to control life habits (smoking, alcohol, sedentary lifestyle…) and diet. Curcume Longa L. is a plant of Asian origin with high antioxidants content. For this reason, curry powder, the spice extracted from the rhizome of this vegetable and which is very used in Indian cuisine is very positive to prevent cardiovascular diseases, according to the thesis carried out in the Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology by Cruz Rico Prados under the direction of Carmen Ramírez Tortosa, Emilio Martínez de Victoria and María Dolores Yago Torregrosa.
Not only its main compound (the curcumine) but the whole curcume extract presents a lot ontioxidant properties; it can be seen in the studies carried out by these scientists of the University of Granada (UGR) with rabbits whom had previously been induced a significant increase of cholesterol, causing them arteriosclerosis.
The therapeutical effects of these substances and other fenolic compounds are based on that they slow down the formation of atheroma plaque or simply prevent it by reducing oxidative stress. That is to say, they avoid the accumulation of lipides and lipoproteins (LDL) which transport cholesterol in the blood, preventing the first step of the cardiovascular disease. This way, brain problems, heart attacks, arteriosclerosis and the peripheral vascular disease could be prevented (avoiding the paralysation of the legs of the sick person).
Rabbits were supplied three types of diet: a curcume extract in which the previous effects were observed, pure curcumine and vitamin E. This latter has usually been used in scientific studies as an excellent antioxidant to prevent cardiovascular diseases until the development of the works carried out by these scientists under the direction of Doctor Ángel Gil Hernández, with the support of the ASAC Pharmaceutical International A.I.E. drug company from Alicante. To date, we knew the anti-immflamatory and anti-cancer effects of the curcume, but its properties as a cholesterol reducer and a vascular disease preventer had not been studied in depth.
Genetic effects
“The results suggest that, unlike vitamin E, curcume extract, more than pure curcumine, has direct effects in the atheroma plaque formation because of the numerous factors involved”, Professor Carmen Ramírez Tortosa explains. Fewer oxidation of the LDL -lipoprotein which transports cholesterol- stands out among them, making plaque formation difficult. It has also been observed that genetic problems decrease in rabbits feeded with such extract.
As regards future projects, it stands out the depeening in these studies at a molecular level to see molecules activation during the plaque reduction. Later, they would like to try it in humans, for what there is not any technical or ethical problem apart from financing. After all, people eat curry powder all over the world everyday.
Further information: Dr. Mª Carmen Ramírez Tortosa.
Phone numbers: 958 24 83 24 / 244174 – 244173.
E-mail: mramirez@ugr.es
