With its multitude of health benefits, turmeric is a nutrition superstar.
“Turmeric has a natural golden colour because it contains curcumin, a nutrition superstar that’s been used medicinally for over 4,000 years”
By Anil Khandelwal
Turmeric (Curcuma Longa) is the golden spice that spans cultures, making all sorts of food appear more appetizing and taste delicious. It is a spice that has long been recognized for its medicinal properties, has received interest from both the medical / scientific world and from culinary enthusiasts. It’s also the spice that makes large pharma companies a little nervous these days. Well, if there’s anything in the natural world that could take away some of the “business” of the drug industry, it is turmeric. Turmeric has a natural golden colour because it contains curcumin, a nutrition superstar that’s been used medicinally for over 4,000 years!
Curcumin & Its Benefits
Curcumin is being recognized and used worldwide in many different forms for multiple potential health benefits. For example, in India, turmeric containing curcumin has been used in curries; in Japan, it is served in tea; in Thailand, it is used in cosmetics; in China, it is used as a colorant; in Korea, it is served in drinks; in Malaysia, it is used as an antiseptic; in Pakistan, it is used as an anti-inflammatory agent; and in the United States, it is used in mustard sauce, cheese, butter, and chips, as a preservative and a colouring agent, in addition to capsules and powder forms. Curcumin is available in several forms including capsules, tablets, ointments, energy drinks, soaps, and cosmetics. Curcuminoids have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) as “Generally Recognized As Safe” (GRAS), and good tolerability and safety profiles have been shown by clinical trials, even at high doses of 95% concentration of three curcuminoids: curcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin, and demethoxycurcumin.
Take a look at the documented benefits of consuming turmeric:
Reduces Depression Symptoms
Curcumin is as effective as an antidepressant. Depression is also linked to reduced levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and a shrinking hippocampus, a brain area with a role in learning and memory. Curcumin boosts BDNF levels, potentially reversing some of these changes.
Combat Arthritis
Curcumin is known for its powerful anti-inflammatory and pain-reducing characteristics. A study conducted on rheumatoid arthritis patients to compare the benefits of curcumin in turmeric to the arthritis drug diclofenac sodium (an NSAID), which put people at risk of developing leaky gut and heart disease. Curcumin lowers pain significantly and also is superior to pain killing drugs. A clinical study conducted with combination of Curcumin and Boswellia serrata extract reported statistically significant changes/reduction in the clinical symptoms.
Helps Manage Diabetes
Curcumin may actually stop the development of diabetes. A study on curcumin and diabetes/prediabetes shows that curcumin lowers glucose and improves beta cell function. A remarkable human clinical study published in the journal Diabetes Care, the journal of the American Diabetes Association, revealed that turmeric extract was 100% successful at preventing pre-diabetic patients from becoming diabetic over the course of a 9-month intervention.
Manage Ulcerative Colitis
An in-depth analysis of all the studies evaluating curcumin’s ability to manage ulcerative colitis found that one very well-designed trial tested curcumin plus mesalazine against placebo plus mesalazine. Patients taking only placebo and mesalazine were over four times more likely to experience a relapse or flare-up of ulcerative colitis during the six months of the study, suggesting that turmeric benefits may include helping to maintain remission of this chronic disease.
Fights Inflammation
Curcumin as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and lipophilic action improves the cognitive functions in patients with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). A growing body of evidence indicates that oxidative stress, free radicals, beta amyloid, cerebral deregulation caused by bio-metal toxicity and abnormal inflammatory reactions contribute to the key event in Alzheimer’s disease pathology. Due to various effects of curcumin, such as decreased Beta-amyloid plaques, delayed degradation of neurons, metal-chelation, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and decreased microglia formation, the overall memory in patients with AD improves.
Combats Obesity
A study published in the journal Biofactors showed that curcumin may help reduce proliferation (growth) of fat cells, based on lab results. The researchers found that the anti-inflammatory properties in curcumin were effective at suppressing the inflammatory processes of obesity, therefore helping to reduce obesity and its “adverse health effects.”
Boosts Skin Health
Turmeric benefits include anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that have proven effective in treating multiple skin conditions. Turmeric benefits for skin include increasing “glow and luster” of the skin, speeding up wound healing, calming the pores to decrease acne and acne scarring, and controlling psoriasis flares.
Improves Heart Health
Curcumin helps heart health in a number of important ways. It lowers cholesterol and triglycerides and protects cholesterol from free radical damage.
Aids in Detoxification
An important benefit of turmeric is its ability to detoxify the body. Every day, you are likely exposed to environmental and dietary toxins known as xenobiotics. It seems that consumption of turmeric and its active compound, curcumin, can help the liver efficiently detoxify the body and alleviate some of the effects of dangerous carcinogens.
Prevention & Treatment of Cancer
Curcumin is loaded with promise for both the prevention and treatment of cancer. A review of curcumin in cancer therapy has concluded that it has anti-cancer effects at several stages of cancer: carcinogenesis (formation), cell proliferation (growth), apoptosis (safe death specifically of cancer cells), metastasis (spread) and angiogenesis (the formation of blood vessels by the tumour that allow it to feed itself and grow).
Turmeric & Curcumin Supplements
As studies are boasting all around the world, turmeric curcumin is becoming the go-to-supplement both among fitness hobbyists and professional medical practitioners alike. AyurMeric, a propriety formulation of Yogicsecret provides you with incredible medicinal power of Turmeric concentrated with Curcuminoids and Prebiotic soluble fibers (Inulin Fructo-oligosaccharides) for anti-inflammatory, strong antioxidant action and building immunity. Develop your daily defense against pollutants caused oxidative stresses by adding AyurMeric to your daily diet.
(The author Anil Khandelwal is the Managing Director of Yogic Secret Healthcare Pvt. Ltd.)
