Top 10 Turmeric and Curcumin Health Benefits That Have Been Proven
Turmeric
and Curcumin Health Benefits That Have Been Proven
The
dietary supplement known as turmeric may be the most potent one available.
Turmeric has significant health advantages for both your body and brain, according to numerous high-quality studies. Since curcumin is its primary active component, many of these advantages are due to it.
What are Turmeric
and curcumin?
Turmeric is the spice that gives
curry its yellow color.
It
has been used as a spice and a medicinal herb in India for countless years. The
traditional beliefs that turmeric includes chemicals with therapeutic benefits
are now being supported by research.
These
substances are known as curcuminoids. Curcumin is the most crucial.
The
primary active component of turmeric is curcumin. It is a very potent
antioxidant and has potent anti-inflammatory properties.
The
top 10 scientifically proven health advantages of turmeric and curcumin are
listed below.
1. Medicinal
bioactive substances are present in turmeric.
However,
turmeric doesn't contain a lot of curcumin. By weight, it is about 3%. The
majority of investigations on this herb use turmeric extracts with dosages
typically surpassing 1 gram per day, with curcumin being the main component.
To
achieve these levels alone by adding turmeric as a spice to your meals would be
quite challenging.
Because
of this, some individuals decide to use supplements.
Curcumin
is not well absorbed into the bloodstream, though. Curcumin's bioavailability,
or how quickly your body absorbs a chemical, needs to increase if we are to
benefit fully from it.
Consuming
it with black pepper, which has piperine, is beneficial. The natural compound
piperine increases curcumin absorption by 2000%. In actuality, piperine is
present in the greatest curcumin pills, which significantly increases their
potency.
Additionally
fat soluble, curcumin disintegrates and dissolves in fat or oil. Therefore, it
can be wise to take curcumin pills along with a meal that has a lot of fat.
2. Curcumin
is a natural anti-inflammatory compound.
Inflammation
is quite significant. It aids in warding off outside intruders and aids in body
damage healing.
Although
short-term, acute inflammation is advantageous, it can be problematic if it
persists and starts to destroy your body's own tissues.
Scientists now believe that chronic
low-level inflammation can play a role in some health conditions and diseases ;These include:
·
Heart disease
·
Cancer
·
Metabolic syndrome,
·
Alzheimer's disease,
·
Various degenerative
illnesses are some of them.
Because
of this, anything that can be done to combat chronic inflammation may be useful
in avoiding and treating these illnesses.
The
most important thing to remember about curcumin is that it is a bioactive
chemical that can treat inflammation, despite the fact that the problem of
inflammation is complex and there probably isn't a straightforward solution.
However, in order to have a therapeutic effect, very high doses are needed.
3. Turmeric
can boost the body's antioxidant capability.
One
of the mechanisms thought to be responsible for aging and many diseases is
oxidative damage.
Free
radicals, extremely reactive molecules with unpaired electrons, are involved.
Important chemical molecules like fatty acids, proteins, or DNA often react
with free radicals.
Antioxidants
are mostly helpful because they shield your body from free radicals.
Due
to the chemical makeup of curcumin, it is a strong antioxidant that has the
ability to counteract free radicals.
Additionally,
research on animals and cells indicate that curcumin may inhibit the activity
of free radicals and maybe promote the activity of other antioxidants. To
substantiate these advantages, additional human clinical research are required.
4. The
ability of curcumin to increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor
Before
scientists had a better grasp of neurons, it was thought that during early
life, neurons were unable to divide and multiply. They now understand that's
not the case, though.
In
some parts of the brain, neurons can grow and become more numerous. They are
also capable of creating new connections.
Brain-derived
neurotrophic factor is a key driver of this process (BDNF). This gene contributes
to the production of a protein essential for maintaining the health of neurons.
The
brain regions in charge of eating, drinking, and body weight contain the BDNF
protein, which has an impact on memory and learning.
Decreased
BDNF protein levels have been linked to depression and Alzheimer's disease,
among other widespread brain illnesses.
Curiously,
investigations on animals have revealed that curcumin may raise BDNF levels in
the brain.
As
a result, many brain disorders and age-related declines in brain function may
be effectively delayed or even reversed. However, since these experiments were
carried only on animals, it is difficult to interpret what the findings signify
for people.
Given
how it affects BDNF levels, it may also aid with memory and attention. More
research is necessary to support this, though.
5. Curcumin
could reduce your risk of developing heart disease.
In
the world, heart disease is the leading cause of death.
For
many years, scientists have researched it and have learnt a lot about why it
occurs. Unsurprisingly, there are many factors that contribute to and
complicate heart disease.
Numerous
milestones in the development of heart disease may be helped by curcumin.
Enhancing
the functionality of the endothelium, the lining of your blood arteries, is
perhaps curcumin's most important benefit in terms of heart disease.
One
of the main causes of heart disease is endothelial dysfunction. When your
endothelium is unable to control numerous elements, such as blood pressure and
blood clotting, this occurs.
Numerous
research indicate that curcumin may benefit heart health. Additionally, one
study discovered that it works just as well for post-menopausal women as
exercise.
In
addition, curcumin can lessen oxidation and inflammation, both of which have
been linked to heart disease.
Researchers
randomized 121 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery to receive
either a placebo or 4 grams of curcumin per day for a few days prior to and
following the procedure.
The
chance of having a heart attack while hospitalized was reduced by 65% in the
group taking curcumin.
6. Turmeric
may lessen the risk of cancer.
Cancer
is a condition marked by unchecked cell proliferation. Supplemental curcumin
appears to have an impact on a variety of cancer types.
Curcumin
has been investigated as a useful herb in the treatment of cancer and has been
discovered to have an impact on the growth and development of cancer.
According to studies, it can:
Contribute to the death of cancerous cells
Lessen metastasis and angiogenesis (the development of new blood vessels in
malignancies) (spread of cancer)
It
has not yet been thoroughly investigated if high-dose curcumin, preferably with
an absorption booster like piperine, can aid in the treatment of cancer in
humans.
Evidence
suggests that it might, however, stop cancer from developing at all,
particularly tumors of the digestive tract like colorectal cancer.
In
a 30-day research, 4 grams of curcumin per day reduced the number of lesions by
40% in 44 men with colon lesions that occasionally progressed to cancer.
7. Curcumin
may help in Alzheimer's disease treatment
The
most prevalent type of dementia, Alzheimer's disease may be to blame for up to
70% of dementia cases.
Although
there are treatments available for some of its symptoms, Alzheimer's disease is
still incurable. It is crucial to stop it from happening in the first place
because of this.
Curcumin
has been demonstrated to pass the blood-brain barrier, therefore there may be
good news on the future.
Curcumin
has advantageous effects on both inflammation and oxidative damage, which are
known to contribute to Alzheimer's disease.
Additionally,
a buildup of protein tangles known as amyloid plaques is a crucial aspect of
Alzheimer's disease. According to studies, curcumin can assist in removing
these plaques.
Curcumin's
potential to reduce or perhaps stop the progression of Alzheimer's disease in
people has to be further investigated.
8.
Curcumin supplements work nicely for arthritis patients.
Western
nations frequently deal with the problem of arthritis. There are numerous
varieties of arthritis, and most of them include joint inflammation.
It
makes obvious that curcumin, which has strong anti-inflammatory properties,
could benefit arthritis. In reality, a number of studies have found a
relationship.
Curcumin
outperformed an anti-inflammatory medication in a study on patients with
rheumatoid arthritis.
Numerous
other studies that examined how curcumin affects arthritis found improvements
in a number of symptoms.
9. Curcumin
has antidepressant properties.
The
antidepressant curcumin has showed some promise.
60
depressed individuals were randomly assigned to one of three groups in a
controlled experiment. Prozac was given to one group, 1 gram of curcumin to
another, and Prozac with curcumin to the third.
Curcumin
had had results comparable to those of Prozac after six weeks. The group who
consumed curcumin as well as Prozac fared the best.
This
short study found that curcumin has comparable antidepressant efficacy.
A
brain region involved in learning and memory, the hippocampus, as well as lower
BDNF levels are associated with depression. By raising BDNF levels, curcumin
may be able to slow or stop some of these alterations.
Additionally,
there is some evidence to suggest that curcumin can increase serotonin and
dopamine levels in the brain.
10.
Curcumin might prevent chronic diseases associated with old age and slow down
aging.
If
curcumin may truly aid in the prevention of heart disease, cancer, and
Alzheimer's, it might also have advantages for extending life.
This
implies that curcumin may have application as a supplement for anti-aging.
Since
inflammation and oxidation are thought to contribute to aging, curcumin may
have effects that go beyond simply warding off disease.
SUMMARY: Curcumin,
a substance found in turmeric, has potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant
activities.
• Some common medical disorders are made worse by chronic inflammation. Although curcumin can inhibit numerous compounds that are known to be important in inflammation, its bioavailability must be improved. Curcumin, a compound with potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, is present in turmeric. The majority of research uses standardized turmeric extracts with high curcumin content because:
• Chronic inflammation is a factor in a number
of prevalent medical diseases; Although curcumin can inhibit numerous compounds
that are known to be important in inflammation, its bioavailability must be
improved.
•
Curcumin increases levels of the brain hormone BDNF, which promotes the
development of new neurons and may aid in the prevention of a number of
neurodegenerative disorders.
•Curcumin
has positive effects on a number of elements thought to contribute to heart
disease. Additionally, it has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
•On
a molecular level, curcumin causes a number of changes that could potentially
treat or even prevent cancer.
•
Curcumin has been found to have a number of beneficial effects on the
degenerative progression of Alzheimer's disease and can pass the blood-brain
barrier.
•Joint
inflammation is a typical feature of the condition known as arthritis. Numerous
studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of curcumin in treating the signs
and symptoms of arthritis, sometimes outperforming anti-inflammatory medicines.
•
Curcumin was found to be just as effective as Prozac in treating the symptoms
of depression, according to a study involving 60 depressed individuals.
•
Curcumin may promote longevity due to its numerous health benefits, which
include the ability to prevent heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, and cancer.
•Curcumin
has antioxidant effects, however additional research is required to
substantiate these advantages.
Conclusion:
The
ability of turmeric to boost heart health and protect against Alzheimer's and
cancer are just a few of the many health benefits that have been scientifically
confirmed to exist for this spice.
It
works well as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Additionally, it might
lessen arthritis and depression symptoms.
These
advantages might exist, but they are currently restricted due to curcumin's low
bioavailability, necessitating additional study.