Turmeric

Turmeric is a perennial, herbaceous plant whose spirally arranged leaves grow up to 1.2 m high. The yellow flowers appear on a 15 to 20 cm long stem enclosed by the leaf stalks and are arranged like cones. The rhizome harvested after the leaves have withered is used. Before drying, the rhizomes are scalded with hot water to prevent them from sprouting. This causes the starch to gelatinize and the dye that is released turns the entire tissue orange-yellow. Turmeric is mainly used as a spice and gives curry its yellow color. Turmeric gives certain types of mustard their deep yellow color and has in fact been used as a dye for clothing and food for thousands of years. However, the root of turmeric is also used to make medicine. Turmeric is used for arthritis, heartburn, stomach pain, diarrhea, flatulence, bloating, loss of appetite, jaundice, liver problems and gallbladder problems.

Turmeric is also used for headaches, bronchitis, colds, lung infections, fibromyalgia, leprosy, fever, menstrual problems and cancer. Other uses include depression, Alzheimer's disease, water retention, worm infestations and kidney problems. Some people apply turmeric to the skin for pain, bark lichen, bruises, leech bites, eye infections, inflammatory skin diseases, mouth pain and infected wounds. In the field of industrial production, the essential oil of turmeric is used in the production of perfume and the resin is used as a flavoring component and coloring agent in the production of food. Turmeric's versatile role in recipes and wellbeing make it an excellent choice when it comes to "eating healthy. "* It's no wonder that turmeric is considered by many to be one of the best medicinal herbs available!

Ingredients

Turmeric contains essential oil, curcuminoids, which are also responsible for its yellow color, and immunologically active polysaccharides. Preparations made from turmeric have a stimulating effect on the flow of bile, lower blood lipids, are antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, liver-protective, inhibit the growth of bacteria and are also said to have a certain anti-cancer effect.

Health benefits of curcumin and turmeric

Numerous studies have shown that turmeric and curcumin may have a variety of health benefits for the body and brain. Below we will take a brief look at the most important of these. Turmeric contains bioactive compounds with powerful medicinal properties Turmeric has been used for thousands of years as a medicinal plant in addition to its use as a spice, and not without reason. In recent years, studies have begun to scientifically support what Indians have known for a long time - turmeric contains numerous compounds with medicinal properties (1).

These compounds are called curcuminoids and the most important of these is curcumin. Curcumin is the primary active ingredient in turmeric. It has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is also a very strong antioxidant. The curcumin content of turmeric is around 3% (2). Most studies conducted with turmeric use turmeric extracts containing mainly curcumin, with doses usually exceeding 1 gram per day. It would be very difficult to achieve these levels by using turmeric as a spice in food alone. For this reason, it is necessary to use curcumin supplements that contain significant amounts of curcumin if you want to benefit from the full effects of this ingredient.

Unfortunately, curcumin is poorly absorbed by the body. It helps to consume black pepper along with curcumin as it contains a substance called piperine, which can increase the absorption of curcumin by 2,000% (3). Good curcumin supplements contain piperine, which significantly increases their effectiveness. Curcumin is also fat-soluble, so it may be a good idea to take curcumin supplements with a high-fat meal.

Summary: Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Most studies use standardized turmeric extracts with high levels of curcumin.

Curcumin is a natural anti-inflammatory compound

Inflammation is a very important mechanism of the body that helps fight harmful foreign invaders and also plays an important role in repairing damage of various kinds. Without inflammation, pathogens such as bacteria could easily take over your body and kill you. But even though acute, short-term inflammation is beneficial, inflammation can become a major problem when it becomes chronic and attacks the body's tissues. Scientists believe that chronic, underlying inflammation plays a major role in almost every chronic Western disease.

This includes heart disease, cancer, metabolic syndrome, Alzheimer's disease and a number of degenerative diseases (4, 5, 6). For this reason, anything that can help fight chronic inflammation is potentially useful when it comes to preventing or treating these chronic diseases. Curcumin is a powerful anti-inflammatory. Its effect is so strong that it can rival the effectiveness of some anti-inflammatory drugs without sharing their side effects (7, 8, 9). It blocks NF-kB, a molecule that enters the cell nucleus and activates genes associated with inflammation. NF-kB is believed to play an important role in many chronic diseases (10, 11). Without going into details (the topic of inflammation is extremely complicated), the key message here is that curcumin is a bioactive substance that fights inflammation at the molecular level (12, 13, 14).

Summary: Chronic diseases contribute to many common Western diseases. Curcumin can suppress molecules known to play an important role in inflammation.

Turmeric can dramatically increase your body's antioxidant capacity

Oxidative damage is believed to be one of the mechanisms underlying the aging process and many diseases. Oxidative damage includes free radicals - highly reactive molecules and unpaired electrons. Free radicals tend to react with important organic substances such as fatty acids, proteins or the DNA of your cells. The main reason antioxidants are so useful is that they protect your body from free radicals.

Curcumin is a powerful antioxidant that can neutralize free radicals through its chemical structure (15, 16). In addition, curcumin can increase the activity of the body's own antioxidant enzymes (17, 18, 19). In this way, curcumin delivers a one-two punch against free radicals - it blocks them directly and then stimulates the body's own antioxidant defense.

Summary: Curcumin has powerful antioxidant effects. It neutralizes free radicals and also stimulates the body's own antioxidant enzymes.

Turmeric can promote brain function

Curcumin increases levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is associated with brain function and a lower risk of brain disease It was once thought that neurons stopped dividing and multiplying after early childhood. Today we know that this is not the case. Neurons are capable of making new connections, but in certain areas of the brain they can also divide and increase in number. One of the many driving factors of this process is the so-called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) - a type of growth hormone that exerts its effect in the brain (20). Many common brain disorders including Alzheimer's disease and depression have been linked to reduced levels of this hormone (21, 22).

Interestingly, curcumin can increase levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) (23, 24). This could make it effective in counteracting or even reversing the development of many brain diseases and age-related decline in brain function (25). Curcumin may also improve memory and make you smarter, which seems logical given that it can increase levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). However, controlled human studies are needed to confirm this (26).

Summary: Curcumin increases levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which stimulates the growth of new neurons and combats various degenerative processes in the brain.

Curcumin should reduce the risk of heart disease

Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide (27). Scientists have studied these diseases for many decades and have learned a lot about their causes. Not surprisingly, this topic is surprisingly complicated and there are many things that contribute to the development of these diseases. Curcumin could help reverse many steps in the process of developing these diseases (28). Perhaps one of the greatest benefits of curcumin in preventing heart disease is by improving the function of the endothelium, which is the inner lining of blood vessels. It is well known that endothelial dysfunction is a major driving force in the development of heart disease. This includes an inability of the endothelium to regulate blood pressure and many other factors (29).

Several studies suggest that curcumin supplementation leads to an improvement in endothelial function. One study concluded that curcumin is as effective as exercise, while other studies show that it works as well as the drug atorvastatin (30, 31). In addition, curcumin reduces inflammation and oxidative processes, which also play a role in the development of heart disease. In one study, 121 subjects undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery were assigned to either a placebo group or a group that received 4 grams of curcumin per day for a few days before and after surgery. The curcumin group was found to have a 65% reduced risk of in-hospital myocardial infarction (32).

Summary: Curcumin has positive effects on several factors involved in heart disease. It improves endothelial function and is a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent.

Turmeric may help prevent (and perhaps even treat) cancer

Cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled tissue growth. There are many different forms of cancer, which nevertheless have some things in common. Some of these appear to be influenced by curcumin (33). Curcumin has been studied as a treatment for cancer and has been found to affect the growth, development and spread of cancer at the molecular level (34). Studies have shown that curcumin can contribute to the death of dangerous cancer cells and can reduce angiogenesis (the growth of new blood vessels in tumors) and metastasis (35). Several studies suggest that curcumin can reduce the growth of cancer cells in the laboratory and the growth of tumors in animals (36, 37).

Whether high doses of curcumin (preferably with an absorption enhancer such as piperine) can also support the treatment of cancer in humans remains to be investigated in more detail. However, there is evidence that curcumin can prevent the development of cancer, particularly in cancers that affect the digestive system such as colorectal cancer. In a 30-day study of 44 men with lesions in the colon, which can sometimes develop into cancer, 4 grams of curcumin per day reduced the number of lesions by 40% (38). Perhaps one day curcumin will be used in combination with conventional cancer treatment. However, it is still too early to say for sure. However, the findings to date are promising and curcumin is being intensively investigated for this area of application.

Summary: Curcumin leads to several changes at the molecular level that could help prevent and perhaps even treat cancer.

Curcumin could be useful in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's is the most common neurodegenerative disease in the world and the leading cause of dementia. Unfortunately, there is still no good treatment for this disease. For this reason, preventing the onset of Alzheimer's is of paramount importance. However, there may be good news on the horizon, as curcumin has been shown to be able to cross the blood-brain barrier (39).

It is known that inflammation and oxidative damage may play a role in Alzheimer's disease and curcumin may protect against both (40). In addition to this, a key feature of Alzheimer's is the development of amyloid plaques. Studies show that curcumin can help to eliminate these plaques (41). However, whether curcumin can really slow down or even reverse the development of Alzheimer's is not yet known and needs to be further investigated.

Summary: Curcumin can cross the blood-brain barrier and has been shown to lead to various improvements in the pathological process of Alzheimer's disease.

Arthritis patients respond very well to curcumin supplements

Arthritis is a common disease in the western world. There are several different types of arthritis, but most of them involve inflammation around the joints. Since curcumin is an effective anti-inflammatory compound, it stands to reason that it could also help with arthritis. Several studies have shown that this is indeed the case. In a study of subjects suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, curcumin was shown to be even more effective than an anti-inflammatory drug (42). Many other studies have investigated the effects of curcumin on arthritis and observed improvements in various symptoms (43, 44).

Summary: Many studies show that curcumin can help treat arthritis symptoms and in some cases is even more effective than anti-inflammatory drugs.

Studies show that curcumin can have amazing benefits for depression

Curcumin has shown promise in the treatment of depression. In a controlled study, 60 subjects suffering from depression were divided into three groups (45). One group took the antidepressant Prozac, another group took one gram of curcumin and the third group took both Prozac and curcumin. After 6 weeks, curcumin had led to similar improvements in condition as Prozac. The group taking Prozac and curcumin performed best (45). According to this small study, curcumin is therefore just as effective as an antidepressant.

Depression is also associated with reduced levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and a shrinking hippocampus - an area of the brain that plays a role in learning and memory. Curcumin increases BDNF levels and could potentially reverse some of these changes (46). There is also evidence that curcumin may increase levels of the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine in the brain (47, 48).

Summary: A study of 60 subjects showed that curcumin was as effective as the antidepressant Prozac in relieving symptoms of depression.

Curcumin could help delay ageing and combat age-related chronic diseases

If curcumin can indeed help prevent heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer's, then it would have obvious longevity benefits. For this reason, curcumin has become a very popular anti-aging supplement (49). Considering the fact that oxidative processes and inflammation are also believed to play a role in aging, curcumin may have effects that go far beyond preventing disease (50).

Summary: Due to its many positive health effects, including some protection against chronic disease, curcumin may promote longevity.

Safety and side effects

Turmeric is likely safe and harmless for adults when used appropriately. Turmeric does not usually cause significant side effects. However, some people may experience stomach upset, nausea, dizziness or diarrhea. In one report, a person taking very high amounts of turmeric - over 1500 mg twice a day - experienced a dangerous abnormal heart rhythm. However, it is not clear whether turmeric was actually the cause of this side effect. Until more is known, excessively high doses of turmeric should be avoided.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and breastfeeding: Oral intake of turmeric in medicinal amounts is probably not safe during pregnancy. Turmeric could promote menstrual periods or stimulate the uterus, which could jeopardize pregnancy. A toxic chemical contained in turmeric can cross the placenta and also pass into breast milk. Newborn babies exposed to turmeric products have suffered brain damage (kernicterus). For this reason, pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid turmeric products.

Gallbladder problems: Turmeric may aggravate gallbladder problems. You should not use turmeric if you suffer from gallstones or a blockage in the bile ducts. Gastroesophageal reflux disease: Turmeric can cause stomach upset in some people. Turmeric could also aggravate stomach problems such as gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Surgeries: Turmeric could slow down blood clotting. There are concerns that this could increase the risk of bleeding during and after surgery. For this reason, the use of turmeric should be stopped at least 2 weeks before planned operations.

Interactions with medication

Care should be taken when combining turmeric with the following medications:

Medications that slow down blood clotting

Turmeric could slow down blood clotting. Taking turmeric in combination with medications that also slow down blood clotting could increase the risk of bleeding and the tendency to bruise. Some medications that can slow blood clotting include aspirin, diclofenac (Voltaren), ibuprofen, naproxen, heparin, warfarin and others.

Drugs that are broken down by the liver (cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) substrates and cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) substrates))

Some drugs are metabolized by the liver. Turmeric products may reduce the rate at which the liver breaks down certain drugs. Taking turmeric products in conjunction with medications that are broken down by the liver may increase the side effects of some medications. For this reason, you should consult your doctor before taking turmeric products if you are taking medication that is broken down by the liver.

Drugs that are transported into the cells via pumps (P-glycoprotein substrates):

Some drugs are transported into cells by pumps. Turmeric products may make these pumps less active and increase the amount of some drugs absorbed by the body. This could increase the amounts of some drugs in the body, which could lead to more side effects. However, there is not enough information available to say whether this is a major cause for concern.

Dosage

The following dosages have been studied in scientific research:

• For upset stomach: 500 mg of turmeric four times daily.
• For osteoarthritis: 500 mg of a specific turmeric extract (Meriva) twice daily. Also 500 mg of a non-commercial product four times a day was used.
• For rheumatoid arthritis: 500 mg of a specific formulation of the turmeric ingredient curcumin (BCM-95®) twice daily.

Conclusion

Turmeric, and in particular its most active compound, curcumin, has many scientifically proven health benefits, including the prevention of heart disease, Alzheimer's disease and cancer. Its potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects may also help reduce symptoms of depression and arthritis. If you're looking for a curcumin product, look for one that contains piperine, which can increase the bioavailability of curcumin by 2,000%. Without this compound, most of the curcumin will pass through your digestive tract without being absorbed by the body.

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