Below are quotes from University of Utah Health registered dietician nutritionist Anne Pesek
Taylor.
“Turmeric is a bright yellow spice that is
typically used for flavour and colour in Asian cuisine. It has an earthy aroma, and its flavour
profile is slightly peppery and bitter, with a subtle ginger taste. Turmeric contains three naturally occurring
phytochemicals called curcuminoids, the most notable and researched of which is
curcumin.
“Researchers have found that phytochemicals
from natural foods, such as the curcumin found in turmeric, may be a safe and
effective way to help reduce inflammation and prevent and treat disease. While acute inflammatory responses are
beneficial for the body in that they help heal injury, irritation, or
infection, we know that chronic inflammation can contribute to disease onset. There is promising research to support
curcumin’s use for the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects on obesity, to
reduce arthritis pain and swelling, and to aid in complications such as
diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy, and cardiomyopathy.
“Turmeric is typically taken orally; however, a
significant amount is excreted in faeces due to its fast metabolism and poor
solubility.” There is no set recommended
dosage of turmeric, so “until a concrete dosing recommendation is made,
dietitians will continue to encourage people to incorporate turmeric into their
home cooking routine to reap some of its potential health benefits. It pairs well with chicken and fish, is often
added to lentil and rice dishes, and can add flavour to vinaigrettes, soups, or
stews.”
“Turmeric is generally recognized as safe. Few side effects have been reported; however,
some have complained of nausea and diarrhoea when taking higher doses. As with any dietary supplement, ask your
health care provider before starting turmeric/curcumin as a supportive or preventive
therapy to discuss potential side effects, risks, or medication interactions.”
HMHB has further researched this wonderful spice;
Antioxidant:
Oxidative damage is believed to be one of the
mechanisms behind aging and many diseases.
It involves free
radicals, highly reactive molecules with unpaired electrons.
Free radicals tend to
react with important organic substances, such as fatty acids, propteins, or
DNA.
The main reason
antioxidants are so beneficial is that they protect your body from free
radicals.
Curcumin is a potent
antioxidant that can neutralize free radicals due to its chemical structure
In addition, curcumin
boosts the activity of your body’s own antioxidant enzymes.
In that way, curcumin
delivers a one-two punch against free radicals. It blocks them directly, then
stimulates your body’s own antioxidant defences.
Boost Brain Function
Back in the day, it was believed that neurons
weren’t able to divide and multiply after early childhood. However, it’s now known that this does happen. Neurons are capable of forming new
connections, but in certain areas of the brain they can also multiply and
increase in number.
One of the main drivers of this process is
brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is a type of growth hormone that
functions in your brain. Many common
brain disorders have been linked to decreased levels of this hormone, including
depression and Alzheimer’s disease.
Interestingly, curcumin can increase brain levels
of BDNF. By doing this, it may be
effective in delaying or even reversing many brain diseases and age-related
decreases in brain function.
It may also improve your memory and how you focus your
intelligence, which seems logical given its effects on BDNF levels. However,
controlled studies in people are needed to confirm this.
Reduces risk of Heart Disease.
Heart Disease is the number 1 cause of death in the
world. Researchers have studied it for
many decades and learned a lot about why it happens.
Unsurprisingly, heart disease is incredibly
complicated and various things contribute to it.
Curcumin may help
reverse many steps in the heart disease process.
Perhaps the main
benefit of curcumin, when it comes to heart disease, is improving the function
of the endothelium, which is the lining of your blood vessels.
It’s well known that
endothelial dysfunction is a major driver of heart disease and involves an
inability of your endothelium to regulate blood pressure, blood clotting and
various other factors.
Several studies
suggest that curcumin leads to improvements in endothelial function. One study
found that it’s as effective as exercise while another shows that it works as
well as the drug Atorvastatin.
In addition, curcumin
reduces inflammation and oxidation (as discussed above), which play a role in
heart disease as well. One study
randomly assigned 121 people, who were undergoing coronary artery bypass
surgery, either a placebo or 4 grams of curcumin per day, a few days before and
after the surgery. The curcumin group
had a 65% decreased risk of experiencing a heart attack in the hospital.
It has Cancer beating properties
Cancer is a terrible disease, characterized by
uncontrolled cell growth.
There are many
different forms of cancer, which still have several things in common. Some of
them appear to be affected by curcumin supplements.
Curcumin has been
studied as a beneficial herb in cancer treatment and been found to affect
cancer growth, development and spread at the molecular level.
Studies have shown
that it can contribute to the death of cancerous cells and reduce angiogenesis
(growth of new blood vessels in tumours) and metastasis (spread of cancer).
Multiple studies
indicate that curcumin can reduce the growth of cancerous cells in the
laboratory and inhibit the growth of tumours in test animals.
Whether high-dose
curcumin (preferably with an absorption enhancer like piperine) can help treat
cancer in humans has yet to be studied properly.
However, there is
evidence that it may prevent Cancer from occurring in the first place,
especially cancers of the digestive system like colorectal cancer. In a 30-day study in 44 men with lesions in
the colon that sometimes turn cancerous, 4 grams of curcumin per day reduced
the number of lesions by 40%. Maybe
curcumin will be used along with conventional cancer treatment one day. It’s
too early to say for sure, but it looks promising and is being intensively
studied.
Can help with Arthritis
Arthritis is a common problem in Western countries. There are several different types, most of
which involve inflammation in the joints.
Given that curcumin is a potent anti-inflammatory
compound, it makes sense that it may help with arthritis. Several studies show this to be true.
In a study in people with rheumatoid arthritis,
curcumin was even more effective than an anti-inflammatory drug. Many other studies have looked at the effects
of curcumin on arthritis and noted improvements in various symptoms
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