In the southern soil of India
Thrives a thick, beloved plant
Leaves of gold are tipped with rose hues
And its oil enhances chants
Sometimes called curcuma longa
Its roots promise love and health
Fragrant curries, healing powders
Indian saffron, sign of wealth
Warm and gentle is the fragrance
Earthy subtle undertones
Soon evolving to a sweetness
Therapy for weary bones
Brides are spread with its thick mixture
In the land of Bangladesh
Bodies gleaming golden ochre
Deep red henna hands enmeshed
But like every panacea
This spice has its bitter side
When combined with clove or ginger
Jekyll turns to bleeding Hyde
There are many healing flora
Flourishing in distant fields
Turmeric is one such blessing
In its golden orange yields
In the southern soil of India
Thrives a thick, beloved plant
Leaves of gold are tipped with rose hues
And its oil enhances chants.
by Liilia Talts Morrison
Turmeric, the staple ingredient of curry, has been used in India for thousands of years as both a spice and medicinal herb; it is referred to as ‘holy powder’. It is a root belonging to the same family as ginger and its vivid orange flesh is responsible for colouring curry yellow. It has long been used in Ayurvedic medicine to strengthen liver function and treat wounds and infections.
Curcumin, the main active ingredient in turmeric, has a powerful anti-inflammatory action. In clinical trials its anti-inflammmatory activity has been shown to be comparable to drugs such as hydrocortisone and ibuprofen. Curcumin belongs to a chemical group known as curcuminoids which reduce inflammation by blocking prostaglandin activity.
Turmeric’s powerful antioxidant capacity boosts the immune system. It is full of potent biochemical compounds called polyphenols, as well as vitamins and minerals. It is is up to 10 times more potent than vitamins C and E and also enhances the production of glutathione, the body’s most abundant antioxidant.
Turmeric is also excellent for cardiovascular health by helping to prevent unwanted blood clots by its anti-platelet, blood thinning activity. It can be helpful in the prevention and treatment of many different health conditions from cancer to Alzheimer’s disease.
Turmeric has a distinctly earthy, slightly bitter, almost mustardy taste. It is best to consume it with black pepper because alone it is poorly absorbed into the bloodstream; combining it with pepper enhances absorption by 2000%. Curcumin is fat soluble, so it always best to combine it with a meal containing fat.
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4. Curcumin Boosts Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, Linked to Improved Brain Function and a Lower Risk of Brain DiseasesBack in the day, it was believed that neurons weren’t able to divide and multiply after early childhood. However, it is now known that this does happen. The 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 the brain (20). Many common brain disorders have been linked to decreased levels of this hormone. This includes depression and Alzheimer’s disease (21, 22). Interestingly, curcumin can increase brain levels of BDNF (23, 24). By doing this, it may be effective at delaying or even reversing many brain diseases and age-related decreases in brain function (25). There is also the possibility that it could help improve memory and make you smarter. Makes sense given its effects on BDNF levels, but this definitely needs to be tested in human controlled trials (26).
5. Curcumin Leads to Various Improvements That Should Lower Your Risk of Heart DiseaseHeart disease is the biggest killer in the world (27). It has been studied for many decades and researchers have learned a lot about why it happens. It turns out that heart disease is incredibly complicated and there are various things that contribute to it. Curcumin may help reverse many steps in the heart disease process (28). Perhaps the main benefit of curcumin when it comes to heart disease, is improving the function of the endothelium, which is the lining of the blood vessels. It is well known that endothelial dysfunction is a major driver of heart disease and involves an inability of the endothelium to regulate blood pressure, blood clotting and various other factors (29). Several studies suggest that curcumin leads to improvements in endothelial function. One study shows that is as effective as exercise, another shows that it works as well as the drug Atorvastatin (30, 31). But curcumin also reduces inflammation and oxidation (as discussed above), which are also important in heart disease. In one study, 121 patients who were undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery were randomized to either 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 (32).
6. Turmeric Can Help Prevent (And Perhaps Even Treat) CancerCancer is a terrible disease, characterized by uncontrolled growth of cells. There are many different forms of cancer, but they do have several commonalities, some of which appear to be affected by curcumin supplementation (33). Researchers have been studying curcumin as a beneficial herb in cancer treatment. It can affect cancer growth, development and spread at the molecular level (34). Studies have shown that it can reduce angiogenesis (growth of new blood vessels in tumors), metastasis (spread of cancer), as well as contributing to the death of cancerous cells (35). Multiple studies have shown that curcumin can reduce the growth of cancerous cells in the laboratory and inhibit the growth of tumours in test animals (36, 37). Whether high-dose curcumin (preferably with an absorption enhancer like pepper) can help treat cancer in humans has yet to be tested properly. However, there is some evidence that it may help prevent cancer from occurring in the first place, especially cancers of the digestive system (like colorectal cancer). In one study in 44 men with lesions in the colon that sometimes turn cancerous, 4 grams of curcumin per day for 30 days reduced the number of lesions by 40% (38). 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 this is being intensively studied as we speak.
7. Curcumin May be Useful in Preventing and Treating Alzheimer’s DiseaseAlzheimer’s disease is the most common neurodegenerative disease in the world and a leading cause of dementia. Unfortunately, no good treatment is available for Alzheimer’s yet. Therefore, preventing it from showing up in the first place is of utmost importance. There may be good news on the horizon, because curcumin has been shown to cross the blood-brain barrier (39). It is known that inflammation and oxidative damage play a role in Alzheimer’s disease. As we know, curcumin has beneficial effects on both (40). But one key feature of Alzheimer’s disease is a buildup of protein tangles called Amyloid plaques. Studies show that curcumin can help clear these plaques (41). Whether curcumin can really slow down or even reverse the progression of Alzheimer’s disease needs to be studied properly.
8. Arthritis Patients Respond Very Well to Curcumin SupplementationArthritis is a common problem in Western countries. There are several different types, but most involve some sort of inflammation in the joints. Given that curcumin is a potent anti-inflammatory, it makes sense that it could help with arthritis. Several studies show this to be true. In a study of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, curcumin was even more effective than an anti-inflammatory drug (42). Many other studies have looked at the effects of curcumin on arthritis and noted improvements in various symptoms (43, 44).
9. Studies Show That Curcumin Has Incredible Benefits Against DepressionCurcumin has shown some promise in treating depression. In a controlled trial, 60 patients were randomized into three groups (45). One group took prozac, another group took a gram of curcumin and the third group took both prozac and curcumin. After 6 weeks, curcumin had led to improvements that were similar to prozac. The group that took both prozac and curcumin fared best. According to this (small) study, curcumin is as effective as an antidepressant. Depression is also linked to reduced levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and a shrinking hippocampus, a brain area with a role in learning and memory. Curcumin boosts BNDF levels, potentially reversing some of these changes (46). There is also some evidence that curcumin can boost the brain neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine (47, 48).
10. Curcumin May Help Delay Ageing and Fight Age-Related Chronic DiseasesIf curcumin can really help prevent heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s… then this would have obvious benefits for longevity. For this reason, curcumin has become very popular as an anti-aging supplement (49). But given that oxidation and inflammation are believed to play a role in ageing, curcumin may have effects that go way beyond just prevention of disease (50). 11. Anything Else?If you want to buy a turmeric/curcumin supplement, then there is an excellent selection on Amazon with thousands of great customer reviews. I recommend that you find one with bioperine (another name for piperine), which is the substance that enhances absorption of curcumin by 2000%. Without this substance, most of the curcumin just passes through your digestive tract. |