Turmeric is that spice without which Indians can't cook, as it is added in most dishes since centuries. Then surely, it must be having some special properties too.
Turmeric is the spice that gives curry its yellow color.
The compounds are called curcuminoids, the most important of which is curcumin.
Curcumin is the main active ingredient in turmeric. It has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a very strong antioxidant.
However, the curcumin content of turmeric is not that high... it's around 3%, by weight .
Most
of the studies on this herb are using turmeric extracts that contain
mostly curcumin itself, with dosages usually exceeding 1 gram per day.
It would be very difficult to reach these levels just using the turmeric
spice in your foods.
Therefore, if you want to experience the full effects, then you need to take an extract that contains significant amounts of curcumin.
Unfortunately,
curcumin is poorly absorbed into the bloodstream. It helps to consume
black pepper with it, which contains piperine... a natural substance
that enhances the absorption of curcumin by 2000%.
Curcumin is also fat soluble, so it may be a good idea to take it with a fatty meal.
Inflammation is incredibly important.
It helps the body fight foreign invaders and also has a role in repairing damage.
Without inflammation, pathogens like bacteria could easily take over our bodies and kill us.
Although
acute (short-term) inflammation is beneficial, it can become a major
problem when it is chronic (long-term) and inappropriately deployed
against the body's own tissues.
It is now believed that chronic,
low-level inflammation plays a major role in almost every chronic,
Western disease. This includes heart disease, cancer, metabolic
syndrome, Alzheimer's and various degenerative conditions .
Therefore,
anything that can help fight chronic inflammation is of potential
importance in preventing and even treating these diseases.
It
turns out that curcumin is strongly anti-inflammatory, it is so powerful
that it matches the effectiveness of some anti-inflammatory drugs.
Curcumin actually targets multiple steps in the inflammatory pathway, at the molecular level.
Curcumin
blocks NF-kB, a molecule that travels into the nuclei of cells and
turns on genes related to inflammation. NF-kB is believed to play a
major role in many chronic diseases.
The key takeaway here is that curcumin is a bioactive substance that fights inflammation at the molecular level.
In several studies, its potency has compared favorably to anti-inflammatory pharmaceutical drugs... except without the side effects.
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, proteins or DNA.
The main reason antioxidants are so beneficial, is that they protect our bodies from free radicals.
Curcumin happens to be a potent antioxidant that can neutralize free radicals due to its chemical structure.
But curcumin also boosts the activity of the body's own antioxidant enzymes.
In
that way, curcumin delivers a one-two punch against free radicals. It
blocks them directly, then stimulates the body's own antioxidant
mechanisms.
Back 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.
Many
common brain disorders have been linked to decreased levels of this
hormone. This includes depression and Alzheimer's disease.
Interestingly, curcumin can increase brain levels of BDNF.
By
doing this, it may be effective at delaying or even reversing many
brain diseases and age-related decreases in brain function .
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.
Heart disease is the biggest killer in the world.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Cancer 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.
Researchers
have been studying curcumin as a beneficial herb in cancer treatment.
It can affect cancer growth, development and spread at the molecular
level.
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.
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.
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%.
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.
Alzheimer'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.
It
is known that inflammation and oxidative damage play a role in
Alzheimer's disease. As we know, curcumin has beneficial effects on both.
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.
Whether curcumin can really slow down or even reverse the progression of Alzheimer's disease needs to be studied properly.
Arthritis 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.
Many other studies have looked at the effects of curcumin on arthritis and noted improvements in various symptoms.
Curcumin has shown some promise in treating depression.
In a controlled trial, 60 patients were randomized into three groups.
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.
There is also some evidence that curcumin can boost the brain neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine.
If 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.
But
given that oxidation and inflammation are believed to play a role in
aging, curcumin may have effects that go way beyond just prevention of
disease.
11. Turmeric being good anti-fungal, I mix it with Listerine and use for my fungal nail , which was hurting a lot earlier. With regular use, it doesn't hurt.
12. Turmeric face pack to get rid of unwanted hair- 1 teaspoon of rice flour ( as it is coarse than all purpose flour), 1/2 tsp of turmeric pdr. and enough milk/ honey to make a paste. Rub it well on those areas where you want to get rid of hair- like upper lips, chin, cheeks well, then spread the mixture all over the face. After about 15-20 minutes, when it totally dries up, wash it well. You'll soon start finding not only unwanted hair vanishing, also your skin soft and also it helps to get rid of blackheads too !
13. Turmeric milk with garlic to lessen the cough and phlegm- I drink this concoction on most night, when I simmer about 250 ml of milk, add 1/2 tsp of turmeric and 2 big pearls of garlic finely chopped for 20 minutes. Then adding a tsp. of sugar, I drink it as hot as I can, it helps to lessen my cough and phlegm.
14. Turmeric along with dry ginger powder and fenugreek ( methi) powder helps for arthritis pain, as all have anti-inflammatory properties. I mix roughly 1/2 tsp. of each powder with little water and drink it on empty stomach each morning. It really helps.
15. Turmeric tea- I simmer 200 ml water with an inch of cinnamon for about 10 minutes. In a glass I add 1/2 tsp. of turmeric powder and 1" ginger finely chopped. I let this water steep for 10 minutes without covering, then drink on empty stomach after taking the above mixture in 14 ! This not only helps to reduce weight, it gives a feeling of satiety even when I eat less. Cinnamon helps to burn the abdominal fat !
16.Maintains ulcerative colitis remission- Ulcerative colitis is a chronic condition that causes ulcers in the lower end of the
gastrointestinal tract. Turmeric could help maintain remission from
symptoms. According to a study, they found that patients in remission had significantly lower relapse rates if they consumed turmeric.
17.Boosts the immune system
The medicinal properties in turmeric may be able to boost the immune system, even in people with immune disorders. One study theorized that turmeric can moderate the immune system.
18.Lowers cholesterol
Lowering LDL
(or “bad”) cholesterol can help reduce your risk of developing some
serious conditions, including heart disease and stroke. There is
evidence that turmeric is effective at doing just that. For example, a 2008 study that found that a low dose of curcumin was associated with reduced LDL and total cholesterol levels.
19.Can help treat uveitis
Uveitis is an inflammation of the iris. Some early research has indicated that curcumin found in turmeric may actually be as
effective of a treatment as corticosteroids, but without the side
effects.
20.Helps prevent cancer
Turmeric tea’s
many medicinal properties, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory
properties, could contribute to cancer prevention. National Cancer Institute has recognized curcumin as an effective anti-carcinogen, or substance that helps prevent cancer.
THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE
HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.
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