admin If you’re health conscious and want to make the best use of your money, you definitely want to take the supplements that provide you with the greatest benefit. Turmeric has long been known for its wide range of health benefits. However, it’s important to known that the vast majority of studies on turmeric have not examined the spice itself, but rather one of its constituents called curcumin. Considering curcumin typically accounts for only 2-5% of turmeric root, the benefits of a turmeric supplement would give you the boost of turmeric that can benefit your health.
Is a turmeric supplement right for you?
So what exactly can a turmeric supplement do for you, and is a turmeric supplement right for you? Research has shown that chronic inflammation may be a common factor in many diseases. Although inflammation is normal, it should be limited, as it can bring about grave damage if it is not. Curcumin, the the active chemical in turmeric, is a powerful antioxidant that works by blocking certain proteins, enzymes and other molecules responsible for inflammation. Curcumin, unlike synthetic drugs, works on multiple inflammation pathways to help return the body to a normal inflammation balance. Additionally, curcumin has specific, unique mechanisms of action that make it invaluable in treating many – if not most – chronic diseases. It’s especially effective when it comes to blocking enzymes that produce pain. This makes it particularly helpful when it comes to treating arthritis pain and joint discomfort.
If you don’t have arthritis or joint discomfort, are there still any benefits of a turmeric supplement for you? If you eat processed food, if your diet lacks proper vitamins and nutrients, if you are overweight, if you suffer from stress, if you don’t get enough sleep, or if you are exposed to cigarette smoke, car exhausts and general pollution, all of these can cause increased inflammation in the body.
When you have chronic inflammation, your body’s inflammatory response can eventually start damaging healthy cells, tissues, and organs. Over time, this can lead to DNA damage, tissue death, and internal scarring. All of these are linked to the development of several diseases, including cancer, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, type 2 diabetes, obesity, asthma, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.1
How A Turmeric Supplement Can Help You
Curcumin as a Cancer Killer
Curcumin is a phytochemical with astonishing health properties — but its ability to fight cancer is nothing short of extraordinary. Multiple scientific studies reveal that curcumin has more than 150 documented therapeutic benefits, and is a potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial, antimicrobial, anti-venom — and anticancer treatment.
In fact, curcumin is now known to target 10 separate factors that can lead to cancer. You’d have a good shot at preventing cancer by just eliminating one factor… by eliminating 10 of them — you’re providing yourself with significant anticancer protection.
A recent study published in the journal, Anticancer Research, showed that curcumin targets and kills cancer stem cells — the young malignant cells that grow into tumors — but leaves normal, healthy stem cells untouched.2
Studies have shown that curcumin also:3
- Regulates tumor suppressor pathways and starves tumors of vital blood supply.
- Triggers programmed cell death in breast cancer cells.
- Targets destruction of cancer-cell mitochondria while leaving healthy cells alone.
- Halts replication of cancerous cells.
- Blocks molecules to prevent tumors from growing and spreading.
- Prevents DNA damage.
More studies show that curcumin strikes at multiple targets in prostate cancer, interfering with the spread of cancer cells and regulating inflammatory responses through NF-kB, the master regulator.4,5
Curcumin has also been shown to suppress colon cancer when combined with other polyphenols, such as reservatrol.6 And the combination of curcumin with green tea extracts has prevented experimentally induced colon cancer in animal studies.7
Other studies have shown the power of curcumin against blood cancers, brain cancer, pancreatic cancer, lung cancer and bladder cancer.
Curcumin for Heart Disease
Curcumin can work wonders to curb inflammation in your arteries. This is extremely important when it comes to protecting your cardiovascular health. Inflammation has a damaging effect on the delicate lining of your blood vessels. This eventually leads to endothelial dysfunction – a condition where the inner linings of blood vessels lose much of their ability to manage the traffic of critical blood flow to and from the heart. This is a critical warning sign of heart disease that could result in a heart attack. Curcumin can help to counteract endothelial dysfunction and improve blood flow by lowering markers of inflammation and reducing oxidative stress. In addition, it does all of this without any of the devastating side effects associated with prescription heart medications.
In an experimental model of heart disease, curcumin was compared to the cholesterol-lowering drug lovastatin. The researchers found that curcumin protected against the effects of a high cholesterol diet just as effectively as lovastatin, preventing the inflammatory changes that lead to plaque buildup, reducing triglycerides and increasing protective HDL cholesterol levels.13 In fact, volunteers receiving 500 mg of curcumin daily in a small clinical trial experienced a 29% increase in HDL levels.14 Just a 1% increase in this “good” form of cholesterol can reduce your risk of heart disease by 2-3%, so this finding is very important. Curcumin has also been found to lower serum triglycerides by 27%. Triglycerides are an undesirable form of fat that circulates in the bloodstream. Although much attention has been focused on cholesterol levels in connection with risk of heart disease, new research is finding that reducing triglyceride levels is likely more important than controlling cholesterol levels. In fact, one recent scientific paper noted that high triglyceride levels nearly tripled the risk of a heart attack.15 Therefore, the ability of curcumin to reduce triglyceride levels is crucial in reducing your risk of heart disease.
Turmeric for Diabetes
It’s known that curcumin helps reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, both which are factors that appear to play a role in diabetes. For this reason, scientists believe that turmeric may be useful for people with diabetes.
Preliminary research has shown that taking turmeric or curcumin by mouth may help reduce blood sugar to more manageable levels in some people. It is also suggested that suggest that including turmeric or curcumin in the diet may help people with prediabetes slow down or reverse the development of this condition.
Curcumin may also help reduce the risk or severity of some diabetes-related complications such as liver problems, Cholesterol and heart health, and Diabetic neuropathy.
Turmeric for Alzheimers
The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory powers of curcumin can even extend to your brain. Regular use can clear out a lot of the “gunk” that contributes to memory loss, Alzheimer’s and dementia out of your brain. This includes things like amyloid plaques, tau and heavy metals that interfere with brain activity. It can even improve memory in middle-aged and older adults. All you have to do is take 90 milligrams of curcumin twice a day for 18 months and it could boost your memory function by a whopping 28%! It also improves mood and attention span.
These are just a few of the benefits associated with this traditional Indian spice. It also works as well as Prozac to relieve depressive symptoms, has a favorable effect on insulin resistance and shows great promise in the fight against cancer. If all you have to do is take a daily curcumin supplement to achieve all of these results, it’s certainly worth the effort.
More benefits of a turmeric supplement
Scientists have been looking at the benefits of turmeric for several other health conditions. According to the NCCIH, some studies have found that curcuminoids might lower the risk of heart attacks after bypass surgery, be as effective as ibuprofen in managing knee pain, and reduce skin irritation, which is common after radiation therapy for breast cancer. Scientists have also looked at the benefits of turmeric for reducing dental plaque as a mouthwash ingredient, skin problems, atherosclerosis, liver and gallbladder problems, breathing difficulties and fatigue. Various research has also suggested that turmeric may help with psoriasis, ulcerative colitis, uveitis, Crohn’s disease, and peptic and gastric ulcers.
A Turmeric supplement can be one of the most powerful natural medicines available today without a prescription. While there is much research to be done, enhanced forms of curcumin may also provide even further benefits, making curcumin therapy a very realistic option for almost any condition.
Now that you have learned some of the health benefits of a turmeric supplement, talk to your healthcare provider and see if a turmeric supplement can help you achieve better, natural health.
1. https://www.healthline.com/
2. Sordillo PP and Helson L.
“Curcumin and cancer stem cells: curcumin has asymmetrical effects on cancer
and normal stem cells.” Anticancer Res. 2015;35(2):599-614.
3. Life Extension Magazine. “How Curcumin Protects Against
Cancer.” March 2011.
4. Teiten MH, et al. “Chemopreventive potential of curcumin in prostate
cancer.” Genes Nutr. 2010;5(1):61-74.
5. Piantino CB, et al. “An evaluation of the anti-neoplastic activity of
curcumin in prostate cancer cell lines.” Int Braz J Urol.
200935(3):354-60.
6. Yu Y, et al. “Elimination of colon cancer stem-like cells by the combination
of curcumin and FOLFOX.” Transl Oncol. 2009;2(4):321-328.
7. Xu G, et al. “Combination of curcumin and green tea catechins prevents
dimethylhydrazine-induced colon carcinogenesis.” Food Chem Toxicol.
2010;48(1):390zzv5.