The spice known as turmeric may be the most
effective nutritional supplement out there.
Many high-quality studies show that turmeric has great
benefits for your body and brain. Many of these benefits come from its main
active ingredient, curcumin.
Read on to find out what science says about turmeric
and curcumin, as well as their benefits.
What
is turmeric ?
Turmeric is the spice that gives curry its yellow
color.
It has been used in India for thousands of years as
both a spice and a medicinal herb. Recently, science has begun to support the
traditional claim that turmeric contains compounds with medicinal properties.
These compounds are called curcuminoids. The most
important is curcumin.
Curcumin is the main active ingredient in turmeric.
It has strong anti-inflammatory effects and is a very strong antioxidant.
Here are the top 5 evidence-based health benefits of
turmeric and curcumin.
1.
Turmeric contains bioactive compounds with medicinal properties :
However, the curcumin content in turmeric is not
that high. It is about 3% by weight. Most studies on this herb have used
turmeric extracts that contain mostly curcumin alone, with doses typically
exceeding 1 gram per day.
It would be very difficult to achieve these levels
just by using turmeric as a spice in your dishes.
This is why some people choose to use supplements.
However, curcumin is poorly absorbed into your
bloodstream. In order to experience the full effects of curcumin, its
bioavailability (the rate at which your body absorbs the substance) needs to be
improved.
Eating it with black pepper, which contains
piperine, helps. Piperine is a natural substance that increases the absorption
of curcumin by 2000%.
In fact, the best curcumin supplements contain
piperine, making them significantly more effective.
Curcumin is also fat soluble, meaning it breaks down
and dissolves in fat or oil. This is why it may be a good idea to take curcumin
supplements with a high-fat meal.
2.
Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory
compound :
Inflammation is incredibly important. It helps fight
off foreign invaders and plays a role in repairing damage in your body.
Although acute, short-term inflammation is
beneficial, it can be worrisome if it becomes chronic and attacks your body's
own tissues.
Scientists now believe that chronic, low-level
inflammation may play a role in some health conditions and diseases. These
include :
• heart disease
• cancer
• metabolic syndrome
•Alzheimer's disease
• various degenerative conditions
This is why anything that can help fight chronic
inflammation is potentially important for preventing and helping to treat these
conditions.
While the topic of inflammation is multi-layered and
there is probably no simple answer, the key insight about curcumin is that it
is a bioactive substance that can fight inflammation. However, very high doses
are required to achieve therapeutic results.
3.
Turmeric can increase the body's antioxidant capacity
Oxidative damage is considered one of the mechanisms
of aging and many diseases.
It includes 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 why antioxidants are so beneficial
is that they protect your body from free radicals.
Curcumin is a powerful antioxidant that, thanks to
its chemical structure, can neutralize free radicals.
In addition, animal and cell studies suggest that
curcumin may block the action of free radicals and may stimulate the action of
other antioxidants. Further human clinical trials are needed to confirm these
benefits.
4.
Turmeric can increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor
Before scientists better understood neurons, it was
believed that they were unable to divide and reproduce after early childhood.
But now they know that's not the case.
Neurons are able to form new connections and can
multiply and increase in number in certain areas of the brain.
One of the main drivers of this process is
brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). It is a gene that is involved in the
creation of a protein responsible for supporting the life of neurons.
The protein BDNF plays a role in memory and learning
and can be found in areas of the brain responsible for eating, drinking and
body weight.
Many common brain disorders are associated with
reduced levels of the BDNF protein, including depression and Alzheimer's
disease.
Interestingly, animal studies have found that
curcumin can increase BDNF levels in the brain.
In this way, it can be effective in delaying or even
reversing many brain diseases and age-related declines in brain function.
Still, because these studies were done on animals, it's hard to say what the
results mean for humans.
It may also help improve memory and attention, which
seems logical given its effects on BDNF levels. However, more studies are
needed to confirm this.
5.
Turmeric reduce the risk of heart disease
Heart disease is the number one cause of death in
the world. Scientists have studied this for many decades and have learned a lot
about why it happens. It's no surprise that heart disease is incredibly
complicated and many things contribute to it.
Curcumin can 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, the lining of
your blood vessels.
Endothelial dysfunction is a major driver of heart
disease. This is when your endothelium is unable to regulate blood pressure,
blood clotting, and various other factors.
Several studies suggest that curcumin may lead to
improved heart health. In addition, one study found it to be as effective as
exercise in postmenopausal women.
In addition, curcumin may help reduce inflammation
and oxidation (as discussed above), which may play a role in heart disease.
In one study of 121 people undergoing coronary
artery bypass grafting, researchers gave them either a placebo or 4 grams of
curcumin a day for several days before and after surgery.
The curcumin group had a 65% reduced risk of
in-hospital heart attack.
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