17/03/2015
Health Benefits of Turmeric
1. Arthritis: The anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin are beneficial for both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Free radicals are destroyed by curcumin by helping to stop the progression of arthritis resulting from cartilage damage and inflammation. In patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, the body’s own cells attack and destroy the lining of joints called synovium. Curcumin extract taken regularly can reduce the joint pain and swelling.
2. Cancer Prevention: Curcumin has been snown to stop cancer initiation and progression of cancer. It can also stop cancer cells from migrating to other parts of the body. Research has linked curcumin’s anti-cancer properties to suppress breast, prostate, liver, skin, colon and lung cancer. Curcumin also protects normal cells from toxicity caused due to chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
3. Cardiovascular Disease: Curcumin protects against the effects of a high-cholesterol diet, similar to statin drugs. It prevents the plaque buildup in arteries, reduces triglycerides and increase levels of HDL, the good cholesterol.
4. Diabetes: Although diabetes is linked to blood sugar metabolism, disease progression can result from inflammation. Scientific studies have shown that curcumin may protect against other diabetic conditions, such as nerve pain.
5. Alzheimer’s Disease: Curcumin can slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease by reducing inflammation of brain cells causing clusters of protein, beta-amyloid. Curcumin has properties to shrink the size of amyloid plaques by over 30%.
6. Gastrointestinal Inflammation: Curcumin has shown to reduce inflammatory compounds in the intestines and strengthen the intestinal wall. It provides relief to most gastrointestinal conditions including, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease and Crohn’s disease.
7. Wound Healing: Curcumin protects the skin by reducing inflammation and helping to speed up the healing of damaged tissue. It is particularly helpful for patients suffering from skin conditions, such as eczema and psoriasis.
No toxicity has been reported when using curcumin. To avail the benefits of curcumin, use turmeric as a spice in cooking or use turmeric supplements. Turmeric supplements are more effective than isolated curcumin for inflammatory disorders. Neither curcumin, nor turmeric is well absorbed unless taken together with black pepper or piperine. When buying turmeric supplements, make sure that it contains black pepper or piperine.
If you suffer from gallstones or have bile duct dysfunction, avoid using turmeric as it can exacerbate the condition.
