The top 4 benefits of curcumin
Curcumin is a phytonutrient in turmeric - a curcuminoid, to be exact, and the higher a supplement is in curcuminoids the more beneficial it will be to one’s health. Curcumin, like many phytonutrients, is responsible for giving turmeric that bright yellow color that make many cooks reach for it when trying to give soups a deeper, more appetizing color.
Curcumin has many amazing benefits for health. In fact, there are over 6,000 peer reviewed articles currently published about this amazing phytonutrient. Let me tell you about four of its most impressive ones.
- Curcumin helps fight "the fire" within our cells.
Researchers believe the cellular inflammation is at the root of most health issues. Inflammation, scientists believe, is the underlying cause of diseases as diverse as type 2 diabetes, Lupus, dementia, and cancer.
Studies have found that curcumin is such a powerful anti-inflammatory that it rivals anti-inflammatory substances created by big pharma.
- Curcumin is a shining star in search for natural healing.
Curcumin is a powerful anticancer substance. In studies, curcumin has proven to to upregulate the activity of a gene called p53, which actually stops cancer cell growth and which induces cancer cell death as well through a process called apoptosis.
Curcumin also inhibits angiogenesis - the feeding of cancer through new blood vessels that spring up around cancerous tumors and help them grow.
- Curcumin can help you to avoid a fatty liver.
Like milk thistle, curcumin is very healing upon the liver. Curcumin has the power to bind to some heavy metals and literally flush them out of the system.
Also, curcumin enhances the phase II detox pathways of the liver to improve the body’s overall detoxification processes. It also helps fight fatty liver and heal diseased livers as well.
One reason that curcumin is so healing upon the liver is because it increases our body’s natural production of glutathione, a powerful antioxidant that has proven in studies to heal the liver from damage and disease. Today, researchers are hoping curcumin may one day lead to a solution for cirrhosis and liver cancer!
- Curcumin is neuroprotective and helps us to avoid dementia
Brian-derived neurotrophic factor (BDFN) is the hormone in our brain that is most lacking in patients with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. What BDFN does is to help keep our neurons alive and thriving.
Curcumin actually increases the production of BDFN in the brain and helps to remove the buildup of amyloid plaques, as well. Beyond this, curcumin has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant powers and Alzheimer’s is, indeed, caused - at least in part - by inflammation of the brain and the cumulative effects of oxidative stress upon the brain over time.
A final thought...
You cannot go wrong with getting more turmeric into your diet, and by supplementing with an organic-plant based curcumin supplement high in curcuminoids. Because curcumin has limited bioavailability and very little ever makes it to the internal organs, it is important to find a supplement with a bioavailability enhancer like piperine, which enhances curcumin absorption by 2,000%.
On the food side: enjoy adding turmeric to your favorite smoothies; flavor your next meal with curry or try some mango ginger to spice up your pickles.
Sources for this article include:
NIH.gov
