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All You Need To Know About Curcumin

Updated: Sep 7, 2022

Curcumin is a natural compound used for centuries in the East to improve health and treat various diseases. The benefits of curcumin, also known as turmeric, include helping with inflammation, boosting brain function, and fighting cancer.




Curcumin is a natural antioxidant.


Curcumin is a natural antioxidant that helps prevent cell damage.

Antioxidants prevent or delay cell damage, which can lead to disease. The more we learn about curcumin, the more it seems like a powerful antioxidant that could benefit your health.

Although there are several different types of antioxidants, they all work similarly by neutralizing free radicals and preventing them from damaging cells in your body.


Curcumin is anti-inflammatory.


Curcumin is a natural anti-inflammatory compound. Curcumin is an antioxidant that effectively reduces inflammation throughout the body, including in the joints. It has also been shown to work with certain drugs for treating osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Curcumin is one of two compounds found in spice turmeric (the other being ar-turmerone), which gives turmeric its yellow color. Curcumin can be used topically or taken orally; however, it's important to note that when taking curcumin orally, it must be taken with piperine (a compound found in black pepper) since it helps facilitate absorption into your body.


Turmeric boosts brain-derived neurotrophic factors, linked to improved brain function and a lower risk of brain diseases.


Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a protein that promotes neurons' growth, development, and survival. It's been shown to increase the number of connections between brain cells, boost memory and learning skills, protect against brain injury, prevent Alzheimer's disease and stroke by protecting neurons from damage, boost mood and reduce anxiety.

It's important to note that BDNF levels naturally drop with age, which is why it's more difficult for older people to learn new things or cope with stress than younger people. Therefore it would seem as though taking turmeric regularly could help you stay smarter as you age; however, there isn't any research backing this up yet.



Curcumin may help prevent and treat Alzheimer's disease.


The study published in PLoS ONE found that curcumin (the principal polyphenol extracted from turmeric) can reduce amyloid plaque formation and tau tangles. These two characteristics are associated with Alzheimer's disease.

These findings suggest that curcumin may help prevent or treat Alzheimer's disease, which is incurable and affects nearly 5 million Americans.


Curcumin leads to several changes on the molecular level that may help prevent and perhaps even treat cancer.


Curcumin leads to several changes on the molecular level that may help prevent and perhaps even treat cancer.

  • Curcumin blocks the growth of new blood vessels that tumors need to grow. In a study, mice with skin cancer were fed curcumin twice a day for 20 days. The tumors in these mice shrank by about 50%, compared with an average tumor size increase of 15% in mice not taking curcumin (47). Another study found that when applied topically, curcumin can also block the growth of new blood vessels that tumors need to grow (48).

  • Curcumin prevents the formation of new cancer cells. In one study, researchers gave colon cancer patients either 4 grams of turmeric or a placebo every day for three months; after this period, those who took turmeric had lower levels of DNA damage than those who took a placebo (49). Another animal study found that turmeric extract can inhibit the development and spread of pancreatic cancer cells (50).

  • Curcumin may kill cancer cells directly by inducing cell death through multiple mechanisms: it can induce apoptosis (programmed cell death), activate natural killer cells and T-cells against tumor cells, and stimulate their proliferation; it also increases the production of free radical species from immune system white blood cells known as neutrophils which attack and kill tumor cells directly (51).

  • Curcumins' ability to decrease inflammation has been studied extensively for their potential role in preventing heart disease and other chronic diseases associated with systemic inflammation, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus and arthritis.

Arthritis patients respond very well to curcumin treatment.


Curcumin is effective in reducing pain and inflammation in patients suffering from arthritis. Studies have revealed that curcumin helps reduce the severity of symptoms, including joint swelling, stiffness, and morning stiffness.

Curcumin is considered safe for use by both children and adults. There are no adverse side effects reported for this herb.

People with gallstones should avoid using turmeric since it stimulates bile production, which can cause problems if they have gallstones.



Studies show that curcumin has incredible benefits against depression.


Curcumin can help boost serotonin levels.

Curcumin has been shown to have antidepressant effects. In a study published in 2018, researchers found that curcumin may be able to help prevent and treat depression. These findings are consistent with previous studies that have linked curcumin with reduced inflammation and increased serotonin production, both of which are associated with a reduction in symptoms of depression.


Another study published in 2017 showed that curcumin not only helped reduce some symptoms of depression but also had fewer side effects than traditional antidepressants (e.g., weight gain). This suggests that it could be an alternative treatment for those who want something other than medication for their mental health issues — mainly because it's much less likely than traditional medications to cause unwanted side effects like weight gain or insomnia!


Curcumin may help delay aging and fight age-related chronic diseases.


Curcumin has been shown to delay aging and fight age-related chronic diseases. In a study of 80 centenarians, those who took curcumin had better brain health than those who didn't. Researchers believe that the antioxidant properties of curcumin help the body fight off free radicals that can damage cells, increasing lifespan.

Another study found that supplementing with curcumin may improve insulin sensitivity and reduce blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes by up to 30%. If you're already taking antidiabetic medication or insulin injections for your diabetes, speak with your doctor before making any changes to your treatment plan. This could have adverse effects on your health if done incorrectly.


With no toxicity profile, curcumin is safe in doses up to 10 grams per day (source), making it one of the most exciting breakthroughs in health news today!


Curcumin is a natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory and is safe in doses up to 10 grams daily (source). With no toxicity profile, curcumin is safe in amounts up to 10 grams daily, making it one of the most exciting breakthroughs in health news today!

Turmeric boosts brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), linked to improved brain function and a lower risk of brain diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Studies show that curcumin may also help prevent and treat Alzheimer's disease by inhibiting the formation of amyloid plaques that lead to memory loss.


Conclusion


Curcumin is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound that can help prevent and treat many chronic diseases. It has also been effective against depression, arthritis, Alzheimer's disease, cancer, and aging.

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