5 Key Areas Curcumin Can Benefit Your Health

Curcumin is one of the hottest health ingredients right now but what is it exactly and why is it so good for us?

Curcumin is the main active compound (also known as curcuminoid), in Turmeric, an ancient spice that is member of the ginger family.  Curcumin on its own is poorly utilised by the body and needs to be combined with fats or black pepper extracts to increase its absorption and maximise its benefits.

For centuries, Curcumin has been used in Ayurvedic, Western Herbal and Traditional Chinese medicines as a natural anti-inflammatory and analgesic. It has also traditionally been used as a liver protectant and digestive tonic to help reduce gas and bloating.

Curcumin possesses anti-malarial and antiseptic properties and has been used topically to treat skin conditions and wounds. The bright yellow/orange pigment in Curcumin also makes it a powerful antioxidant, that can help fight free radical damage within the body and support skin, eye and cardiovascular health.

Here are 5 key areas, that Curcumin can benefit your health:

1. Inflammation

Inflammation is a natural process in the body to fight off bacteria and viruses but it is also believed to be the cause of many chronic inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s and various degenerative conditions. Curcumin is one of nature’s best known fighters of inflammation and targets inflammation in the body at a molecular level.

2. Relieve digestive discomfort

Curcumin may help support digestive health

Traditionally Curcumin was used to treat indigestion by stimulating the production of bile from the gall bladder. Some studies also suggest that Curcumin helps to increase absorption of essential vitamins and minerals and promote healthy intestinal flora. Curcumin can help to reduce digestive discomfort such as gas and bloating, and prevent harmful bacteria from passing out through the digestive tract into other areas of the body.

3. Antioxidant support

Curcumin has significant antioxidant activity which helps to neutralize harmful free radical molecules that cause premature ageing and are linked to degenerative and chronic diseases.

4. Joint pain

Curcumin is very effective in relieving joint pain and inflammation in conditions such as osteoarthritis and can help to increase joint mobility. In some studies, Curcumin has been shown to be more effective in reducing osteoarthritis pain and stiffness than ibuprofen.

5. Brain health

The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of Curcumin may also support brain health including increasing alertness and working memory and reducing mental fatigue. There is also increasing evidence that it may help reduce the symptoms of depression and support healthy mood.

References

Naksuriya, O. and Okonogi, S., 2015. Comparison and combination effects on antioxidant power of curcumin with gallic acid, ascorbic acid, and xanthone. Drug discoveries & therapeutics, 9(2), pp.136-141.

He, Y., Yue, Y., Zheng, X., Zhang, K., Chen, S. and Du, Z., 2015. Curcumin, inflammation, and chronic diseases: how are they linked?. Molecules, 20(5), pp.9183-9213.

Panahi, Y., Rahimnia, A.R., Sharafi, M., Alishiri, G., Saburi, A. and Sahebkar, A., 2014. Curcuminoid treatment for knee osteoarthritis: a randomized double‐blind placebo‐controlled trial. Phytotherapy research, 28(11), pp.1625-1631.

Henrotin, Y., Priem, F. and Mobasheri, A., 2013. Curcumin: a new paradigm and therapeutic opportunity for the treatment of osteoarthritis: curcumin for osteoarthritis management. Springerplus, 2(1), p.56.