Curcumin – What Are the Health Benefits of If and Why Should You Be Taking Curcumin?
Curcumin is one of the components of the widely used spice named Turmeric. The herb Turmeric is a part of the ginger family that is commonly used as a cooking condiment and dye for most food ingredients. The other two components of Turmeric are desmethoxy-curcumin and bis- desmethoxy-curcumin. These three chemical compounds are the polyphenols that make the Turmeric spice orange-yellow in color.
Aside from Curcumin’s culinary advantage, it also poses some effective health benefits. Presently, studies of Curcumin helpful effects to humans are still ongoing but preliminary evidences are already determined. Alternatively, laboratory and animal studies have implied that Curcumin may have anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic, anti-microbial, anti-oxidant and anti-tumor features.
For centuries, Curcumin has been used as anti-inflammatory agent to treat pain and inflammation of the skin and muscles. Its anti-inflammatory property is deemed to be a result of Curcumin’s ability to inhibit Eicosanoid Biosynthesis, one of the mechanisms of inflammatory response. Experimentally, this herb has also been reported to be effective in decreasing post-surgical inflammation. And since arthritis is an inflammation by nature, this anti-inflammatory benefit of Curcumin explains why it is also a remedy for arthritis.
Recent studies also show that Curcumin has a phyto-estrogenic activity which might play a significant factor to anti-breast cancer. If breast cancer is already a present disease condition, this chemical substance may be beneficial in impeding metastasis to the lungs. Curcumin is also thought to have a hepato-protective property. However, more studies are yet to be made for concrete conclusions on this aspect.
In addition, several studies nowadays have shown that Curcumin is also helpful in lowering the body’s bad cholesterol called Low Density Lipoprotein and increasing the body’s good cholesterol known as High Density Lipoprotein. Thus, Curcumin helps in preventing the accumulation of cholesterol plaques in the arteries, most especially in the heart and brain. These plaques can be a cause of high blood pressure and atherosclerosis which may further develop to cardiac ischemia then heart attack. In the brain, plaque deposits in the artery may also cause Alzheimer’s disease and even Stroke. In this account, Curcumin works by interfering with the intestinal walls’ uptake of cholesterol which results in the increase of the conversion of dietary cholesterol into fatty acids with the help of bile. In this manner, fats, especially cholesterol, can be readily excreted into the feces.
Curcumin also interferes with the replication cycle of Human Immuno-deficiency Virus or HIV. However, the proponents of these studies advise that these are still preliminary findings and that further studies are yet to be conducted. But a Curcumin-based treatment for this disease condition is continuously done to show more strong evidences.
Like any other anti-oxidant substances, Curcumin is effective in scavenging the free radicals in the body. These free radicals are harmful since it may cause cell mutations which can lead to tumor formation and worse, cancer.
Indeed, Curcumin has many health benefits to human. Yet, though these effects have been experimented in humans or animals, safety and effectiveness have not always been 100% proven. Thus, it is still best to consult a qualified healthcare provider before usage.
Look for curcumin at your local or internet vitamin store in capsule or tablet forms. Always choose name brands to ensure quality and purity of the product you buy for health purposes.
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Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: Curcumin Extract, Turmeric Extract, Fight Inflammation Naturally, Anti-Inflammatory Herb
