While it is no secret that modern medicine is making new advances all the time, there are some remedies that have been around as long as anybody has been keeping track of these things. Turmeric is one of these.
It has been utilized throughout the Eastern world since ancient times, first as a dye for that vibrant yellow-orange color, and then later as a medicine.
Today, we can use modern technology to analyze turmeric in controlled studies in order to quantify its exact benefits. We now know that turmeric contains an especially important bioactive compound called curcumin. Curcumin is a natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant that also has other medicinal properties.
First of all, curcumin can help reduce low-level inflammation in the body. This is different than the swelling that happens when you twist your ankle, which is actually a good thing. Low-level inflammation is a chronic condition and is linked with heart disease, cancer, metabolic syndrome, and Alzheimer's disease in medical research, which means turmeric can theoretically help to prevent all of these conditions.
Curcumin is also an antioxidant. The main health benefit of antioxidants is that they help to eliminate something called free radicals from your body. This is a little bit technical, but basically, the molecular structure of these free radicals causes them to react with other chemicals in your body in undesirable ways. Curcumin has these antioxidant properties, but more studies need to be done to determine the precise efficacy of turmeric for this purpose.
The potential medical applications of curcumin go far beyond these relatively well-understood characteristics. For example, recent studies suggest that the compound can also assist brain health. Scientists now know that neurons continue to form in the brain throughout a person's life, driven primarily by a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). This compound plays a role in memory and learning and a shortage of it has been linked to conditions like depression and Alzheimer's disease. There is evidence that curcumin increases levels of BDNF, but more research must be done to confirm this for certain.
Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the world and there is evidence that turmeric and its main compound curcumin can have an effect in preventing it, as well. Death from heart disease is not an acute incident, but the result of a long process with many contributing factors. Curcumin has been shown to help reverse some of these factors by improving the function of the blood vessels and the way the heart regulates its own functioning. Its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties are also indirectly beneficial to heart health.
Many studies have reflected this positive effect of curcumin on heart health. Perhaps the most dramatic of these was a study in which 121 individuals who were undergoing coronary bypass surgery were given curcumin before and after the procedure. These people had their risk of a heart attack while in the hospital reduced by 65%.
Another health benefit curcumin offers is the ability to treat arthritis. The main cause of arthritis is swelling in the joints, so the anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric are naturally effective. In the case of rheumatoid arthritis, which is a relatively serious condition where the body's immune system attacks its own joints, curcumin supplementation was more effective than a traditional pharmaceutical anti-inflammatory drug, according to one study.
Curcumin supplementation has performed well in other head-to-head trials with pharmaceutical drugs, as well. In another study, 60 individuals suffering from depression were separated into 3 groups: one received Prozac, another received curcumin supplements, and a third was given a placebo. After six weeks, the group that was taking curcumin supplements showed similar results to those on Prozac that were not shared by the placebo group. This study is quite small, but it is very promising in terms of curcumin's potential use as an antidepressant.
Turmeric's health benefits, well documented since ancient times, mostly boil down to this incredible substance called curcumin. It is clear that there are many different ways in which this compound is beneficial for overall health, but many of these precise applications are only now becoming understood. In the coming years, as more and more research is completed, the full potential of turmeric will finally be unlocked.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional consultation or advice related to your health or finances. No reference to an identifiable individual or company is intended as an endorsement thereof. Some or all of this article may have been generated using artificial intelligence, and it may contain certain inaccuracies or unreliable information. Readers should not rely on this article for information and should consult with professionals for personal advice.