Curcumin and its incredible health benefits

In the U.S., turmeric is best known as a spice. It's one of the main components of curry powder. In India and other parts of Asia, turmeric has been used to treat many health conditions for thousands of years.

Curcumin, one of the most beneficial compounds in turmeric, helps to reduce pain and inflammation.

Traditional practice and modern scientific research show that this amazing compound has the potential to prevent or cure and astounding range of illnesses:

Heart Disease

Bronchitis and Asthma

Depression

Fatigue

Diabetes

Alzheimer’s Disease

Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis

Cancer

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Leukemia

Cirrhosis

Psoriasis

Wounds

Why is Curcumin good for so many problems?

One of the reasons that curcumin works so well on such a wide range of diseases is because it is such a powerful anti-inflammatory. We know that almost all chronic diseases – from diabetes to heart disease to arthritis to Alzheimer’s disease – have something in common: unchecked, destructive inflammation. Unlike synthetic drugs, which typically work against only a single inflammation pathway, natural curcumin reduces inflammation through its effects on multiple inflammation targets. Inflammation is normal, but it can bring about intensive damage. Although it is a natural physical response, triggered when the body begins to repair damage or injuries, inflammation should be limited. Even though inflammation is commonly associated with pain, chronic inflammation is associated with many diseases. So, one of the keys to improving chronic diseases (heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, asthma, etc.) is stopping the cycle of chronic inflammation. Curcumin, unlike synthetic drugs, works on multiple inflammation pathways to help return the body to a normal inflammation balance. Additionally, curcumin has specific, unique mechanisms of action that make it invaluable in treating many – if not most – chronic diseases.

Curcumin is also a potent antioxidant, able to neutralize unstable, reactive free radicals. Free radicals are molecules with a missing electron that stabilize themselves by “stealing” electrons from neighboring molecules, creating another free radical in the process. This chain reaction of free radical formation is known as a free radical cascade, and it can result in cellular damage (called oxidative stress) leading to inflammation and chronic disease – including cancer. Free radicals can negatively impact all body systems, including the immune system. Curcumin, like other antioxidants, is able to stop free radical cascades without becoming unstable itself. The dual properties of curcumin as both anti-inflammatory and super antioxidant may also explain why it has no side effects.

Curcumin for Cancer

Our bodies have a natural ability to fight cancer through the activity of tumor suppressing genes. However, aging and environmental factors can turn off or silence these genes, allowing the cancer to grow and spread unchecked. Researchers have now found that one of the ways curcumin fights cancer is by re-awakening these “sleeping genes,” turning them back on to stop cancer. This branch of science is known as epigenetics, and it may hold the answer to treating many types of cancer.

Curcumin has been shown to stop cancer initiation, promotion and progression, meaning that it stops the changes that cause normal cells to become cancerous, stops the replication of cancerous cells (tumor formation), and stops cancerous cells from migrating to other parts of the body (known as metastasis). Published studies on curcumin’s anticancer activity (so far) have found that it can suppress breast, prostate, liver, skin, colon and lung cancer. Curcumin has also been shown to increase the activity of cancer drugs and to decrease drug resistance in cancer cells (meaning it helps cancer drugs kill tumors more efficiently). Additionally, it protects normal cells from the toxic effects of chemotherapy drugs and radiation treatments.

Taking curcumin in combination with chemotherapy drugs may mean less of the toxic drugs are required, but the results will be better, with significantly reduced side effects. However, this is very early research and more studies need to be done.

Researchers believe that curcumin works similarly against all types of cancer, so no matter what kind of cancer you may have, curcumin can be helpful.

Is Curcumin safe?

Curcumin is extremely safe. In fact, no toxicity issues have been reported for the compound, even when used in dosages as high as 10 grams or more daily. While there is much research to be done, enhanced forms of curcumin may also provide even further benefits, making curcumin therapy a very realistic option for almost any condition.

Curcumin is the most powerful natural medicine available and you can get results that don’t come with potentially dangerous side effects.

How to get the most out of curcumin?

In order to make the most out of curcumin, you have to take it with a bit of fat, otherwise it has a difficult time to make it past the stomach, into the small intestine and into the blood where it can offer the greatest benefits.

Besides being able to find it in a powder form, like any other spice, you can also buy curcumin in a supplement form.

Ideas on how to use it are:

-Sprinkle it on an avocado;

-Dissolve it in a tablespoon of coconut oil and add it to a smoothie;

-Stir it into olive oil and toss it with fresh vegetables;

-Consume it with black pepper, because it enhances its bioavailability by 1,000 times;

I literally sprinkle a little bit on top of everything I makeJ! Just keep in mind that its taste is a little bitter so its perfect for salty dishes, but use it very lightly for sweet recipes!