Inflammation is an essential body function, but chronic inflammation can be harmful. According to scientific and herbal healer research, curcumin can help treat and prevent many health conditions including arthritis, heart disease, cancer and dementia.

Turmeric supplements have also been demonstrated to ease digestion issues. One double-blind study concluded that taking turmeric helped people living with ulcerative colitis remain in remission.

Anti-inflammatory

Curcumin is the key compound found in turmeric that gives it its anti-inflammatory effects, serving as an antioxidant to neutralize free radicals that damage cells and cause DNA tampering. Studies have also revealed its ability to reduce inflammation and inhibit cancer cell growth.

Studies revealed that those living with rheumatoid arthritis who took 500 mg of curcumin daily reported less pain and tenderness compared with those taking placebos or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication, according to researchers. They believe curcumin helped improve endothelial cells lining blood vessels that play an integral part in maintaining proper blood pressure regulation as well as blood clotting processes.

Assuming turmeric supplements will provide enough curcumin for clinical trials to work is beneficial to inflammation relief; however, to get to clinical levels you’ll likely require taking supplements with piperine (an extract of black pepper) which increases absorption and effectiveness. As with any supplement regiment it is wise to seek medical advice first before beginning to take turmeric or curcumin supplements – they may not be appropriate for everyone and could interact negatively with medications prescribed to you.

Anti-cancer

Curcumin may help slow the progression of cancer through several means. For instance, it is thought to help stop liver fatty acid build-up and tumor growth while attenuating certain pro-inflammatory genes and inducing cell death. Furthermore, curcumin may increase endothelial cell function improvement which in turn helps protect against heart disease, high blood pressure and blood clotting.

Curcumin can increase activity of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), helping prevent common neurological conditions like depression and Alzheimer’s. Furthermore, curcumin may help delay or reverse changes to hippocampus region important for memory and learning caused by stress or aging.

Curcumin’s ability to treat diseases relies heavily on its bioavailability; unfortunately, our bodies do not effectively absorb and use curcumin on its own; as a result, curcumin is usually combined with black pepper or taken as a supplement in order to increase absorption rates – piperine increases bioavailability by an astounding 200%!

Anti-ageing

Researchers have discovered that turmeric contains anti-ageing properties. It helps shield the body against oxidative damage and slow down the aging process while stimulating enzyme activity that supports healthy cells to prevent cancer and support heart health. Furthermore, turmeric may even help lower oxidation and inflammation within the body which may prevent disease further down the line.

Curcumin research on anti-aging effects is ongoing. Some studies have revealed its effectiveness at prolonging lifespan in yeast and animal models by inhibiting oxidative stress and DNA damage – something known as its “hormesis effect”.

Numerous experiments have demonstrated the benefits of curcumin-rich food to reduce heart disease and Alzheimer’s risk, thanks to its ability to protect cells against apoptosis while improving endothelium function – the organ responsible for blood pressure regulation and blood clotting. Furthermore, turmeric increases BDNF levels within the brain which in turn can improve memory retention and attention span.

Anti-diabetes

Researchers have demonstrated that curcumin is effective at helping diabetic patients manage their blood sugar by improving glucose metabolism, decreasing oxidative stress levels and supporting beta cells that produce insulin production in the pancreas. According to one study conducted on people with prediabetes who took 250 milligrams of turmeric daily for nine months were less likely to progress into type 2 diabetes compared with those who did not use supplement.

Turmeric can also block activation of PPARa and its downstream targets, thus decreasing accumulation of fatty acids in liver cells. Furthermore, turmeric decreases lipogenic enzymes like acetyl CoA carboxylase while simultaneously phosphorylating GSK-3b to block glycogen synthase inhibition. Furthermore, turmeric up-regulates lipolysis genes like carnitine palmitoyltransferase I and ACOX1 for improved fat metabolism.

However, further research is necessary to assess its efficacy on humans. One challenge associated with turmeric’s benefits is their poor absorption by the digestive system; therefore they quickly break down and are excreted from the body. Combining turmeric with black pepper increases its absorption significantly.

Anti-bacterial

Curcumin is an antioxidant powerhouse. Antioxidants fight off free radicals found in our bodies which damage cell membranes, alter DNA and can even lead to heart disease and cancer – the good news being that foods rich in antioxidants (like turmeric) may help mitigate damage done.

Researchers conducted a study and discovered that curcumin reduced oxidation in blood, reduced lipid peroxidation, increased antioxidant enzymes in liver tissue and improved kidney function.

Curcumin can also provide protection from ulcers and other gastrointestinal ailments by reducing inflammation and blocking pro-inflammatory compounds from entering the digestive system.

Unlocking all of turmeric’s health benefits lies in how you prepare and consume it. Simply adding black pepper–with its active ingredient peperine–can increase its absorption up to 2,000 percent! Also eating turmeric with healthy fats such as olive oil or rapeseed oil will speed up its absorption by the body even more rapidly; try mixing your turmeric with these healthy oils as an aid in absorption.

Anti-fungal

Curcumin is an antioxidant with an abundance of health benefits, protecting the body against free radical damage caused by chemically reactive atoms called free radicals that attack fats, proteins and DNA – potentially leading to cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s. Curcumin can scavenge various kinds of free radicals while controlling enzymes which neutralize them as well as blocking certain pathways from creating more free radicals.

Turmeric can also help increase glutathione levels, an antioxidant that protects liver health and facilitates detoxification. According to studies, turmeric may improve endothelial function – that is, health of blood vessel linings and hearts – as well as decrease risks of heart attack or stroke.

Turmeric’s biggest disadvantage lies in its poor bioavailability; that means it can be hard for your body to absorb. But adding black pepper, or taking supplements that contain it, may improve bioavailability by up to 200%!

Anti-viral

Curcuminoids found in turmeric contain polyphenol compounds with antiviral activity known as curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin that interact with various proteins within cells to block virus replication while also acting to ensure host cell survival.

Curcumin’s enone functional groups may form Michael adducts with viral proteins containing sulfhydryl groups (SH), interfering with their functions. Monoacetylcurcumin (MAC), which retains these same functional groups while being more stable, has shown more efficacy against influenza A virus infection.

MAC also demonstrated anti-IAV activity and potent neutralization of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causal agent of the COVID-19 pandemic. Curcumin demonstrated dose-dependent inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 infection on Vero-E6 cells and Calu-3 cells at non-toxic concentrations, and reductions in viral virions as well as protein production.

Anti-tumor

Scientific research has established that curcumin can inhibit cancer cell growth by targeting multiple signaling pathways involving oncogenes, cytokines and genes. Curcumin also works to stop binding between IL-6 and its receptors such as PDGF/EGFR/LIF cytokines which lead to cell proliferation and by inducing expression of anti-apoptotic proteins such as Bcl-2/Bcl-xL to help protect cells against death.

Curcuminoids (curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin) are natural compounds derived from the East Indian plant Curcuma longa and commonly found in its extract commonly referred to as turmeric. Curcuma longa has long been utilized as part of traditional Asian medicine as therapeutic agents.

Current studies relating to turmeric’s health benefits mainly involve animal or in vitro (cells in Petri dishes) studies; however, some limited clinical trials involving humans are underway and there has been growing interest in using turmeric as a food additive with potential health benefits; indeed, the National Institutes of Health recommends people living with diabetes incorporate standardized and concentrated turmeric extract (TE) into their diet to help protect themselves from kidney disease.