Curcumin the Herbal Cure-All

For, centuries practitioners of Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine have relied on turmeric for its wide range of health benefits. Today, more than 8,000 studies point to curcumin, the compound in turmeric responsible for its distinctive yellow hue, as the power behind the herb. Research shows that curcumin is a potent antioxidant that supports the body’s inflammatory response. It alsohelps to foster healthy heart, liver, lung and kidney function, as well as a strong immune system and normal cell proliferation. You could say that curcumin is the all-in-one solution for good health.Research has linked curcumin to a lower risk of: Arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, Cancer, Cardiovascular Disease, Depression, Diabetes, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Obesity, Psoriasis, and Wound Healing.For all of its benefits, curcumin isn’t readily absorbed by the body, which limits its effectiveness. In fact, much of the curcumin we ingest is simply excreted out of the body before it can do any good. What does remain is transformed into less potent metabolites in the digestive tract. To solve this problem, researchers have combined curcumin with black pepper—a strategy that has met with limited success. Other formulations rely on water-dispersible nanoparticles or the addition of soy lecithin to improve bioavailability. But one form that has proved higher absorption is made by grinding curcumin to very fine particles, then blending it with turmeric essential oil.In the most basic ways, curcumin works for two reasons.  It halts inflammation and it stops oxidation. A growing body of research has tied chronic low-level inflammation to a number of disease-from diabetes and heart disease to arthritis and Alzheimer’s. Unlike synthetic drugs, which typically work on a single inflammatory pathway, curcumin reduces inflammation through multiple inflammation targets. Curcumin is also a potent antioxidant, able to neutralize unstable free radicals that can oxidize and lead to cell damage. The dual properties of curcumin as both anti-inflammatory and super antioxidant may also explain why it has no side effects.