Turmeric (Curcuma longa), the main spice in the Indian dish
curry, is arguably the most powerful herb on the planet at fighting and
potentially reversing disease.
Turmeric benefits include so many healing properties that
currently there are over 10,000 peer-reviewed articles published proving
turmeric benefits, especially one of its renowned healing compounds, curcumin.
This puts turmeric on top of the list as one of the most
frequently mentioned medicinal herbs in all of science. The next most popular
studied herbs include garlic, cinnamon, ginseng, ginger and milk thistle.
Turmeric comes from the Curcuma longa plant, which grows in
India and other Southeast Asian countries.
The dried root of the Curcuma longa plant is ground into the
distinctive yellow turmeric powder. There are several chemical compounds found
in turmeric, known as curcuminoids. The active substance in turmeric is
curcumin.
Of the 10,000+ studies referencing, the most interesting
finding is that when it’s compared to conventional medicine, turmeric benefits
equal that of many pharmaceutical medications.
In fact, a number of studies have even reported that using
curcumin is more advantageous than certain prescription drugs.
Some Health Benefit of Tumeric
1. Anticoagulants/Antiplatelets
Medical intervention generally includes the following
medications to slow and prevent blood clotting:
Aspirin Clopidogrel (Plavix)DiclofenacEnoxaparin
(Lovenox)Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others)NaproxenWarfarin (Coumadin), and
others.
Unfortunately, for people with conditions that are treated
by these drugs (i.e. deep-vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism), this
approach may not always be the wisest decision. Ibuprofen overdose is one such
common problem. In addition to common side effects like excessive bleeding and
hemorrhage, the risks associated with anticoagulants abound and include
everything from back pain to headaches to difficulty breathing. (1)
Turmeric, on the other hand, has relatively no known side
effects unless taken in extremely excessive amounts.
Additionally, ever since several groundbreaking studies in
the mid-1980s, the curcumin in turmeric has been suggested by researchers as
actually being a better option for those with vascular thrombosis. (2)
2. Anti depressants
Although few studies have been conducted on humans, dozens
of research trials have proven that turmeric benefits include being especially
effective in correcting depression symptoms in laboratory animals.
To address this issue, the journal Phytotherapy Researchpublished
the results of an amazing, innovative study this past year. The study took 60 volunteers diagnosed with
major depressive disorder (MDD), such as manic depression (bipolar disorder),
and split the group to determine how patients treated by curcumin fared
againstfluoxetine (Prozac) and a combination of the two. (3)
Not only was it discovered that all patients tolerated
curcumin well, but they discovered curcumin was as effective as Prozac in
managing depression.
According to the authors, “This study provides first
clinical evidence that curcumin may be used as an effective and safe therapy
for treatment in patients with mild depression.”
3. Anti-inflammatories
Arguably, the most powerful aspect of curcumin is its
ability to control inflammation.
The journal Oncogenepublished the results of a study that
evaluated several anti-inflammatory compounds and found that aspirin and
ibuprofen are least effective, while curcumin is among the most effective
anti-inflammatory compounds in the world. (4)
This news should have reached every household in the world
after the study was conducted because inflammation puts people at risk for
almost every disease process known to man.
Diseases today such as cancer,ulcerative colitis, arthritis,
high cholesterol and chronic pain can be the result of inflammation.
The anti-inflammatory effects of curcumin have also been
studied as a possible treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. At this point,
evidence for turmeric’s effects on Alzheimer’s patients is inconclusive; it’s
not certain that turmeric can prevent or treat the disease. However, perhaps
further research might result in the development of future treatments. (5)
As you will see below in several other articles related to
chronic illness, keep this in the back of your mind: Turmeric’s key to disease
reversal may be its ability to keep inflammation at bay.
Turmeric benefits include anti-inflammatory and antioxidant
properties that have proven effective in treating skin conditions. Turmeric
benefits for skin include speeding up wound healing; calming the pores to
decrease acne and acne scarring; and controlling psoriasis flares. (6) Try my
Turmeric Face Mask for Glowing Skin.
Turmeric can stain the skin and it may cause an allergic
reaction. Do a patch test by applying a dime-size amount to your forearm. Then
wait 24–48 hours to check for any reaction before applying turmeric to your
face.
5. Arthritis management
Because curcumin is known for its powerful anti-inflammatory
and pain-reducing characteristics, a study was conducted on 45 rheumatoid
arthritis patients to compare the benefits of curcumin in turmeric to the
arthritis drug Diclofenac sodium, which put people at risk of developing leaky
gut and heart disease.
The study split these volunteers into three groups: curcumin
treatment alone, Diclofenac sodium alone, and a combination of the two. The
results of the trial were eye-opening:
The curcumin group showed the highest percentage of
improvement in overall [Disease Activity Score] scores and these scores were
significantly better than the patients in the diclofenac sodium group. More
importantly, curcumin treatment was found to be safe and did not relate with
any adverse events. Our study provides the first evidence for the safety and
superiority of curcumin treatment in patients with active RA, and highlights
the need for future large-scale trials to validate these findings in patients
with RA and other arthritic conditions.
Published by Phytotherapy Research in 2012, the results of
this study have encouraged more human research to evaluate the amazing effects
curcumin-rich plants like turmeric have on people suffering from various
different types of arthritis. (7)
6. Cancer treatment
Of all the various topics scientists have tackled in regards
to curcumin and disease reversal, cancer (of various types) is one of the most
thoroughly researched topics. In the words of global authorities like Cancer
Research UK: (8)
A number of laboratory studies on cancer cells have shown
that curcumin does have anticancer effects. It seems to be able to kill cancer
cells and prevent more from growing. It has the best effects on breast cancer,
bowel cancer, stomach cancer and skin cancer cells.
A July 2017 study by researchers at Baylor Scott & White
Research Institute found that curcumin may even be able to break through
chemo-resistance in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), an aggressive form
of pancreatic cancer. (9) Doctors commonly face the challenge of patients initially
responding to chemotherapeutic drugs and then later developing resistance.
Curcumin appears to re-sensitize these patients’ cancer cells to the drugs,
although the exact mechanisms of curcumin’s chemo-sensitization remain
ambiguous. Study author, Ajay Goel, PhD, director of gastrointestinal research
and translational genomics and oncology at Baylor Scott & White Research
Institute stated: (10)
Food-based botanicals have the potential to restore a
healthier gene expression in patients but without the toxicity of certain
drugs.
Bottom line: Turmeric benefits include working incredibly
well to help naturally treat canceras well as breast cancer, colon cancer and
skin cancer. It may also help with chemotherapy resistance in patients with
PDAC.
7. Diabetes management
For lowering blood sugar and reversing insulin resistance,
there’s arguably no better natural treatment than adding turmeric into your
diet.
In 2009, Biochemistry and Biophysical Research
Communications published a study out of Auburn University that explored how
supplementing with turmeric can help reverse diabetes. (11) The study
discovered that curcumin in turmeric is literally 400 times more potent than
Metformin (a common diabetes drug) in activating AMPK which improves insulin
sensitivity which can helpreverse Type 2 Diabetes.
In addition to correcting the causes of diabetes, curcumin
has also been proven to help reverse many of the issues related to insulin
resistance and hyperglycemia.
Take, for instance, diabetic neuropathy and retinopathy. One
of the most common complications of diabetes is damaged blood vessels, which
cause blindness. A study found that supplementing with curcumin can delay this
horrible complication of diabetes because of its anti-inflammatory and
antioxidant properties. (12)
8. Obesity
A study published in the journalBiofactors showed that
curcumin can help promote weight loss. (13) The researchers found that the
anti-inflammatory properties in curcumin were effective at suppressing the
inflammatory processes of obesity, therefore helping to reduce obesity and its
“adverse health effects.”
9. Gastrointestinal treatments
Oftentimes, people with digestive and stomach complaints
become intolerant to medical interventions because the stomach flora is already
compromised and drugs can literally tear up the mucosal lining.
An in-depth analysis of all the studies evaluating
curcumin’s ability to manage inflammatory bowel disease (IBS, Crohn’s disease,
and ulcerative colitis) found that many patients were able to stop taking their
prescribed corticosteroids because their condition improved so dramatically by
taking curcumin! (14)
For many patients with IBD (inflammatory bowel disease)
corticosteroids reduce their pain symptoms, but damage the intestinal lining
over time actually making the condition worse. (15)
However, supplementing with curcumin did not have these side
effects and, because of its anti-inflammatory properties, actually helped heal
the gut and supported the growth of good bacteria (probiotics).
10. Cholesterol regulators
One of the reasons heart disease is such a problem in the
U.S. is that people are developing pre-diabetes (high blood sugar) at an
alarming rate.
In turn, diabetics and non-diabetics alike are suffering
from a common complication called oxidative stress, which damages the inside of
blood vessels. Because of this damage to the arteries, cholesterol begins to
build up to patch up the damaged areas, which leads to high levels of LDL
cholesterol.
Traditionally, statin drugs (like Lipitor) are widely known
to harm the kidneys and liver and cause a number of deadly side effects. They do bring cholesterol down, but they
never address the actual cause, which is oxidative stress that is caused by high
blood sugar levels and inflammation.
Thankfully, medical doctors are becoming more and more aware
of the dangerous side effects of statin-drugs and prescribing natural
alternatives like curcumin and fish oilinstead.
A study done by Drugs in R & Dfound that curcumin was
equal to, or more effective than, diabetes medications at reducing oxidative
stress and inflammation in the treatment of high cholesterol. (16)
Studies like these are leading pharmaceutical companies to
try to design a synthetic form of curcumin that, unfortunately, will not work
as well as the real thing.
11. Painkillers
One of the more widely accepted properties of curcumin in
scientific communities is its ability to manage pain.
Just this past year the European Journal of
Pharmacologypublished research that discovered curcumin naturally activates the
opioid system in diabetic rats. Typically manipulated by drugs, this natural
process serves as the body’s inherent pain-relieving response. (17)
Not being limited to diabetic pain conditions, an
interesting study also published late last year gives us a clue as to the wide
array of pain conditions that can be treated by curcumin.
Take, for instance, severe burns. Typically, burn victims
are treated with dangerous opioids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories.
However, because of its anti-inflammatory benefits, U.S. Army Institute of
Surgical Research suggests that, curcumin should be used to treat burns instead
of these conventional medications. (18)
The trend should be becoming clear at this point.
Therapeutic use of turmeric and other curcumin-rich plants are displacing
conventional medical treatments and proving it’s a legitimate natural
painkiller.
12. Steroids
In a 1999 breakthrough clinical study, it was found that
curcumin has the ability to curechronic inflammation of the eye.
Typically this condition was only treated with steroids, but
today it’s common for medical doctors who practice functional medicine to
prescribe curcumin instead.
What cannot be overstated, however, is that although
statistically “comparable” to steroids in managing and reversing chronic
disease, “Thelack of side effects with curcumin is its greatest advantage
compared with corticosteroids,” as stated by the authors in the above study out
of K.G. Medical College.
To give you a sense of the amount of suffering alleviated by
curcumin, the following is a sample of steroid side effects listed by the UK’s
National Health Services (NHS): (20)
Acne,Asthma, Cancer,Cataracts, Delayed wound healing
Diabetes onset Glaucoma Hypertension (high blood pressure)Increased appetite
(oftentimes leading to increased weight)IndigestionInsomniaKidney and thyroid
issuesMood disturbances (including aggression, irritability, and rapid mood
swings mimicking bipolar disorder)Muscle weaknessNauseaRisk of infectionStunted
growth in childrenTachycardia (rapid heartbeat)Thinning skin (leading to easy
bruising)
Ultimately, when taking into account the large amount of
deadly complications these drugs put your body at risk for, it is easy to see
how taking therapeutic curcumin is superior to most medicines.
If you have any of the diseases above, you will want to
consider this natural approach first. For those of you who aren’t sick, taking
turmeric will serve you well as a preventative measure.
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