Last summer as a part of our monthly webinar series, we explored turmeric: the spice of the century. Used for medicinal purposes for more than 2,500 years and touted today for its natural health-boosting properties, turmeric is often considered one of the most effective natural supplements. But what about its most important element, curcumin?
What is Curcumin?
As News Medical explained, there are three curcuminoids that make up turmeric, the yellow-orange colored, ginger-like spice from India. These components are curcumin, desmethoxycurcumin and bis-desmethoxycurcumin. They key chemical is curcumin, an active ingredient in this dietary spice. Curcumin can be derived from the dried roots of the turmeric plant known as rhizome, grown mostly throughout south and southeast Asia.
Best known as a spice used in cooking in the Western world, especially in curry, there are a number of natural health benefits that this rich yellow-colored powder can provide, according to the source. One of its primary qualities is that is an anti-inflammatory agent. It has also been hailed to have anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties.
Curcumin's ability to fight inflammation is one of its most important attributes. Acute inflammation is the body's response to outside invaders such as germs, disease or bacteria. A defense mechanism against injury or damage, inflammation is necessary for keeping the body healthy, as Authority Nutrition explained. However, when or if inflammation becomes chronic, it can become problematic. In fact, research has found that it may be the cause of multiple chronic diseases and ailments in our culture today.
As such, anti-inflammatory agents are greatly beneficial in assisting the body to return to its natural state. Curcumin especially, has been found to be extremely effective at helping to reduce acute inflammation in the human body by inhibiting molecules linked to promoting inflammation, noted Authority Nutrition.
Other natural curcumin benefits include its power in modulating the immune system, which protects you against cancer, the second leading cause of death in the U.S. Early research in vitro has shown that curcumin may help to kill cancer cells while simultaneously slowing the growth of cancer cells. Some research has shown its potential to change genetic expression to decrease the growth of a tumor's new blood vessels, according to the source. There have even been studies showcasing curcumin and its ability to help the body prevent cancer development in the first place.
The Power of Curcumin Supplementation
Research from the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, led by Dr. Bharat Aggarwal, has found that when it comes to inflammation, curcumin not only eases flare ups, but stops more than 12 different genetic pathways of that inflammation from getting into your body. It also reduces abnormal cell metabolism by blocking several more pathways. Moreover, its free radical fighting nutrients give the body immune-boosting power and may play a role in helping the body to prevent several different types of cancer.
Hallelujah Diet's New Generation Bio Curcumin contains BCM-95® that is five to seven times more bioavailable than the original curcumin supplement sold.