TURMERIC: A miracle spice having superior Health benefits

Turmeric holds a place of honour in Ayurvedic medicine. It is a symbol of prosperity, and was believed to be a cleanser for all the systems in the body

Antioxidant properties

·          Several studies revealed that water- and fat-soluble extracts of turmeric and its curcumin component exhibit strong antioxidant activity, comparable to vitamins C3.

Ant carcinogenic Effects.

• ·         Curcumin’s ability to inhibit carcinogenesis at three stages: Tumor promotion, angiogenesis, and tumour growth.
• ·         The anticarcinogenic effects of turmeric and curcumin are due to direct antioxidant and free-radical scavenging capacity.
• ·         It is effective against including prostate, breast, skin, and colon cancer.

Anti-inflammatory Effects.

• The volatile oils and curcumin of Curcuma longa exhibit potent anti-inflammatory effects.
• It blocks Prostaglandin and neutrophil functions during inflammation process
•  Curcumin may also be applied topically to counteract inflammation and irritation associated with inflammatory skin conditions and allergies, although care must be used to prevent staining of clothing from the yellow pigment.

For Heart health: As a cholesterol converter in to Bile

Turmeric’s protective effects on the Heart and blood vessels it includes

·       Lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels, decreasing susceptibility of low density lipoprotein (LDL) to lipid peroxidation.

·         Inhibiting platelet aggregation

·         Prevents from building up LDL cholesterol in blood vessels

·         Some studies revealed that due to its anti-inflammatory properties ability to alleviate on  inflammatory bowel disease, and Ulcerative Colitis

Gastric health benefits

• ·         Components of turmeric increase garic enzymes such as Gastrin, Secretin, bicarbonate and pancreatic enzymes their by increase digestion and prevent bloating.
• ·         Turmeric has also been shown to inhibit ulcer formation caused by stress, alcohol, indomethacin, pyloric ligation, and reserpine.

              Osteoarthritis

·         Given that curcumin is a potent anti-inflammatory, it makes sense that it could help with arthritis. Several studies show this to be true.

·         In a study of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, curcumin was even more effective than an anti-inflammatory drug.

References

1. Frantz S. Drug discovery: playing dirty. Nature. 2005;437(7061):942–943. doi: 10.1038/437942a.[PubMed] [Cross Ref]

2. Vogel A, Pelletier J. Examen chimique de la racine de Curcuma. J Pharm. 1815;1:289–300.

3. Gupta SC, Patchva S, Koh W, Aggarwal BB. Discovery of curcumin, a component of golden spice, and its miraculous biological activities. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 2012;39(3):283–299. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1681.2011.05648.x. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Cross Ref]

4. Aggarwal BB, Sung B. Pharmacological basis for the role of curcumin in chronic diseases: an age-old spice with modern targets. Trends Pharmacol Sci. 2009;30(2):85–94. doi: 10.1016/j.tips.2008.11.002.