Apart from being a main ingredient in various Indian cuisines, turmeric is also an important herb in Ayurveda because of its various healing properties against many diseases.
Turmeric contains essential vitamins and minerals. It contains vitamins A, B2, B3, B6, B9, C, E, and K and minerals such as calcium, copper, electrolytes, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and zinc. It also contains omega-3 fatty acids, dietary fiber, and bioactive compounds, including curcumin, which have several health benefits.
Curcumin is of particular interest when understanding turmeric’s healing properties. Curcumin’s role in the immune system has been studied in various laboratory tests and its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial properties have been confirmed. We will discuss these properties and how they are used in treating several chronic diseases in this blog.
Turmeric’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties may help prevent several serious chronic health issues!
When our body suffers any injury or an infection, the body’s immune system sends “inflammatory cells” to the site of injury or infection. The inflammatory cells defend against the invading bacteria and viruses or begin healing the damaged tissues whichever the case may be. This inflammation is known as “acute” inflammation and it lasts for a short time. However, sometimes inflammation continues for a longer time and is known as “chronic” inflammation. Chronic inflammation is at the root of several chronic diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, cancer, irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes, heart disease, psoriasis, and depression.
A few clinical research studies have examined curcumin’s anti-inflammatory properties, and existing evidence suggests that curcumin inhibits signals that trigger inflammation in our body potentially benefiting people with these conditions.
And being a powerful antioxidant, curcumin also scavenges numerous free radicals and protects against these diseases. We discussed free radicals and antioxidants in our blog Bolster Your Body Defenses.
Turmeric’s anti-microbial properties protect our body against bacteria and viruses
Antimicrobial agents kill microorganisms or prevent their growth. Antimicrobial agents can be classified as antibiotics, antivirals, antiparasitic agents, and antifungals. They address specific bacterial, viral, parasitic, and fungal infections.
Several antimicrobial studies have been conducted on curcumin because of its extensive traditional uses and low side effects. These studies have established that most gram-positive and some gram-negative bacteria are susceptible to curcumin. Curcumin inhibits the production of bacterial virulence factors that help bacteria escape our immune systems, infect our bodies, and cause diseases.
Hence, curcumin’s antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial properties make it an ideal food to boost immunity in our body and protect it from diseases.
Let us discuss how curcumin can help with specific health issues.
Cancer
Let us begin with the most feared disease of them all – cancer.
As you are aware, cells are the basic building blocks of tissues and organs in our body. Cells perform many complex cellular activities. The cell cycle is one of them. It divides a cell and creates two daughter cells in a regulated manner.
Several factors are checked before division, including whether there is a valid signal (growth factor) from neighboring cells, if the cell is large enough to divide, if the tissue or organ has room for new daughter cells, if the DNA has been damaged or mutated, and if the daughter cells are fully replicated.
In the event of any anomaly, the cell will die (apoptosis), thereby preventing any tumor from growing. However, it is still possible for cells to divide and proliferate uncontrollably despite these exhaustive checks, leading to the development of cancer. Let us understand why this happens.
The cell cycle is controlled by various proteins. Any damage or mutation to a cell’s DNA, however, may alter how these proteins are encoded and, thus, may cause the cell cycle checks to fail. Cancer cells then exhibit uncontrolled signalling pathways (chemical reactions) such as uncontrolled cell division and uncontrolled apoptosis.
Curcumin modulates these uncontrolled signalling pathways, enzymes, and proteins to prevent the development of cancer. In certain cancers, it blocks the cell cycle in case of dangerous mutations and accelerates apoptosis. The use of curcumin alone or in combination with other anticancer drugs could be effective in treating cancer.
Brain Health
The most common neurodegenerative diseases are Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. The inflammatory activation of microglia, an immune cell in the brain, can cause neurodegenerative diseases. Turmeric’s aromatic turmerone, another important bioactive compound besides curcumin, inhibits microglial activation, making it a useful treatment for neurological disorders. Moreover, curcumin reduces brain injury from decreased blood flow and oxygen by reducing oxidative stress.
Depression
Curcumin also helps in depression. A major cause of depression is psychological and social stress. There is evidence that stress can activate an inflammatory response, which can affect neurotransmitter metabolism and other processes, resulting in depression. Among the reasons that curcumin improves depression is its anti-inflammatory effect.
Cardiovascular Health
Blood is transported smoothly to tissues and organs by blood vessels, such as arteries, veins, and capillaries. A layer of endothelium cells lines the inside of blood vessels to ensure smooth transport. A damaged endothelium layer puts us at risk for various health problems including atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and various heart diseases.
Some researchers have reported that turmeric can help us maintain healthy blood pressure, blood clotting, as well as other factors vital to our heart by improving blood vessel lining.
Cardiovascular diseases are also commonly linked to dyslipidaemia, an abnormal imbalance of lipids including cholesterol, triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Researchers have found that curcumin helps in reducing serum triglyceride levels and LDL-C levels.
Further, curcumin acts as a mild blood thinner and prevents clots from forming and arteries from getting clogged up.
Apart from this, curcumin has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that can improve general cardiovascular health.
Liver
It has been established in various studies that oxidative stress and inflammation play a key role in fatty liver and are caused by a variety of factors, including alcohol, drugs, viral infections, environmental pollutants, and dietary factors. We discussed oxidative stress in the blog Bolster Your Body Defenses.
Clinical evidence suggests that curcumin helps in the prevention and treatment of oxidative-stress-associated liver diseases by acting as a powerful antioxidant, suppressing inflammatory mediators.
Diabetes
Curcumin has been scientifically validated for its effectiveness in the prevention and treatment of diabetes and its associated disorders.
People with diabetes may benefit from curcumin in different ways, including improving insulin resistance and cholesterol levels.
Researchers have extensively studied curcumin’s effectiveness in reducing glycemia and treating diabetes-related complications in animals and type 2 diabetic patients.
There is evidence that inflammation is a leading cause of diabetes and that diabetic patients have increased levels of free radicals. With its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, turmeric can help manage diabetes better or even prevent it altogether.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD)
CKD is characterized by progressive kidney failure that reduces the body’s ability to eliminate toxins, leaving behind impurities in the blood.
Diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, tobacco abuse, and high cholesterol are several risks associated with CKD that may also contribute to cardiovascular diseases.
Oxidative stress and inflammation are the underlying abnormalities common to all these disorders. Consequently, therapeutic approaches targeting inflammation and oxidative stress may benefit CKD patients. Curcumin with its powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties can be one such approach for managing CKD.
Respiratory Disorders
Studies have also shown curcumin to protect against chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and allergic asthma, by preventing inflammation and oxidative stress.
Curcumin reduces lung injury and fibrosis caused by dust, smoke, radiation, and other airborne pollutants.
Curcumin has been studied for its potential as a chemo-preventive agent in a wide variety of cancers including lung cancer.
Digestive Health
Apart from providing dietary fiber, curcumin’s anti-inflammatory properties help reduce inflammation in the gut and improve digestion.
There is some evidence that curcumin can help with constipation, stomach cramps, and diarrhea caused by irritable bowel syndrome.
Curcumin is also known to alleviate symptoms associated with gastrointestinal diseases such as acidity, H. pylori infection, Crohn’s disease, gastric ulcers, ulcerative colitis, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Arthritis
Inflammation is associated with arthritis, the most common joint disease. A common example of this is rheumatoid arthritis, in which inflammatory cells and substances attack the joint tissues, causing chronic inflammation and damaging the joints. Because curcumin has anti-inflammatory properties, it can reduce joint inflammation and relieve pain.
Uric Acid and gout
The presence of too much uric acid in the body can cause several health problems like joint pain, arthritis, osteoporosis, and kidney problems.
Several studies performed on mice demonstrated that curcumin was capable of significantly reducing serum uric acid levels and alleviating gout symptoms.
Edema
Edema is a condition caused by water retention or the accumulation of fluid in tissues, which causes swelling in different body parts, usually in the legs and feet. The cause of water retention can range from something as simple as wearing tight shoes to underlying complex medical issues associated with the kidney, liver, and heart.
One of the factors contributing to water retention in the case of kidney disorders is estrogen hormones. It has been found that curcumin blocks estrogen signaling which helps reduce fluid retention.
Aging
Our bodies eliminate cells that are no longer needed through a process called programmed cell death. This process is known as apoptosis. We mentioned this process above.
There may be several reasons why these cells need to be eliminated, including damage from an injury or regulation of total body cells. Some cells, however, become resistant to apoptosis. These cells accumulate with age and cause low-grade inflammation, which can lead to a variety of age-related diseases.
It is believed that these cells may also contribute to skin sagging and wrinkles, and studies have shown that removing them may slow down the aging process
Studies on curcumin show that it helps eliminate such cells and delay aging by speeding up the apoptosis process.
Wound and infections
Curcumin’s microbial properties can suppress a wide range of bacteria, infectious fungi, and parasites. It has therapeutic potential for skin infections, chronic wound infections, urinary tract infections, and root canal infections. Turmeric powder can be applied directly to wounds to prevent infections and speed up healing.
Anti-Allergic Activity
Allergies, such as those caused by food or dust, occur when one’s immune system interprets a harmless substance as harmful. To protect the body, the immune system causes the release of histamine and other chemicals into the bloodstream. The histamine causes many of the allergy symptoms, such as runny noses and sneezes, by acting throughout the body. Curcumin soothes allergies by reducing histamine release.
Skin diseases/Psoriasis
Curcumin is an antiparasitic and can be used in the treatment of many skin conditions such as itchy, dry skin or a rash.
Curcumin treats psoriasis, a chronic inflammatory skin disease. With its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties, curcumin inhibits the proliferation of pro-inflammatory factors that cause psoriasis.
Besides possessing anti-aging properties, turmeric is a very common ingredient in face packs too. Turmeric face packs have anti-bacterial and anti-septic properties that aid in fighting acne, breakouts, and pimples. A turmeric skin conditioner accelerates the removal of dead skin cells, which results in soft and healthy skin.
Weight Loss
There are several ways in which curcumin can help in weight reduction.
There is a link between obesity and chronic low-grade inflammation in the body’s fatty tissues. Individuals with obesity have been reported to have higher levels of pro-inflammatory markers. By inhibiting these pro-inflammatory markers, curcumin helps reduce weight.
Further, according to some studies, people who were administered curcumin showed greater oxidation of fatty acids than those who were not. As a result, there is a greater reduction in body fat, which leads to weight loss.
Curcumin has also been shown to stimulate adiponectin levels, an anti-inflammatory hormone produced by fat cells in our bodies, which can stimulate glucose utilization, thereby reducing body weight.
Turmeric and Doshas
Our discussion would be incomplete without discussing curcumin’s effects on doshas.
In the blog Eat Your Way To Good Health, we talked about how our diet differs from others in terms of rasa (taste), virya (potency), post-digestive effects (vipaka), and various gunas (qualities).
As a spice, turmeric is bitter and has a pungent aftertaste after digestion. It is a “drying” as well as a “heating” substance. These qualities help to pacify or balance aggravated kapha and vata doshas, while its bitter taste helps to pacify pitta dosha.
Does turmeric cause side effects?
Turmeric is safe for most people when consumed in food, but supplements containing high levels of curcumin may cause mild side effects such as nausea, stomach disorders, and diarrhea.
We already discussed the role curcumin plays in various diseases. Therefore, curcumin may interfere with the medication for those diseases if consumed in high doses.
As an example, turmeric is a blood thinner, therefore, people on prescribed anticoagulants or awaiting planned surgeries should be careful when consuming turmeric to avoid bleeding risks. Taking supplemental turmeric can also increase urine oxalate levels, thereby raising kidney stone formation risks.
Hence, those who regularly take turmeric supplements should consult a doctor if they suffer from any medical conditions, such as bleeding disorders, kidney disease, liver and gallbladder disorders, or diabetes.
Additionally, there is no such thing as a “standard curcumin dosage”, as every individual differs, and thus one should consult a doctor for advice.
The use of curcumin is not without caveats, however. Our blood does not absorb curcumin well. Hence ingesting large amounts of curcumin may not yield desirable benefits. Piperine (black pepper) adjuvants have been used as one method to overcome these deficits. It is also possible to consume turmeric along with fats, as turmeric is fat-soluble and binds to fats, improving the absorption of curcumin.
Finally, when considering turmeric inclusion in the diet, it is important to keep in mind that, although there have been numerous studies involving curcumin, human trials with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm its effectiveness.