Arguably one of the most powerful herbs in existence at fighting disease, turmeric—with its renowned healing compound, curcumin—is mostly known for being the main spice used in curry. However, you may not have heard about just how incredibly beneficial this substance can be for your body and your brain.
Tumeric is a root herb that has been a huge part of Indian culture and foods for thousands of years. Curcumin is the most active of the four curcuminoids found in turmeric, and has been shown to have powerful anti-inflammatory effects and anticancer activities if consumed on a regular basis. Unfortunately, the curcumin content in turmeric is actually not that high—only around 3% by weight—so one of the best ways to get a higher dosage of this miraculous substance is to take a special curcumin supplement.
****For the month of May only, Central Compounding Pharmacy is offering a 20% discount on all curcumin supplements!**** Some popular curcumin supplements we carry include Designs for Health’s “C3 Curcumin Complex” and “Curcum-Evail® Chewables”, Integrative Therapeutics’ “Curcumax”, and DaVinci Laboratories “Curcumin C3 Complex”.
There are innumerable benefits that come with the consumption of turmeric and curcumin.
Here are 5 amazing health benefits of curcumin:
1. Curcumin improves memory and attention – and can greatly help people with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
According to a study recently conducted by UCLA researchers, taking curcumin twice daily greatly improved the memory and mood in people with mild, age-related memory loss. In memory tests, people who took curcumin improved by 28 percent, experienced significant improvements in their attention abilities, and also had mild improvements in their overall mood. Curcumin reduces brain inflammation, which has been linked to both Alzheimer’s disease and depression. This is why it has been suggested as a possible reason that senior citizens in India, where curcumin is a dietary staple, have a lower prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and better cognitive performance.
2. Curcumin fights inflammation in the body
Many common diseases today, including cancer, heart disease, arthritis, high cholesterol, ulcerative colitis, Alzheimer’s, and chronic pain are all associated with inflammation in the body. Preventing and fighting chronic inflammation is extremely important in preventing and treating these diseases. Curcumin has incredible anti-inflammatory effects, fighting inflammation at the molecular level. One study evaluated several anti-inflammatory compounds and found that curcumin is among the most effective anti-inflammatory compounds in the world - and can be more effective than aspirin and ibuprofen, but without the side effects!
3. Curcumin helps in the treatment of stomach ulcers, inflammatory bowel disease, and ulcerative colitis
Patients with inflammatory bowel diseases will often seek pain relief from corticosteroids, but over time these medications can damage the intestinal lining, actually making the condition worse! Instead, curcumin can be used to help to heal the gut and support the growth of probiotics (good bacteria), greatly improving and relieving painful symptoms. Patients who suffer from stomach ulcers may find relief with bioavailable curcumin, as it inhibits stomach acid secretion and the activity of pepsin. Finally, curcumin has also been effective in maintaining remission in patients with inactive ulcerative colitis.
4. Curcumin fights cancer and may prevent certain cancers
It has been shown that curcumin has incredible anticancer effects, helping the body naturally treat cancers including breast cancer, colon cancer, stomach cancer, and skin cancer. Curcumin has been shown to prevent the synthesis of a protein believed to play a role in the formation of tumors, reduce the growth of new blood vessels in tumors, destroy mutated cancer cells to prevent them from spreading, and induce programmed cell death in glioblastoma (malignant brain cancer), oral, T-cell lymphoma, bone, brain, and melanoma cancer cells.
5. Cucurmin can reduce depression symptoms
Curcumin may help promote emotional and psychological wellbeing and lower depression symptoms. Many common brain disorders have been linked to decreased levels of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), but studies have shown that curcumin can actually increase these levels! In addition, research has shows that curcumin can promote the development of new cells in the hippocampus in chronically stressed rats, reduce depressive symptoms in patients with major depression, and enhance the effects of SSRIs and SNRI antidepressants in mice.
In conclusion, there are MANY incredible health benefits associated with curcumin. If you want to buy a turmeric/curcumin supplement, we recommend Designs for Health’s “C3 Curcumin Complex” and “Curcum-Evail® Chewables”, Integrative Therapeutics’ “Curcumax” and DaVinci Laboratories “Curcumin C3 Complex”.
For the entire month of May ONLY, Central Compounding Pharmacy is offering a 20% discount on all curcumin supplements! Give us a call or stop by for more information or to purchase some of these amazing supplements!
