Taking Turmeric For A Healthier Life
Turmeric may well be one of the oldest medicines in existence, but despite being used in Eastern medicine and cooking for more than 4000 years, its benefits are only now coming to light in the Western world. The bright orange-yellow spice has major benefits for your body and brain if consumed and absorbed in the right quantities. It owes its health promoting properties to the chemical compound curcumin, which has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Belle delved a little deeper into this miracle spice…
A NATURAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY
Curcumin is thought to slow down the inflammatory pathway and is used in the treatment of numerous inflammatory conditions, including arthritis. Clinical trials have found it to be more effective than placebo for relieving pain and swelling in people with osteo and rheumatoid arthritis and in several studies, its potency has compared favourably to certain anti-inflammatory pharmaceutical drugs[i].
A POTENT ANTIOXIDANT
Curcumin is a powerful antioxidant. Oxidative or free radical damage is believed to be one of the main mechanisms behind ageing and many diseases. Curcumin’s antioxidant action in the body is two-fold: it helps to neutralise free radicals in its own right[ii], AND it stimulates the body’s own antioxidant enzymes[iii], delivering a two-pronged attack against invaders.
BRAIN HEALTH
Inflammation and oxidative damage are known to play a role in degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. In addition to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant action, studies have also shown that curcumin can help clear amyloid plaques, a key feature of Alzheimer’s[iv]. Curcumin has also been found to boost levels of important brain chemicals, decreased levels of which have been linked to Alzheimer’s and depression.
HEALTHY HEART
As an anti-inflammatory and an antioxidant, curcumin has beneficial effects on several factors known to contribute to heart disease. Most significantly perhaps is its potential effect on the endothelium, the lining of blood vessels. Endothelial dysfunction is a major driver of heart disease linked to poor blood pressure, blood clotting and various other factors. Several studies suggest that curcumin leads to improvements in endothelial function. One study shows it to be as effective as exercise, whilst another shows that it works as well as the drug Atorvastatin[v][vi].
Most of the studies carried out on curcumin incorporate relatively high doses exceeding 1g a day, which would be difficult to source from food alone. Generally speaking it is also poorly absorbed into the bloodstream.
CORRECT AMOUNTS
With patented BCM-95® curcumin, proven in 25 published studies, HerbScience Bio-Sorb Turmeric from Stirling Health is seven times more powerful than standardised extracts, so ensures you absorb sufficient amounts in order to reap the benefits. This supplement is also the only patented curcumin with turmeric essential oil. HerbScience Bio-Sorb Turmeric is ‘bio-enhanced’ for optimal absorption and provides 500mg of curcumin per capsule. We were provided with a month’s supply to test out and found a notable effect of anti-inflammatory after injury, and an improved sense of overall wellbeing. RRP £18.95 for 30 capsules, available from www.stirling-health.net.
