For some time now I’ve heard great things about curcumin,
the substance found in turmeric. It’s cancer prevention abilities were even
mentioned during one of my classes. Intrigued, I decided to do some research
and see what else curcumin is good for.
Sure enough I found an article that looked at about 300
scientific studies focused on curcumin. What they found was amazing: not only
does curcumin help treat a variety of illnesses, but also its curative effects come with
no side effects. Curcumin does this mostly by reducing inflammation and through
antioxidant effect.
The diseases that were positively affected by curcumin
included atherosclerosis, diabetes, cancer, asthma, and hepatic, pancreatic,
gastric and intestinal diseases. Even though most of the experiments discussed
in the article were conducted on animals, the results are promising, especially
since the scientists noticed no side effects even with big doses – something
that is difficult to achieve with conventional medicine.¹
To look outside of modern science, the ancient wisdom of
Ayurveda has also utilized curcumin infused turmeric for medicinal purposes for
thousands of years. Turmeric is part of many herbal mixtures in the treatment
of numerous conditions, like rashes, and it is also used as an antibiotic. It
can even help heal a sore throat. For the treatment of a sore throat, Ayurveda
recommends to mix ½ a teaspoon of turmeric and salt each in a cup of hot water and
use it as a gargle in the morning and in the evening. (The water shouldn’t be
so hot as to burn your throat.)² I have tried this and it seems to have a
soothing effect.
So not necessarily a cure for everything (actually, we don’t know
that yet as science takes time), but it's useful in a multitude of ways nevertheless!
In light of the great health benefits of turmeric, adding it into
the diet sounds enticing. It is quite easy to do – one can simply drink a mixture
of the yellow powder with water, or add it as a spice in every day cooking. It is
especially great in Indian style recipes; in fact, it is one of the ingredients
of curry powder. This gives you a great reason to enjoy your favorite Indian
curry, too!
I hope you have enjoyed my post – feel free to request topics for
me to discuss, I would love that!
Love,
Anna-Kaisa
References:
1.
Bengmark, Stig MD, PhD, FRACS (hon), FRCPS (hon). “Curcumin, An Atoxic
Antioxidant and Natural NFκB, Cyclooxygenase-2, Lipooxygenase, and Inducible
Nitric Oxide Synthase Inhibitor: A Shield Against Acute and Chronic Diseases.”
Journal of Parenteral and Enteral
Nutrition. JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2006 vol. 30. Pages 45-51.
doi: 10.1177/014860710603000145. Web. April 1
2015.
2.
Lad, Vasant BAMS MASc. The Complete Book of
Ayervedic Home Remedies. New York: Harmony Books. 1998. Print.
