Curcumin is the most potent component of turmeric, a plant that has been used in India as both a spice and a medicine for centuries. Besides adding a flavor to Indian curry, turmeric has Benn part of Ayurvedic medicine for millennia. But there is very little curcumin from turmeric. By extracting curcumin from turmeric, we have an even more powerful way to treat disease. Enhancing the absorption of curcumin by blending in turmeric essential oil has resulted in a natural substance that is as potent — or even more potent — at treating disease that 14 prescription drugs, but without the adverse effects.
Why is curcumin good for so many problems?
One of the reasons that curcumin works so well on such a wide range of diseases is because it is such a powerful anti-inflammatory. We know that almost all chronic diseases — from diabetes to heart disease to cancer to arthritis to Alzheimer’s disease — have something in common: unchecked, destructive inflammation. Unlike synthetic drugs, which typically work against only a single inflammation pathway, natural curcumin reduces inflammation through its effects on multiple inflammation targets.
In technical terms, curcumin has been found to:
• Suppress activation of Nf-kB, which regulates the expression of pro-inflammatory gene products
• Downregulate COX-2, the enzyme-linked to most inflammation
• Inhibit 5-LOX, another pro-inflammatory enzyme
• Downregulate the expression of cell surface adhesion molecules linked to inflammation
• Inhibit the activity of TNF, one of the most pro-inflammatory cytokines (cell-signaling protein molecules)
Because of this anti-inflammatory activity, as well as its ability to kill tumor cells, increase the activity of protective antioxidants such as glutathione, and modulate tumor growth cell factors, curcumin is effective against hundreds of diseases.
Curcumin is also a potent antioxidant, able to neutralize unstable, reactive-free radicals. Free radicals are molecules with a missing electron that stabilize themselves by “stealing” electrons from neighboring molecules, creating another free radical in the process. This chain reaction of free radical formation is known as a free radical cascade, and it can result in cellular damage (called oxidative stress) leading to inflammation and chronic disease — including cancer. Free radicals can negatively impact all body systems, including the immune system. Curcumin, like other antioxidants, is able to stop free radical cascades without becoming unstable itself. Its ability to neutralize free radicals is extraordinarily strong. In fact, a specially prepared extract of curcumin has an antioxidant value of over 1.5 million per 100 grams. The dual properties of curcumin as both anti-inflammatory and super antioxidant contribute to its reputation as an extremely powerful natural medicine.
Bottom Line
Curcumin can be used to effectively treat almost every disease or illness, including cancer, heart disease, bronchitis and asthma, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes, leukemia, cirrhosis, psoriasis, wounds and fatigue.
Content from Terry Talks Nutrition via Natural Path/Family Health Food Store.
