12 Turmeric Benefits that Rival Medications

Turmeric (Curcuma longa), the main spice in the Indian dish curry, is argued by many to be the most powerful herb on the planet at fighting and potentially reversing disease. Turmeric benefits are incredibly vast and very thoroughly researched; currently, there are over 10,000 peer-reviewed articles published proving turmeric benefits, especially one of its renowned healing compounds, curcumin.

This puts turmeric on top of the list as one of the most frequently mentioned medicinal herbs in all of science. The next most popular studied herbs include garlic, cinnamon, ginseng, ginger and milk thistle.

What Is Turmeric?

Turmeric comes from the Curcuma longa plant, which grows in India and other Southeast Asian countries. The dried root of the Curcuma longa plant is ground into the distinctive yellow turmeric powder.

There are several chemical compounds found in turmeric, known as curcuminoids. The active substance in turmeric is curcumin. Curcumin is what makes turmeric a “functional food,” defined by the Mayo Clinic as “foods that have a potentially positive effect on health beyond basic nutrition.”

The best part about turmeric? Not only is it well-researched, incredibly potent and historically significant, it’s also safe. Turmeric has very few known side effects, and the ones that exist are incredibly rare and generally mild. (1, 2, 3) Imagine saying that about most medications!

12 Turmeric Benefits
1. May Slow or Prevent Blood Clots
For many people, the formation of blood clots is a major concern. How do you develop a clot (also called a thrombus)? Blood clots form through a process called “platelet aggregation,” where blood platelets concentrate in one area and eventually clot.

In both lab and animal studies, the use of curcumin from turmeric greatly reduces instances of platelet aggregation and potentially reduces the risk of a clot forming. (4, 5, 6)

Curcumin modifies an internal process known as eicosanoid biosynthesis. Eiconsanoids consist of four different molecules within the body that are involved in the natural inflammation process. It has been suggested that one reason that curcumin has anti-clotting properties is the way it affects the biosynthesis of thromboxanes, one of the four eicosanoids. (7) This same mechanism is one reason turmeric is an anti-inflammatory substance.

One combination lab and animal study conducted in 1986 even suggests curcumin may be a preferable treatment method for people “prone to vascular thrombosis and requiring antiarthritic therapy.” (8) However, this result still needs to be replicated in human trials.

2. Reduces Depression Symptoms
Although few studies have been conducted on humans, dozens of research trials have proven that turmeric benefits include being especially effective in reducing depression symptoms in laboratory animals. (9, 10, 11, 12) These results seem to be connected to the way curcumin impacts neurotransmitter function through the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). (13)

To address this issue, the journal Phytotherapy Research published the results of an amazing, innovative study in 2014.  The study took 60 volunteers diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) and split the group to determine how patients treated by curcumin fared against fluoxetine (PROZAC®) and a combination of the two. (14)

Not only was it discovered that all patients tolerated curcumin well, but they discovered curcumin was equally effective as fluoxetine in managing depression by the six-week mark. Combining fluoxetine with curcumin resulted in a slightly higher improvement, but it was not considered statistically significant.

According to the authors, “This study provides first clinical evidence [emphasis added] that curcumin may be used as an effective and safe therapy for treatment in patients with mild depression.”

Since that breakthrough trial, at least two other studies have observed the impact of turmeric’s major compound, curcumin, in patients with depression. The first involved 56 individuals (male and female), and the second involved 108 male participants. Both used a placebo but did not compare curcumin to any antidepressant, and both studies found that curcumin effectively reduced depression symptoms more than placebo. (15, 16)

As antidepressants on the market currently only yield about a 10–20 percent effectiveness rating when you remove the placebo effect, I’d call that a pretty significant result! (17)

3. Fights Inflammation
Arguably, the most powerful aspect of curcumin is its ability to control inflammation.

The journal Oncogene published the results of a study that evaluated several anti-inflammatory compounds and found that aspirin and ibuprofen, two of the most common NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) are least effective, while curcumin is among the most effective anti-inflammatory compounds in the world. (18)

This news should have reached every household in the world after the study was conducted, because inflammation is at the root of most diseases.

Increasingly common diseases today — such as cancer, ulcerative colitis, arthritis, high cholesterol and chronic pain — are all associated with inflammation.

The anti-inflammatory effects of curcumin have also been studied as a possible treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. According to the Alzheimer’s Society, evidence for turmeric’s effects on Alzheimer’s patients is inconclusive; it’s not certain that turmeric can prevent or treat the disease. (19)

Several animal trials have been completed investigating the relationship of curcumin and Alzheimer’s. In rats, it seems that curcumin “reverses existing amyloid pathology and associated neurotoxicity,” a key feature of the progression of this neurological disease related to chronic inflammation. (20, 21, 22)

Some human trials have also been conducted. A six-month study in Hong Kong found that curcumin was very tolerable, but both the placebo and curcumin group experienced no statistically significant loss of cognitive function, so the two groups couldn’t be compared. (23) Similar results have been discovered in other studies, and researchers cite the small subject sample, limited study time and poor bioavailability of curcumin in the tested samples as possible reasons no effect was recorded reflective of animal study results. (24, 25, 26)

Today, scientists are still searching for a formulation of curcumin that is effectively bioavailable (meaning that the human body absorbs and metabolizes it) and that crosses the blood-brain barrier. (27) While it may be some time before human trials nail down the specifics, these findings are still incredibly promising.

4. Boosts Skin Health
Turmeric benefits include anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that have proven effective in treating multiple skin conditions. Turmeric benefits for skin include increasing “glow and luster” of the skin, speeding up wound healing, calming the pores to decrease acne and acne scarring and controlling psoriasis flares. (28, 29, 30, 31)

One uncontrolled pilot study involving 814 participants even suggests that turmeric paste could cure 97 percent of scabies cases within 3–15 days. (32)

Try my Turmeric Face Mask for Glowing Skin. Just keep in mind that turmeric can stain the skin and it may cause an allergic reaction. Do a patch test by applying a dime-size amount to your forearm. Then, wait 24–48 hours to check for any reaction before applying turmeric to your face.

5. May Outperform Common Arthritis Drug
Because curcumin is known for its powerful anti-inflammatory and pain-reducing characteristics, a study was conducted on 45 rheumatoid arthritis patients to compare the benefits of curcumin in turmeric to the arthritis drug diclofenac sodium (an NSAID), which put people at risk of developing leaky gut and heart disease.

The study split these volunteers into three groups: curcumin treatment alone, diclofenac sodium alone, and a combination of the two. The results of the trial were eye-opening:

The curcumin group showed the highest percentage of improvement in overall [Disease Activity Score] scores and these scores were significantly better than the patients in the diclofenac sodium group. More importantly, curcumin treatment was found to be safe and did not relate with any adverse events. Our study provides the first evidence for the safety and superiority of curcumin treatment in patients with active RA, and highlights the need for future large-scale trials to validate these findings in patients with RA and other arthritic conditions.

Published by Phytotherapy Research in 2012, the results of this study have encouraged more human research to evaluate the amazing effects curcumin-rich plants like turmeric have on people suffering from various different types of arthritis. (33)

A review of available randomized, controlled trials confirmed that, of the eight studies available fitting the criteria, “these RCTs provide scientific evidence that supports the efficacy of turmeric extract (about 1000 mg/day of curcumin) in the treatment of arthritis.” The trials also had a very low risk of bias, which means that it’s unlikely the results were skewed by the researchers. (34)

While arthritis cannot be cured, it seems that a high dose of curcumin can be just as (or more) effective than at least the most common medication prescribed for the condition.

6. Could Treat or Prevent Certain Cancers
Of all the various topics scientists have tackled in regards to curcumin and disease reversal, cancer (of various types) is one of the most thoroughly researched topics. In the words of global authorities like Cancer Research UK: (35)

A number of laboratory studies on cancer cells have shown that curcumin does have anticancer effects. It seems to be able to kill cancer cells and prevent more from growing. It has the best effects on breast cancer, bowel cancer, stomach cancer and skin cancer cells.

A July 2017 animal study by researchers at Baylor Scott & White Research Institute found that curcumin may even be able to break through chemo-resistance in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), an aggressive form of pancreatic cancer. (36)

Doctors commonly face the challenge of patients initially responding to chemotherapeutic drugs and then later developing resistance. Curcumin appears to re-sensitize these patients’ cancer cells to the drugs, although the exact mechanisms of curcumin’s chemo-sensitization remain ambiguous. Study author, Ajay Goel, PhD, director of gastrointestinal research and translational genomics and oncology at Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, stated: (37)

Food-based botanicals have the potential to restore a healthier gene expression in patients but without the toxicity of certain drugs.

The bottom line? Turmeric benefits include helping the body naturally treat cancer such as breast cancer, colon cancer and skin cancer. It may also help with chemotherapy resistance in patients with PDAC.

Source: https://draxe.com/turmeric-benefits/