Surely you know turmeric, the spice or curry powder, which is contained in many Asian dishes and gives it its yellow color.
But Curcuma not only tastes good, but it also has a special antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect and contributes to the development of neurons in the brain.
But is Curcuma the inflammation cure people say it is?
Also for athletes, the curcumin contained in it is important, because it helps in the regeneration of muscle damage after exercise.
How exactly all these works is explained in this article.
What is Curcumin?
Curcumin is the active plant ingredient that is found in turmeric. Strictly speaking, the active substance is extracted from the root of the herbaceous curcumin plant. The root bears the sonorous name Curcuma longa L. and is a member of the ginger family, which are native to India and Southeast Asia and similar to the well-known ginger root.
The fresh turmeric root is available in specialty health food stores or Asian shops. Curcumin is the most important ingredients in turmeric because it’s the main reason behind its effectiveness. The powder from the root contains about 2-5% curcumin, so only a very small proportion.
Therefore, the curcumin is also often extracted from the powder and used separately in supplements. This can be in powder or capsule form.
This is because the dosage of curcumin can be increased quite easily. The effect of curcuminoids has long been part of traditional medicine. Whether used in traditional Chinese medicine or Ayurvedic, it has long been known about the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory power of curcumin.
Nowadays, they are also used in classical medicine. Especially against inflammatory diseases and neurodegenerative damage to the brain.
Curcumin against Inflammation
But how exactly does curcumin reach its effectiveness? How does Curcuma reduce inflammation?
A study by the Department of Biochemistry & Center for Micronutrient Research of Annamalai University in India has investigated the therapeutic applications of curcumin.
The researchers found that curcuminoids have two main effects. It is antioxidant on the one hand and anti-inflammatory on the other hand.
The antioxidant effect of curcumin is mainly due to the fact that it protects your body from the inside. You do not know what antioxidants cause? Antioxidants found in plant substances such as e.g. Curcuma are keeping your body in balance in a sense.
In fact, in your body, during various processes, such as in energy production, so-called free radicals are created.
These are very important to kill sick and old cells and to make room for new ones.
However, the radicals are highly reactive and, if there are too many, they attack your cells in the body and also in the brain.
They destroy your cell membranes and if you have a lot of free radicals in your body, they even attack your DNA. This will cause you to age faster.
In fact, aging can be observed, e.g. at faster aging of the skin. But inside, your body ages faster and you become more susceptible to disease.
The process of degradation finally reaches the brain, which causes concentration difficulties and memory gaps.
However, this process only takes on such drastic proportions if you supply too little antioxidants, such as curcuminoids, to your body. As an antidote to the free radicals, there are the antioxidants that neutralize the radicals and thus ensure that your body stays healthy and in balance. Also, the curcumin will have a positive effect on inflammation.
Nowadays, many people have a lot of free radicals in their body due to a poor diet and a lot of stress. This condition is called oxidative stress. Those who suffer from oxidative stress often complain of discomforts, such as fatigue or memory gaps, and are more susceptible to micro-inflammation. Therefore, the intake of antioxidants in the form of curcumin is so important!
With sufficient curcumin intake, you can reduce inflammation and reduce oxidative stress.
Wayne State University in Detroit has focused on the relationship between free radicals, neuronal damage to the brain, and curcumin in a study.
Curcuma’s active ingredient specifically protects the brain from the effects of oxidative stress and may even have a healing effect incurred damage.
For these reasons, curcumin is also used as a therapy against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. Thus, the active ingredient is particularly important for the improvement or preservation of your mental performance.
Curcumin can not only reduce the free radicals and thus protect your brain but also has an anti-inflammatory effect
This is what the Department of Pharmacy at the University of Tromsø in Norway has been working on. “Curcumin reduces micro-inflammation in your body caused by oxidative stress.”
If the body is no longer busy curing the numerous micro-inflammations, it has more energy available. You feel that, for example. on a more stable immune system. In short, curcumin makes your body healthier and stronger and fights inflammation.
The Anti-Inflammatory Curcumin for Athletes
Finally, curcumin has another interesting effect associated with relieving micro-inflammation.
A study from the University of Western Australia in Perth has found out how athletes can take advantage of the benefits of the turmeric ingredient. Curcumin, in combination with the ingredient piperine (black pepper), supports muscle recovery and weakens muscle damage during exercise.
For the study, ten rugby players received either curcumin and piperine or a placebo. The results showed that ingesting the drugs between two competitions supported muscle recovery and decreased power loss when jumping on one leg.
Thus, Curcumin is also interesting for competitive athletes who want to perform even better during training!
Curcumin can do it all:
- Natural Antioxidants – Neutralizes Free Radicals
- Reduces oxidative stress – Protects the brain from degradation
- Reduces micro-inflammation
- Supports muscle regeneration
How to Take Curcumin?
The way in which you should take the turmeric ingredient depends mainly on the dosage of the drug.
The highest dosage can only be achieved if you use the plant compound in the form of a supplement in the capsule. The inclusion of turmeric in your daily kitchen is not only costly but the taste, which is often associated with the Indian and Asian cuisine, is not so pleasant for many.
The best way to use a supplement in the capsules, where the active ingredients are already included in the correct dosage. Here comes another trick, because the effect of curcumin can be significantly increased in combination with another substance.
This substance is called piperine and is contained in black pepper. The piperine is essential because curcumin alone can not overcome the stomach.
You can read more about Piperine in This Article.
Only the combination with the black pepper increases the bioavailability and allows the phytochemical to reach its destination and develop there its strengthening effect. When buying, always make sure that not only curcumin is in the capsule, but also piperine.
Where to Buy Curcumin?
A problem with the inflammation cure curcumin is, that many feed themselves wrong and therefore absorb too little amount of the substance.
Therefore, many opt to buy the active ingredients in the form of supplements in the capsule. This not only covers your daily needs, but the supplements also have another advantage: These are often combinations of active ingredients that complement each other optimally and thus can potentiate the effect.
Together, they ensure that your body is kept in perfect balance and so you are provided with new energy.
Conclusion: Curcumin against Inflammation
Research shows that curcumin is a great way to reduce inflammation.
Scientific evidence is clear on this one, IT WORKS.
Also, it comes with many other health benefits and has no side effects at all. So make sure you get your daily dose of Curcumin to get rid of inflammation for good.
Cheers,
Sam
