Is All The Hype About Turmeric (Curcumin) Really True?
Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a culinary spice, a major ingredient in Indian curries, and the source of American mustard’s bright yellow color. Used as both medicine and food for centuries, accumulating evidence suggests that this relative of ginger is a promising preventive agent for a wide range of diseases, probably due largely to its anti-inflammatory properties. Curcumin is the chief active component of turmeric, and can be taken as a supplement.
Research indicates that:
Curcumin appears to delay liver damage from exposure to toxins, which otherwise in some instances would eventually lead to cirrhosis.
Turmeric reduces levels of heterocyclic amines – carcinogenic (tumor causing) compounds that are formed when meats are barbecued, boiled, or fried – by up to 40%.
Curcumin inhibits the growth of skin cancer (melanoma), slows the spread of breast cancer into the lungs and appears to slow down several other cancers.
Turmeric that is part of daily curries eaten in India may help explain the low rate of Alzheimer’s disease in that country. Among people aged 70 to 79, the rate is less than one-quarter that of the United States!
Current evidence would suggest that turmeric should be consumed liberally in the diet. Some people however may find straight turmeric powder bitter or otherwise off-putting. A good way to resolved this is to add teaspoon or two to a pot of soup or stew. The flavor disperses and adds a subtle depth and complexity that most people find appealing. If even that’s too much for you, both turmeric and curcumin supplements are now widely available – just take one along with your daily multivitamin. Note, however, that turmeric and curcumin are poorly absorbed from the G.I. tract. Absorption is enhanced in the presence of piperine, a constituent of black pepper. Indian cuisine commonly uses turmeric and pepper together. A newer preparation of curcumin, Theracurmin, is a surface controlled particle dispersion, with the particle size 100 times smaller than typical curcumin powder. Its absorption rate is 27 times greater than regular curcumin. For more insight on curcumin see the Supplement Article - with a link to and example of one of the clinically tested curcumin supplements.
Turmeric (curcumin) is likely only part of a diet that can help reduce cancer and dementia, as well as keep the heart healthy. Here are some good tips from healthy eating patterns around the world and found in the Anti-Inflammatory Diet:
1. Consume relatively low animal protein and less red meat. Population with high incidence of dementia (like Americans) eat 140 grams of protein a day, of which two-thirds comes from animal sources. Low dementia populations eat a third less protein, and this is split equally between animal and plant sources. They also drink less milk.
2. Routinely eat moderate amounts of fish. Less than one percent of calorie intake in the US comes from fish compared with one one-and-a-half percent in the Mediterranean and five percent in Japan.
3. Fat intake is mainly monounsaturated, and the ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fats is low. In typical Western diets the omega 6 to omega 3 ratio is 15 to 1. It is considerably lower in the diets of the countries and regions where people are generally healthier. They consume much less polyunsaturated fat from seed oils and more omega 3 from fish. While fat intake in this group varies from less than 10% of calories to well over 40%, it is mainly in the form of monounsaturated oils. High quantities of olive oil are used in the Mediterranean, while the Japanese use much lower amounts of cold pressed canola oil for low temperature stir-frying.
4. Beans. People in the super-healthy regions of the world eat more of these fiber-rich foods, which are also a good sources of plant protein and contain healthy ratios of omega 6 to omega 3 fats.
5. Fermented, pickled and preserved foods. in healthy populations, up to 30% of calorie intake comes from foods that support gut bacteria. This is double the amount eaten in the US. The French and Italians enjoy wine, vinegar, grass-fed cheese and yogurt. In traditional Japanese cuisine, miso, natto, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sake, and pickled vegetables/fish are widely consumed.
6. An abundance of vegetables, greens and herbs. In the Mediterranean these includes Swiss chard, escarole (endive), purslane, leeks and onions. Herbs include basil, thyme and oregano. Japanese eat plenty of seaweeds and sea vegetables.
7. Tea, coffee and red wine are drunk with meals. This a feature of all the world’s pockets of exceptional health. In Japan, green tea is usually drunk at every meal. Italians are more likely to drink coffee or red wine. Costa Ricans indulge in coffee. The French enjoy them all. Drinking with meals helps to restrict iron absorption. Excess iron has been linked to Alzheimer’s and many other degenerative diseases.