Curcumin is the active yellow ingredient in the spice turmeric which has many proven benefits. The biochemical name for curcumin is index finger length and almost unpronounceable! It has been confirmed to lessen the process of aging. Interesting NO? A number of aging-related diseases including arthritis, heart disease, cancer, and the dreaded DEMENTIA are among the diseases avoided. I am uncertain why, but turmeric is an Asian spice that is a staple additive in some of the places with the longest-lived people on Earth! Especially, Japan the captain of longevity (#1 out of the 201 countries) and especially Okinawa which houses the longest-lived seniors in Japan!!
Curcumin’s mode of action is not precisely known but one modus is certain: it reduces inflammation ─ big time. Inflammation is a major player in aging and ushering in aging’s diseases. It is in the class of chemicals termed polyphenols which includes resveratrol which is the health-promoting substance in red wine. Importantly, curcumin in prediabetes prevents progression to diabetes and its potential problems.1
There have been more than twelve thousand medical articles published about the value to the wellness of curcumin! When influences on aging are considered, science goes first to animal studies such as mice. I now know that only some men are mice, but extending the life of any species by alterations is probably predictive of a generality in extending other species as well.
There is a number of papers detailing the preventive value of curcumin in certain diseases of aging.2 In addition, curcumin (polyphenol class) is being used to enhance chemotherapy for various cancers.3
About two-thirds of patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder given curcumin for six weeks had improvement. 4
In a well-done study of patients with subjects having substantial knee pain, at the end of eight weeks, the group given curcumin had significantly less pain.5 Personally I am an enthusiast of curcumin’s effect on knee pain. One of my knees is bone on bone and I had multiple injections without much relief but then a supplement containing curcumin was discovered. GOODBYE knee pain.
There are well-described markers of aging which are in the blood and in an important study, low dose curcumin in middle-aged people reduced their unwanted presence. 6 These improved markers forecast a smoother senior-hood.
You should investigate any supplement that is to have sustained usage for side effects. In several long-term studies, curcumin had no side effects. However, consumer lab, an authority on supplements, suggests that people with gallbladder disease, kidney disease, diabetes, or blood thinners should not take curcumin long-term.
There is always foundational info that must be understood for success in implementation, especially in biologic issues. Turmeric is poorly absorbed, so a supplement’s absorbance must be taken into account for maximum benefits. Among the 11 products evaluated by consumerlab.com, the Now Brand (easily obtained) was among the best.
1. Chuengsamarn S, Rattanamongkolgul S, Luechapudiporn R, Phisalaphong C, Jirawatnotai S. Curcumin extract for prevention of type 2 diabetes. Diabetes care 2012;35:2121-7.
2. Shehzad A, Wahid F, Lee YS. Curcumin in cancer chemoprevention: molecular targets, pharmacokinetics, bioavailability, and clinical trials. Archiv der Pharmazie 2010;343:489-99.
3. Troselj KG, Kujundzic RN. Curcumin in combined cancer therapy. Current pharmaceutical design 2014;20:6682-96.
4. Sanmukhani J, Satodia V, Trivedi J, et al. Efficacy and safety of curcumin in major depressive disorder: a randomized controlled trial. Phytotherapy research : PTR 2014;28:579-85.
5. Nakagawa Y, Mukai S, Yamada S, et al. Short-term effects of highly-bioavailable curcumin for treating knee osteoarthritis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled prospective study. Journal of orthopaedic science : official journal of the Japanese Orthopaedic Association 2014;19:933-9.
6. DiSilvestro RA, Joseph E, Zhao S, Bomser J. Diverse effects of a low dose supplement of lipidated curcumin in healthy middle aged people. Nutrition journal 2012;11:79.
