Curcumin: The Rising Star of the Food World

Curcumin is a bioactive component found in turmeric and is also the basis of many very healthy products. Curcumin, known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, gives curry spice its yellow color and is the new favorite of functional foods.

Although consumed in Indian cuisine for centuries, curcumin is now used in beverages and even chewing gums. In recent years, demand has increased so much that it was ranked as a “rising star” in the Google Food Trends Report, which lists the most searched terms.

A natural anti-inflammatory

Inflammation is a very important and serious condition. While acute, short-term inflammation is sometimes beneficial for the body, it can be alarming if it becomes chronic and attacks your body’s own tissues. Curcumin helps fight foreign invaders and plays a role in repairing damage in your body.

Scientists now know that chronic, low-level inflammation; He believes it may play a role in some health conditions and diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, metabolic syndromes and Alzheimer’s disease. Therefore, when it comes to fighting chronic inflammation, ingredients like curcumin can help prevent and treat these conditions.

May increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor

Before scientists detailed their research on neurons, they believed that neurons could not divide and multiply after early childhood, but they now know that this is not the case. Neurons have the ability to form new connections. They can proliferate and increase in number in certain areas of the brain.

One of the main drivers of this process is brain-derived neurotrophic factor. This is a gene involved in making proteins responsible for supporting the life of neurons.

The BDNF protein plays a role in memory and learning and is found in areas of the brain responsible for eating, drinking and body weight. Many common brain disorders, including depression and Alzheimer’s disease, are linked to low levels of the BDNF protein. Animal studies have found that curcumin can increase BDNF levels in the brain.

Curcumin may be effective in delaying or even reversing many brain diseases and age-related decline in brain functions in the future. However, since these studies were conducted on animals, it is very difficult to say what the results mean for humans at this stage.

May reduce the risk of heart disease

Heart disease is among the number one causes of death in the world. Researchers have studied this issue for decades and have learned a lot about why it happens. Heart disease is an incredibly complex disease and a wide variety of conditions contribute to it.

Curcumin may help reverse many steps in the heart disease process. The main benefit of curcumin when it comes to heart disease is thought to be that it improves the function of the endothelium, the lining of your blood vessels. Endothelial dysfunction is an important cause of heart disease. This disorder occurs when your endothelium is unable to regulate blood pressure, blood clotting, and various other factors. As a result of several studies, it has been stated that curcumin may lead to improvements in heart health.

May be useful in treating Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and can contribute to 70% of dementia cases, according to the World Health Organization. [1] Although there is treatment for some of its symptoms, there is no complete cure for Alzheimer’s yet. That’s why it’s so important to prevent it from occurring in the first place.

We may start to get good news on this issue, because research continues on how curcumin crosses the blood-brain barrier. Inflammation and oxidative damage are known to play a role in Alzheimer’s disease, and curcumin has beneficial effects on both.

Arthritis patients and curcumin supplements

Arthritis is among the common problems in Western countries. There are several different types of arthritis, most of which involve inflammation in the joints. Considering that curcumin is a powerful anti-inflammatory, studies have shown that curcumin’s effects on arthritis have led to improvements in various symptoms.

Although turmeric, and especially its most active compound, curcumin, has many scientifically proven benefits, such as improving heart health and the potential to protect against Alzheimer’s and cancer, of course, more research is needed.

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