Turmeric is a plant that has a long history of use in Asian recipes like curry and for healing. Turmeric powder comes from the fleshy root and bulbs that grow on this plant. Traditional herbal medicine relies on the action of turmeric’s main chemical curcumin, an anti-oxidant, inflammation reliever and possible cancer and Alzheimer’s disease preventative. Although little scientific research supports these claims, anecdotal evidence supports these uses of turmeric. The American Cancer Society reports that promising research also shows that you might obtain some benefits from turmeric even when you use it as a culinary spice.
Anti-Inflammatory
The Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center states that the curcumin and turmeric’s volatile oils give this herb its potent anti-inflammatory properties. The University of Maryland Medical Center recommends turmeric as a natural treatment for bursitis—an inflammation of the joints. The treatment dosage is approximately 375 mg, three times a day for a period of 12 weeks. UMMC suggests that combining turmeric with bromelain will increase its healing action. The American Cancer Society notes that turmeric may also be useful for treating the inflammation that accompanies arthritis, along with the pain and swelling from common injuries and surgery.
Turmeric’s anti-inflammatory components also appear to play a role in its use as a treatment for skin problems and wounds. The UMMC states that both ayurvedic and Chinese medicine treat skin conditions like eczema and scabies, skin ulcers, infections and wounds with turmeric powder pastes and ointments.
Antioxidant
Curcumin gives turmeric anti-oxidant properties, whether consumed in prepared food or as a medicinal treatment. The main benefit of antioxidants is that they help protect the body from free radicals--byproducts of normal cell functions that damage or kill healthy cells. Since scientific research has shown that free radicals may play a role in the development of certain cancers and aging, turmeric could prevent or slow down the damaging activity of free radicals, or even improve outcomes of Huntingdon’s disease. The Linus Pauling Institute states that turmeric may inhibit the activity of inflammatory enzymes, while stimulating the development of glutathione, an antioxidant that your body produces.
Alzheimer’s Treatment
Researchers at the University of California suggest that further human studies will confirm a hypothesis that the consumption of turmeric in curry dishes in India may be an important factor in the fourfold difference in the occurrence of Alzheimer’s in India versus the United States. The plaque deposits in the brain that accompany the onset of Alzheimer’s result in a progressive decline in memory and cognitive function. In many people with this condition, oxidation and inflammation also damage brain cells. The Linus Pauling Institute cites promising animal studies that suggest that turmeric can reduce the amount of plaque and memory loss in lab tests. These findings indicate that clinical trials with human subjects may obtain similar benefits by taking turmeric or curcumin extract, but Sloan-Kettering reports that human trials in 2008 did not support turmeric as a potential preventative or treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.
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