The curcuma’s health properties have been used in traditional Eastern medicine for many years. For several dozen years, modern scientists have been conducting numerous studies aimed at confirming the effectiveness of treatment of many civilization diseases with the help of curcumin. The results of these studies are very optimistic.
In old natural medicine systems, turmeric was used, inter alia, to accelerate wound healing, blood purification, treatment of respiratory diseases and parasitic diseases, and for stomach ailments.
Today we know that the active substance contained in the curcumin, which has pro-health properties, is curcumin. In 1970, the first results of research on curcumin were published, which describes the effect of this substance on blood cholesterol levels in rats. Since then, a lot of research has been carried out, which confirmed a number of pro-health properties of curcumin, such as strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial properties.
Treatment of inflammation.
Due to the strong anti-inflammatory action, turmeric can help prevent chronic inflammation, which are now considered to be the cause of many diseases of civilization: heart disease, digestive system diseases, cancer. Turmeric is active at the molecular level, and its effectiveness can be compared with the action of some anti-inflammatory drugs. Another pro-health function of turmeric is its antioxidant effect. Curcumin effectively neutralizes free radicals and increases the activity of other factors that have anti-inflammatory properties.
Treatment of digestive problems.
Turmeric induces an increase in bile secretion and stimulates the secretion of stomach and pancreatic enzymes. Thanks to these properties it can be helpful in digestive problems and in the treatment of liver failure. The anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and curative effect of turmeric is helpful in insufficient secretion of bile, in inflammation of the liver and bile ducts and in cases of gastrointestinal infections. Research results indicate that turmeric can counteract pancreatitis or gastritis, and is helpful in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Treatment of brain diseases.
It is believed that turmeric can accelerate regenerative processes in the brain. The substances contained in turmeric stimulate the multiplication and differentiation of nerve cells of the brain and may help to restore damaged cells after the disease. This fact gives hope for the use of turmeric in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease or during cancer treatment. Research on the use of turmeric in the treatment of cancer is ongoing. It is believed that turmeric inhibits the division of cancer cells and prevents their formation.
The content of healthy substances in turmeric is quite low. Therefore, if you want to fully use the therapeutic properties of this spice, extracts should be used.
