Curcumin and Inflammation Inflammation has both an upside and a downside. On the upside is something called “normal inflammatory response.” When the body experiences trauma, infection, or other assaults, the immune system initiates a protective, healing action that involves inflammation. Curcumin health benefits kick in as its antioxidant abilities support the body’s normal inflammatory response and interacts with various biochemicals. On the downside, inflammation is typically associated with pain, discomfort, and other disadvantages. For example, at a symposium held in April 2009, researchers explained that age-related diseases such as cancer, atherosclerosis, metabolic disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, and others are probably caused by low-grade inflammation. Because curcumin has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, it could help fight aging. Curcumin health benefits appear to directly affect major targets, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS, a type of free radical) and certain signaling pathways, which in turn can suppress the pro-inflammatory process involved in aging. (Sikora 2010) A disease frequently associated with inflammation is arthritis. A review from Oregon Health & Science University reported there is “limited evidence” indicating that turmeric and curcumin are beneficial for rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory conditions. The authors of a March 2012 study, however, reported that when they administered curcumin to patients with rheumatoid arthritis, they found “the first evidence for the safety and superiority of curcumin treatment in patients with active RA.” In that study, 45 patients were randomly assigned to take 500 mg curcumin, 50 mg diclofenac sodium, or both curcumin and diclofenac. Although the patients in all three groups showed significant improvement in their Disease Activity Score and in rheumatoid factors, patients in the curcumin group had the highest percentage of improvement. (Chandran 2012) Curcumin health benefits have been demonstrated in people who have familial adenomatous polyposis, inflammatory bowel disease, inflammatory eye diseases, kidney transplantation, and psoriasis
Posted on: Tue, 29 Jul 2014 23:40:27 +0000