Have you ever heard about turmeric? Maybe it sounds strange for some people. Actually, turmeric is one of herb plant. It is usually found in Southern Asia, such as in India, Indonesia, and some Pacific islands including Hawaii.
Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is well known in India, especially as an ingredient in culinary. Turmeric gives curry beautiful golden yellow color. In U.S., most of people called turmeric as spice which also use as cooking ingredient, the same thing happen in world. Turmeric could inseparable with curcumin, but many people around the world didn’t know what is the difference?
Where does Curcumin Come From?
Curcumin itself comes from turmeric plant especially in the rhizome. Curcumin is a chemical compound within turmeric, belongs to a family of chemicals known as curcuminoids. Curcumin is a substance in turmeric. You can get a curcumin with easy by extracting turmeric. The turmeric extract primarily contains curcumin. (Read: Health benefits of Turmeric and Curcumin).
What the Flavor Turmeric is ?
Just like other herb, turmeric also group of ingredient too. The flavor of turmeric is a mild spice and match if you put it in the dishes. Turmeric usually added in mustard form to relishes some dish. This ingredient is mildly aromatic and has smell more like ginger (Read: . It has bitter flavor and pungent. Turmeric commonly available as mustard, pickle, etc. The most powerful flavor is bitter, spicy, and peppery warm.
What is Curcumin?
Why is it important? Curcumin is one of natural chemical compound which is found in spice turmeric. People sometimes are confused by this two words, turmeric and curcumin. However, the technical difference between those two words is that turmeric is the yellowish component (fresh of powder) used to flavor foods (You may read: Benefits of turmeric) , while curcumin is a chemical contain of turmeric. Curcumin caused turmeric has bright yellow color. The distinctive color of turmeric is a sign about the levels of curcumin is high. Meanwhile, turmeric is good when used as a spice, a curcumin extract is more good choice for health benefits.
Curcumin in Scientific Review
Some studies have shown a result of curcumin effect that elderly villagers in India appear having the lowest Alzheimer rate. Studies have speculated that the anti-inflammatory may be responsible in that case. The journal Oncogene published the result of a research that observed several anti-inflammatory properties which show that curcumin is more effective than aspirin and ibuprofen. Turmeric extract worked as well as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug for treatment of knee osteoarthritis in a research revealed on August 2009 issue of the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.
From the health journal published in 2007, studies have revealed that curcumin has potent anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor stuff. In the same year, small clinical has found some benefit effects of curcumin in curing autoimmune disorders, like type I diabetes, bowel disease, and arthritis. But in the other side, some studies have found conflicting effect, so an additional studies may need to confirm these results. Curcumin has shown potential effect for treat and prevent cancer, and is often used to treat an upset stomach.
By many studies, curcumin proved as one of better anti-inflammatory agent. It means that curcumin also has role as prevent cancer. Diseases today such as cancer can be the result of inflammation. Our body always against chemical messenger almost every day. Our body gets inflammation from intruders so that our body needs autoimmune treatment. That why curcumin is an important thing that we need.
Turmeric Compounds
Turmeric contains many powerful chemical components. This chemical component is a group of compounds called curcuminoids, which include curcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin, and demethoxycurcumin. Turmeric also contains vitamin C which useful for health. Here are the lists of turmeric components:
- Calcium,
- Protein,
- phosphor.
- carbohydrate,
- essential oil, and
- fat.
How does Curcumin Prevent or Treat Cancer?
This powerful component, curcumin, can help for treating cancer. How does it work? Cancer is a terrible condition, characterized with uncontrolled cell grow. Curcumin’s antioxidant actions enable it to protect the colon from radicals that may damage DNA cell. Curcumin helps body to control cells and destroy mutated cancer cells. Also, it works for treating metabolic diseases.
Our body is against by chemical messenger almost every day. Our body gets inflammation from intruders so that our body needs autoimmune treatment. Curcumin does have anticancer effects. This anticancer can treat and prevent cancer. It seems able to vanish cancer cells and inhibit from growing. It has the best effects on skin cancer, stomach cancer, bowel cancer, and breast cancer. The curcumin is believed as properties which has function as anti-inflammatory agent. That is why curcumin can use to treat cancer.
How to Prevent or Treat Cancer Using Curcumin?
- Daily intake. It gives many benefits in daily intake of curcumin. It can use to improving health. Studies in the group of diabetic rats resulted to stabilize blood glucose and reduced levels of triglyceride that consumed curcumin. It also has role in reduce weight gain with daily intake. Most of all, consuming curcumin daily can help for prevent against immune system. And the most important, consuming curcumin with daily intake will keep our body from any diseases.
- Therapy. Curcumin also can be used as therapy. It can help for therapy in forming immune system. Later, it builds immune system that can against free radical and works for destroy colon cancer. This curcumin functions as therapy that usually used by people with Alzheimer or cancer. It can reduce cancer cell from growth. The curcumin therapy can be in any treatment, such as pill, masker, beverage, and etc.
Curcumin as Natural Remedy
Here are the benefits of curcumin for health:
1. Cancer Treatment
Curcumin proved as one of better anti-inflammatory agent. It means that curcumin also has role as prevent cancer. Diseases today such as cancer can be resulted from inflammation. (You can read: the lists of medicinal plants used for cancer treatment).
2. Treat Metabolic Disease
Curcumin is one of compound that found from turmeric. Curcumin in an effective agent to settle metabolic syndrome. Studies reveal that curcumin promoting healthy brain and helping chronic inflammation that related metabolic syndrome. Curcumin also prevent and treat free radical and obesity. Treatment with curcumin increased oxidation and prevent cardiovascular.
3. Anti-inflammatory
Curcumin as turmeric extract known as anti-inflammatory medicine. Studies reveal that curcumin is potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound. Curcumin has ability to safe inflammation and resulted an anti-aging compound.
4. Lung and Liver Disease
Curcumin produce no toxicity, then, it could be used as an anti-inflammatory properties. It provides chemical production in our body. As it works to reduce chemical messenger, it helps for lung and liver diseases.
(Read: Benefits of turmeric for lungs)
5. Antioxidant
Furthermore, curcumin reduce free radical in body that can be caused many diseases. It acts as antioxidant to against the free radical. It helps for caring body health. There are more benefits of curcumin for health below. Â
6. Reduce Weight Gain
Taking curcumin daily gives some benefits. It helps for reduce weight gain. Curcumin has a benefit by helping your weight problem. Increasing your intake is strategy to lose your weight. Curcumin also reduce cholesterol level by mitigating adipose tissue. Curcumin is great to burn and help with weight conditions.
7. Reduce Obesity
It can control fat absorption and reduce fat in body. Curcumin also reduce insulin and helps for reduce obesity. It can help you reduce inflammation related with obesity. (Read: Health risks of obesity)
8. Prevent Cancer
Then, it prevent cancer by it anti-inflammatory agent. Curcumin can aslo be suggested as therapy for increase immune system for some disease such as cancer. Curcumin on turmeric may able to prevent and cure a cancer. Some research on cancer shows that curcumin has efeect in anticancer.
9. Normalize Blood Sugar
Blood sugar imbalances and insulin resistance are high factors that promote conditions of inflammatory in our body. Curcumin can normalize blood sugar. Curcumin also relieves specific activity in the liver enzymes that remove sugar into the bloodstream while activating enzymes that store sugar as glycogen. (Read: Health benefits of glucose)
10. Protecting Eyesight
Curcumin can help in protecting eyesight. Curcumin can decrease glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, multiple retinal diseases, and age related macular body degeneration. Thus, there are many health benefits of curcumin. (Read: Benefits of honey for eyes).
11. Prevent Alzheimer
The most easy treatment for Alzheimer may in your kitchen. Turmeric is natural product that produces curcumin. Curcumin that resulted from turmeric has been revealed to disentangle amyloid-beta that stimulate Alzheimer disease. Additional research shows curcumin inhibits the growth of Alzheimer. Immune system formed by consuming curcumin can help for reduce Alzheimer risk.
12. Improve Health
The most important thing, curcumin can improve health. It gives many benefits by it antioxidant, anti-inflammation, and improving immune system. That why, curcumin become the most essential ingredient for our body.Â
13. Brain Regeneration
Turmeric can use as brain regeneration agent. Turmeric can contribute to regenerate of neurological and damaged brain. That why turmeric often used to treat this condition.
14. Anti-inflammatory
Chemical messenger and inflammation reduce immune system. As it uses as antioxidant, it helps to reduce chemical agent in body that may causing inflammation.
15. Antioxidant
Turmeric can be used as antioxidant for health with curcumin as an agent. Curcumin has role antioxidant that scavenge free radical in the body. Free radical may damages membrane cell.
16. Boos Regeneration of Brain Stem Cells
Turmeric helps for boost brain regeneration system. Turmeric compound plays as anti-inflammatory properties as it contains curcuminoid.
17. Prevent Heart Disease
Others, turmeric also works for prevent heart diseases. Curcumin may reverse the cancer cell from grow. Turmeric roled by protect your heart and fight immune disease. Turmeric believed can open the blocked arteries that may lead to heart attack symptoms. (Read: Symptoms of heart attack in women).
18. Prevent and Treat Cancer
It shows that turmeric can be used to prevent and cure cancer also Alzheimer. Studies shows that curcumin acts inhibit various forms of cancer. Turmeric has promising effect in precaution and prevention in precancerous conditions. Turmeric may say as a remedy and cancer treatment.
19. Arthritis
If you seeking a way to cure an arthritis without drugs or medicine, you may look your kitchen, which is turmeric. The Italian research the effect from arthritis, and the formulation in turmeric resulted to improve body absorption. Other studies said curcumin affected on body improvement, because anti-inflammatory in the curcumin molecules effective to minimize arthritis pain. Furthermore, consuming turmeric can also help for arthritis and against stress.
20. Prevent Aging
Turmeric reduces stress and prevents aging. Anti-aging effect in turmeric may contribute to look younger. Turmeric in an anti-aging agent which help you younger with its compound and healing properties. And not just for delay aging, turmeric has proven to fight chronic diseases. Consume turmeric also help to get healthy aging because its antioxidant. Home treatment with turmeric reduced wrinkles and make supple skin. (Read: Benefits of turmeric for beauty).
21. Diabetes TreatmentsÂ
Last but not least, it helps for diabetes. With no doubt, there is a relation between diabetes and turmeric. The turmeric spice has proven to treat this diabetes. The studies was confirmed that turmeric will stop diabetes. Turmeric can provide an ideal alternative medicine to cure and prevent type 2 diabetes. (Read: Best vegetables for type 2 diabetes)
Curcumin as Supplement
For individuals with chronic inflammatory diseases such as cancer, it is recommended to take curcumin supplement with high dosage. Take one that is made with piperine in an enteric coating that protects the organ from belly acid for maximal absorption. The official dosage currently has not yet been established by the scientific literature. Even though, research that involving human with cancer revealed that daily consume 3.6 grams curcumin dosage or more had the good effect.
In short, turmeric has benefits in health by its compounds. Turmeric compounds curcumin which use as medical help especially in cancer prevent. However, consume turmeric in excessive can cause side effects. That is why turmeric very pricely and need control in consuming curcumin.
How to use turmeric?
You have known about health benefits of turmeric now, then you may want to know about how to use turmeric here:
1. Supplement
Turmeric can be used in some forms. Nowadays, turmeric has been produced as supplement. It is used for dietary agent. Supplement makes us easy to use.
2. Powder
Now, turmeric may be found in powder form. This kind of form usually used as ingredients in foods and beverages. Meanwhile, its bitter and pepper warm taste is usually used in some beverages. It can be an additional in some drink. It helps for warming up body.
3. Beverage
Turmeric is used in food and beverage as its bitter, peppery warm and spicy taste. It increases food and beverage taste. By its spicy taste, turmeric is usually used in many dishes of Indian cuisines such as curry. Turmeric also uses to make tonic made of medicinal herbs.
4. Masker
Moreover, turmeric is also used as masker. This is applied for skin care. Turmeric masker itself can be found in powder form or instant masker. Powder turmeric masker has to be process with water first to make masker liquid. It helps skin by its antioxidant because turmeric compound which are essential oil and vitamin C.Â
Side Effects of Curcumin
There are many health benefits of curcumin, but take a look to these possible side effects too:
- Gastrointestinal. Excessive in consuming curcumin can cause gastrointestinal. The most common gastrointestinal side effects are stomachache, gas, nausea and indigestion. This usually because allergic or does not use to consume curcumin. It makes body condition uncomfortable.
- Gallbladder. Taking a lot of curcumin may increases the production of bile and stimulates the gallbladder. The curcumin in turmeric encourages a gallbladder to make bile increase, and may resulted improve digestion.
- Gallstones. People who have gallstones should not consume curcumin, even curcumin inhibits the form of gallstones. People who may have gallstones or other conditions that dismiss bile passages should not take turmeric before they consult to their doctors.
- Kidney stones. Consuming too much taking turmeric may increasing the risk of kidney stones. Curcumin is fused oxalates that may bind to calcium, which is responsible for all kidney stones. That is why taking excessive curcumin can caused kidney stones.
- Uterus or uterine shed. It also can cause uterine shed. Consume too much curcumin may lead uterine lining become shed. According some studies, lot of curcumin may increase the risk and stimulate the uterus lining shed.
- Nausea. The most common side effect resulted from curcumin is nausea and diarrhea. Excessive amount of curcumin can affect nausea, hypotension, and indigestion. Using curcumin rapidly may experience nausea.
- Hypotension. The hypotension effect of curcumin has been revealed by researchers. Curcumin can lowered blood sugar level when used with over. Taking curcumin rapidly produced transient hypotension.
- Lower blood pressure. People with blood pressure medication may avoid to consuming curcumin because it can lower blood pressure. So, curcumin is right choice therapy for hypertension.
- Alopecia. Sometime curcumin affected on hair loss if used without control. Curcumin in excessive amount can cause alopecia. This extract has responsibility due hair fall.
- Risk of bleeding. Also, curcumin may cause risk of bleeding. Since curcumin slows down the blood clotting, it was not recommended to people who have bleeding disorders. Though, the risk of bleeding is increase when curcumin consumed together along other drugs, like anticoagulant. In this condition, curcumin can cause more effect of bleeding.
After explain its main nutrients, we must learn about its herbal plant “Turmeric”. It’s very popular around the world as spice.  Turmeric has many usages known from ancient era. In parts of Southern India, people use a piece of the turmeric rhizome as an amulet for protection against evil spirits. For centuries, turmeric has also been used as natural color to dye clothing and thread by its vibrant yellow.
Most of all, turmeric is well known as cooking ingredient for many dishes especially in Asia cuisines. Nowadays, turmeric is choosen as one of medical properties. How come? Turmeric compound is powerful. It contains curcuminoids which the useful one is curcumin.