10 Proven Health Benefits of Turmeric and Curcumin Kris Gunnars, BSc 

As a nutritional supplement, Turmeric and its most active compound cur curcumin have been  scientifically proven to have health benefits. There are 10 scientifically proven health benefits of  turmeric and curcumin. For one, turmeric contains bioactive compounds with powerful  medicinal properties. Curcumin is a natural anti-inflammatory and can boost brain-derived  neurotropic factor, associated with improved brain function and a lower risk of brain diseases.  Turmeric can also increase the antioxidant capacity of the body and and help prevent and/or treat  cancer. Also, curcumin should lower the risk of heart disease, prevent and treat Alzheimer’s  disease, combat depression, help delay aging and fight age related chronic diseases, and aid with  inflammation in patients with arthritis.  

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of turmeric#TOC_TITLE_HDR_12  

A Review of Curcumin and Its Derivatives as Anticancer Agents

Mhd Anas Tomeh, Roja Hadianamrei, and Xiubo Zhao 

At the head of current research is the quest for less toxic cancer treatments and effective  strategies. Over the past two decades, curcumin has received great applause due to its bio functional properties as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer agent. According to  research, to combat cancer, curcumin induces apoptosis or the death of cells and inhibits  proliferation and disruption of tumors by suppressing a variety of cellular signaling pathways.  Research studies showed that it has the capability to target multiple cancer cell lines of several  different types of cancers: breast, pancreatic, prostate, colorectal, and head and neck; studies  conducted both in vitro and in vivo. However, using curcumin to treat cancer has been limited  due to its low water solubility. Fortunately to overcome these obstacles, structural modifications  and the use of drug delivery systems have been put on the table as different approaches. There is  lack of clinical studies to determine the safety and effectiveness of curcumin; however, there  have been many proven beneficial effects of curcumin, and there is still room to improve the  delivery systems to result in higher efficacy and less adverse effects.  

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6429287/

A Review on Antibacterial, Antiviral, and Antifungal  Activity of Curcumin  

Mhd Anas Tomeh, Roja Hadianamrei, and Xiubo Zhao 

 Curcumin’s traditional uses and low side effects have been subjected to a variety of  antimicrobial activities. More than 65 clinical trails have been conducted on curcumin and there  are still more coming in the future. It has been reported that it fights against different bacteria,  viruses, fungi, and parasites. Curcumin is a good candidate to enhance the inhibitory effect of  existing antimicrobial agents. Research suggested it has antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and  antimalarial properties. For the purpose of using curcumin to treat bacteria, studies have proved  the most promising results for combating Heilcobacter pylori or digestive, ulcer-causing germs  and to decrease the symptoms of gastritis. Curcumin can be used as an antiviral drug to develop  new natural sourced antivirals to fight against sensitive viruses by using different cur cumin  derivatives. Studies on the anti fungal effects of curcumin showed its most powerful effect was  discovered against Candida species and Paracoccidioides brasiliensis or a dimorphic fungi. No  real clinical studies have been reported in the terms the various biological activities of curcumin,  but clinical trails are still undergoing for diseases such as pancreatic and colon cancers,  Alzheimer, psoriasis, multiple myeloma, and myelodysplastic syndromes.  

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4022204/

Curcumin: A Review of Its’ Effects on Human Health Susan J. Hewlings and Douglas S. Kalman  

 Turmeric, a spice recognized for its medicinal properties, helps in the management of  inflammatory and oxidative conditions, arthritis, anxiety, metabolic syndrome, hyperlipidemia  and exercise-induced inflammation and muscle soreness. The supplementation of it can even  benefit people with no medical condition or diagnoses due to its antioxidant and anti inflammatory effects. However, because of the compound’s poor bioavailability, ingesting  curcumin by itself does lead to the linked health benefits. When combined with enhancing  agents, curcumin can provide a variety of health benefits. To improve its bioavailability, several  agents have been examined, most of them developed to block the metabolic pathways of  curcumin. This compound has been proven to improve systemic markers of oxidative stress, and  there is evidence that it can increase serum activities of antioxidants. It has been reported to aid  in inflammation against a variety of chronic diseases and conditions. Further study into the effect  curcumin has on healthy people is required.  

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5664031/

Curcumin, Inflammation, and Chronic Diseases: How Are They Linked?

Yan He, Yuan Yue, Xi Zheng, Kun Zhang, Shaohua Chen, and Zhiyun Du 

 Curcumin, extracted from turmeric, demonstrates strong anti-inflammatory and anti oxidative properties when used as a remedy for the treatment and prevention of chronic diseases.  Because data indicates that chronic inflammation, oxidative stress and other diseases are closely  associated, these properties found can play a vital role in the prevention and treatment of chronic  inflammation diseases. Curcumin is a highly pleiotropic molecule interacting with a variety of  inflammatory molecular targets. Clinical studies, in vitro, and in vivo studies, suggested that this  compound may have promising agents in many diseases including arthritis, inflammatory bowel  disease, chronic anterior uveitis, pancreatitis, and cancers. Studies showed that curcumin inhibits  the growth of cells by releasing active free thiol group within the target site. There is still more  research to be studied on curcumin and its therapeutic benefits.  

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6272784/

Curcumin, the golden nutraceutical: multi-targeting for multiple chronic diseases

Ajaikumar B Kunnumakkara, Devivasha Bordoloi, Ganesan Padmavathi, Javadi  Monisha, Nand Kishor Roy, Sahdeo Prasad, and Bharat B Aggarwal 

 A number of studies have suggested that curcumin is a highly effective antimicrobial  agent and has been shown to be active against numerous chronic diseases such as diabetes,  cardiovascular, obesity, pulmonary, neurological and autoimmune diseases, along with a variety  of different cancers. Throughout the years, there are have been more than 100 different in vitro,  in vivo, and clinical trials which report curcumin safety, effectiveness, and tolerability against  such chronic diseases and cancers. Curcumin has also demonstrated synergism with several other  nutraceuticals; and unlike other pharmaceutical drugs, it regulates multiple targets that affect  different diseases. Because of the compound’s low bioavailability, various strategies were tested  to improve its therapeutic efficacy including the development of curcumin formulations and  analogues: nanoparticles, liposomes, adjuvants, micelles, and phospholipid complexes. More  thorough tests are required to evaluate the effectiveness of these new formulations.  

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5429333/

Immune-stimulatory and anti-inflammatory activities  of Curcuma longa extract and its polysaccharide  fraction 

Chinampudur V. Chandrasekaran, Kannan Sundarajan, Jothie R. Edwin, Giligar M.  Gururaja, Deepak Mundkinajeddu, and Amit Agarwal 

This study focuses on the investigation of immune-stimulatory and anti-inflammatory  activities of watery solution based extract of Curcuma longa or curcumin and its fractions in  absence and presence of mitogens. The study determined the effects Curcuma longa on  proliferation, nitric oxide, monocyte chemotactic protein-1, interleukins and prostaglandin levels  of mouse splenoctyes and macrophage cells. The experiment showed that Curcuma longa  revealed potent in vitro immune stimulatory activity by macrophage activation, cytokine release,  and splenocytes proliferation. It concluded that curcuma longa and polysaccharide fraction  proved notable anti-inflammatory properties through the down regulation of prostaglandin and  interleukin secretion. The data presented suggests that polysaccharides of Curcuma longa  contribute to the anti-inflammatory and immune stimulatory properties of C. longa.  

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3685767/

The Multifaceted Role of Curcumin in Cancer  Prevention and Treatment 

Muthu K. Shanmugam, Grishma Rane, Madhu Mathi Kanchi, Frank Arfuso,Arunachalam  Chinnathambi, M. E. Zayed, Sulaiman Ali Alharbi, Benny K. H. Tan, Alan Prem Kumar,  and Gautam Sethi 

Most anti-cancer drugs show severe adverse effects, limited efficacy, and can be  extremely costly; therefore, the identification of mostly beneficial pharmacological agents is  required. Curcumin is one agent that has been studied multiple times over because of its  incredibly potential anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory effects. It has been reported that this  compound can suppress progression, metastasis, and initiation of multiple types of tumors. It can  overturn proliferation of cancer cells through arresting at different phases of the cell cycle or  inducing their apoptosis. The method through which chronic inflammation boosts cancer  initiation and progression is by increased production of pro-inflammatory mediators. In  conclusion, multiple clinical trials of curcumin have proved the inhibitory effects cancers of the  digestive, urinary, reproductive, pulmonary, lymphatic and immune, nervous, skeletal systems,  and of the skin. 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6272781/

Turmeric Health Benefits, Uses, Side Effects, Dosage, and Interactions 

Turmeric, also known as curcuma, is a spice that is commonly used in food or for  medical purposes. This compound is used for heartburn, arthritis, stomach pain, joints pain,  ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, skin inflammation from radiation treatment, irritable bowel  syndrome, headaches, depression, colds, autoimmune diseases, infected wounds, and many  more. Research suggests that is possibly effective to treat high cholesterol in obese people,  osteoarthritis pain, itching in people with long-term kidney disease. Although there are many  potential benefits of turmeric for the human body, there is some insufficient to rate the efficacy  for eye inflammation, colorectal cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, bypass surgery, gum disease, joint  pain, acne, gum disease, stomach ulcers, and several more others. According to researchers,  turmeric is most likely safe ingesting and applying it to the skin for up to eight months. It does  not cause notable adverse affects, but there are some including some people may experience  nausea, dizziness, diarrhea, and an upset stomach.  

https://www.rxlist.com/turmeric/supplements.htm

Turmeric and Curcumin Benefits: Can This Herb  Really Combat Disease? 

Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DMN, CNS 

 It is argued that turmeric is one of, if the not most, powerful herb on earth at combating  and preventing disease. The nutrition benefits include that is low in calories, carbohydrates, fat  and contains iron, manganese, potassium, vitamin C, magnesium, vitamin B6, protein, and fiber.  Doctors have used turmeric in a variety of different ways because of the health benefits: may  prevent or slow blood clots; reduce depression symptoms; fight inflammation; outperform the  common arthritis drugs; improve skin health; treat or prevent different cancers; manage diabetes;  fight obesity; regulate cholesterol; manage inflammatory bowel disease; lower cholesterol; help  in detoxification; work as a natural pain reliever; improve joint health; and boost muscle  recovery. Turmeric is used in a number of food recipes, as a supplement, and an essential oil. If  too much of turmeric is taken, it has been reported to cause side effects such as diarrhea, nausea,  hypotension, hyperactive gallbladder contractions, uterine contractions in pregnant women.  increased liver function tests, increased risk of bleeding, and an increase in menstrual flow.  

https://draxe.com/nutrition/turmeric-curcumin-benefits/

Role of Curcumin in Disease Prevention and Treatment

Arshad Husain Rahmani,1 Mohammed A. Alsahli,1 Salah M. Aly,4 Masood A.  Khan,2 and Yousef H. Aldebasi3 

 Traditional medicine treatment is very common in developing countries relatively  low cost. Several forms of therapeutic plant-based preparations in various doses have  now been widely recognized in disease prevention and treatment. The aim of this review  article is to collect information primarily on pharmacological activities. Since prehistoric  times, remedies based on plants and their constituents have been very common in health  management. Medicinal plants have been shown to have beneficial effects in disease  control by regulation of various biological activities in numerous studies based on animal  models and clinical trials. Curcumin plays a critical role in the prevention of diseases by  modulating biological processes. Curcumin’s anticancer properties are due to its  antioxidant properties, which regulate DNA damage and free radical-mediated lipid  peroxidation. Curcumin’s health-promoting properties are well-known, and it has been  used in traditional medicine since ancient times. To improve the effectiveness, safety, and  mode of action of curcumin in disease prevention and management, more thorough  research focused on animal models and clinical trials are required. 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5852989/

Using Curcumin to Turn the Innate Immune System against Cancer

Sumit Mukherjee , Juliet N E Baidoo , Angela Fried , Probal Banerjee 

 Curcumin has been the subject of extensive study and heated discussion over the  last decade. Many curcumin-based medicines are now being marketed to treat different  types of arthritis, thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties. Furthermore, clinical trials  using free curcumin as an anticancer agent revealed little improvement over placebo  groups a decade ago. This article will discuss several aspects of immunotherapy and  advocate for the use of innate immune cells in cancer treatment.  

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31987852/

“Spicing up” of the Immune System by Curcumin

Ganesh Chandra Jagetia 1 , Bharat B Aggarwal 

 Curcumin is a yellow-orange portion of turmeric, a spice commonly contained in  curry powder. Curcumin, which has long been known for its anti-inflammatory  properties, has recently been discovered to be a potent immunomodulatory agent capable  of controlling the activation of T cells, B cells, macrophages, neutrophils, natural killer  cells, and dendritic cells. These results suggest that curcumin should be tested further as a  treatment for immune disorders. 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17211725/

Nigella sativa L. (Black Cumin): A Promising Natural Remedy for Wide Range of Illnesses.

Ebrahim M Yimer , Kald Beshir Tuem , Aman Karim , Najeeb Ur Rehman , Farooq Anwar  

 For decades, the seed of Nigella sativa has been used to treat a variety of animal  and human ailments in various civilizations around the world. Despite the limited studies  conducted thus far, N. sativa’s promising efficacy against HIV/AIDS can be explored as  an alternative treatment solution for the pandemic disease once its full therapeutic  efficacy is established. Plants have long been used as a foundation for traditional  treatments, and they also serve as sources of modern medicines. The production of new  medications from natural sources is also encouraged as only about 15% of the world’s  300,000 herbal species have been tested for their pharmacological potential. Among the  various active constituents recorded thus far, the most bioactive compound is  thymoquinone, which is found as a major component of the essential oil and has a wide  range of therapeutic benefits. 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6535880/

Therapeutic effects of curcumin in inflammatory and immune-mediated diseases: A nature-made-of all trades?

Elham Abdollahi , Amir Abbas Momtazi , Thomas P  

Johnston and , Amirhossein Sahebkar 

Curcumin is a dietary polyphenol derived from turmeric that has a wide range of  pharmacological properties. Curcumin has been shown in new animal and human studies to  affect a variety of immune cells, including T lymphocyte subsets, macrophages, dendritic cells, B  lymphocytes, and natural killer cells, resulting in a reduction in the incidence of various diseases  with immunological etiologies 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28059453/

Anti-infective Properties of the Golden Spice Curcumin

Dimas Praditya, Lisa Kirchhoff , Janina Brüning , Heni Rachmawati , Joerg  Steinmann , Eike Steinmann 

 One of the most significant problems of natural product research is finding new anti infectives, as diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, and fungi are affecting human civilization all  over the world. Natural compounds provide a constant stream of new anti-infectives. Curcumin,  as a result, has been used in Asian herbal medicine for decades to cure a variety of diseases.  Ailments caused by pathogenic viruses and microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi are  known as infectious diseases. Infections may be transmitted directly from one person to another,  or indirectly by infected water and food. Small local outbreaks and epidemics, such as the  plague, syphilis, and SARS, or pandemics involving many countries, such as the flu, are possible  outcomes. Antivirals, which fight virus infections, antibiotics, which battle bacterial infections,  and anti-fungals, which stop fungi from growing, are the three medications currently available.  Natural products or derivatives closely related to them accounted for 49 percent of all small  molecules authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) between 1940 and 2014.  (Newman and Cragg, 2016). 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6509173/