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The Connection between Curcumin, Turmeric and Inflammation

Introduction

Turmeric is a magical recipe ingredient that is predominantly used in almost every Indian North Indian Curry. It works as a spice and a natural food colour that adds its unique flavour and yellow colour to any dish. There are plentiful health benefits of using turmeric in food regularly. You may call Turmeric as Superfood due to its incredible properties. Its main active ingredient is curcumin.

Origin of Turmeric and its Importance

Due to its yellow colour, it is also called sometimes ‘Indian saffron. Additionally, it is widely used in traditional medicines due to its substantial health benefits.’In this article, we will have a look over the key benefits of turmeric and curcumin and their major differences.

Turmericis derived from the root of a flowering plant named Cucurcumawhich belongs to the ginger family. Indians use turmeric for various medicinal purposes like skin problems, digestive ailments, metabolic syndrome, aches and pains etc. It plays a key role in making various Ayurveda medicines.

Among the several plant substances that turmeric bears, curcuminoids possess the greatest health benefits. Among all curcuminoids, curcumin is the most active and extremely beneficial ingredient. This crucial element of turmeric is known for its anti-inflammatory, anti-tumour and antioxidant effects.

Shared Benefits of Turmeric and Curcumin

Turmeric as a whole and curcumin possess several health benefits that are in common-

  • Osteoarthritis- Plant compounds found in turmeric containing curcumin possess the ability to prevent indicators of inflammation and thus help in preventing osteoarthritis.
  • Diabetes-Turmeric and curcuminhelp in managing your blood sugar effectively and diminishes the effects of diabetes.
  • Obesity- Turmeric and curcuminrestrict the inflammatory process that occurs during obesity and thus help in reducing body fat.
  • Antifungal Properties Turmeric and curcumin, both can interrupt the fungal membranes and thus are used in combination with fungal medications to get better results.
  • Antibacterial Properties-Turmeric and curcumin possess strong antibacterial effects. These both have strong tendencies to reduce various bacterias causing diseases.
  • Liver- Turmeric along with curcumin helps in protecting the liver from chronic damage by lessening oxidative stress.
  • Cancer-It has been found in studies that turmeric and curcumin help to reduce colonial activity and other cancerous cells.
  • Heart Diseases-Turmeric and curcumin have the potential to reduce bad cholesterol and triglycerides, thus reducing the heart-related risks.

Health Benefits of Turmeric Not Available in Curcumin

Turmeric has huge importance in the world of medicines, especially in Ayurveda. Medical experts have rendered it as an immunity booster substance. It is also good for arthritis and protecting your brain. Turmeric possesses numerous plant compounds that support your body in different ways. It has been found in the studies that all eight compounds found in turmeric play a vital role in preventing fungal growth in the human body. Curdione found in turmeric provides the best inhibitory consequence. Thus, its combination with seven other compounds provides fungal growth inhibition in a better way.

Curcumin alone has a great inhibition effect for fungal growth but taking turmeric instead can provide a lot better results. Studies have also revealed that turmeric is best for preventing the growth of tumour cells as compared to taking curcumin alone.

Benefits of Taking CurcuminSeparately in Special Conditions

As curcumin is the most active component of turmeric known for its incredible benefits, studies have also shown that it can work on its own when taken in isolation. It has very robustantioxidant effects. It has also been found effective in wound healing through its amazing anti-bacterial effects.  It shows its amazing anti-inflammatory effects by suppressing many pro-inflammatory cytokines.

It was also found in studies that curcumin was better at reducing diabetes symptoms as compared to turmeric.

Final Words

Turmeric is a magical spice that plays an incredible role in treating various medical issues such as inflammation, digestive issues and bacterial infections etc. With its active ingredient named curcumin, it exhibits effective antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Both curcumin and turmeric play an essential role in treating joint inflammation, cholesterol, tumour cells, blood sugar levels, and fungal as well as bacterial growth. Taking turmeric supplement along with black pepper helps in the better absorption of curcumin.