Turmeric

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Hello everyone!!! I wanted to write this post because this plant has been amazing on me.
Turmeric or Curcuma, as we called around here, is a very well know condiment and ingredient in curry.

I started to take it in capsule form like 3 months ago, after lunch and after another meal. I didn't self-medicate, I went to a Oriental and occidental doctor called Sacha Barrios who has seen my mom, sister, cousin and aunt as patients, all where very happy with his work and take on health.
He has studied medicine in Europe and China, and has written two books on healthy foods and unhealthy ones too.
I went to his consult because my health was very bad, I have gained a lot of weight and I was suffering from sleeplessness and high cholesterol and depression, he said my blood was like gelatin
So, he prescribed me with an recipe for Chinese roots and weird stuff, organic coca flour, cod liver fish oil, and Turmeric!! or Curcuma in capsule form.
The bottle of Curcuma capsules I bought(100% Haridra Churna) said on the description "source of antioxidants" "hepaprotector" "helps reduce cholesterol and triglycerides" and "removes toxins from the bowel"
And here are the health benefits according to Wikipedia:

Turmeric has been used historically as a component of Indian Ayurvedic medicine since 1900 BC to treat a wide variety of ailments.[7] Research in the latter half of the 20th century has identified curcumin as responsible for most of the biological activity of turmeric.[7] In vitro and animal studies have suggested a wide range of potential therapeutic or preventive effects associated with curcumin. At present, these effects have not been confirmed in humans. However, as of 2008, numerous clinical trials in humans were underway, studying the effect of curcumin on various diseases including multiple myeloma, pancreatic cancer, myelodysplastic syndromes, colon cancer, psoriasis, and Alzheimer's disease.[8]

In vitro and animal studies have suggested that curcumin may have antitumor,[9][10] antioxidant, antiarthritic, anti-amyloid, anti-ischemic,[11] and anti-inflammatory properties.[12] Anti-inflammatory properties may be due to inhibition of eicosanoid biosynthesis.[13] In addition it may be effective in treating malaria, prevention of cervical cancer, and may interfere with the replication of the HIV virus.[14] In HIV, it appears to act by interfering with P300/CREB-binding protein (CBP). It is also hepatoprotective.[15] A 2008 study at Michigan State University showed that low concentrations of curcumin interfere with Herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) replication.[16] The same study showed that curcumin inhibited the recruitment of RNA polymerase II to viral DNA, thus inhibiting the transcription of the viral DNA.[16] This effect was shown to be independent of effect on histone acetyltransferase activities of p300/CBP.[16] A previous (1999) study performed at University of Cincinnati indicated that curcumin is significantly associated with protection from infection by HSV-2 in animal models of intravaginal infections.[17]

Curcumin acts as a free radical scavenger and antioxidant, inhibiting lipid peroxidation[18] and oxidative DNA damage. Curcuminoids induce glutathione S-transferase and are potent inhibitors of cytochrome P450.

A 2004 UCLA-Veterans Affairs study involving genetically altered mice suggests that curcumin might inhibit the accumulation of destructive beta-amyloid in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients and also break up existing plaques associated with the disease.[19]

There is also circumstantial evidence that curcumin improves mental functions; a survey of 1010 Asian people who ate yellow curry and were between the ages of 60 and 93 showed that those who ate the sauce "once every six months" or more had higher MMSE results than those who did not.[20] From a scientific standpoint, though, this does not show whether the curry caused it, or people who had healthy habits also tended to eat the curry, or some completely different relationship.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that curcumin, amongst only a few other things such as high impact exercise, learning, bright light, and antidepressant usage, has a positive effect on neurogenesis in the hippocampus and concentrations of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), reductions in both of which are associated with stress, depression, and anxiety.[21][22][23]

Curcumin has also been demonstrated to be a selective monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) of type MAO-A.

In 2009 an Iranian group demonstrated the combination effect of curcumin with 24 antibiotics against Staphylococcus aureus.It is showed that in the presence of sub-inhibitory concentration of curcumin the antibacterial activities of cefixime, cefotaxime, vancomycin and tetracycline have been increased against test strain. Increase in inhibition zone surface area for these antibiotics were 52.6% (cefixime), 24.9% (cephotaxime), 26.5% (vancomycin ), 24.4% (tetracycline). Also it is showed that curcumin has the antagonist effect on the antibacterial effect of Nalidixic acid against test strain.[24]

Although many pre-clinical studies suggest that curcumin may be useful for the prevention and treatment of several diseases, the effectiveness of curcumin has not yet been demonstrated in randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trials.[25]
[edit] Anticarcinogenic effects

Its potential anticancer effects stem from its ability to induce apoptosis in cancer cells without cytotoxic effects on healthy cells. Curcumin can interfere with the activity of the transcription factor NF-κB, which has been linked to a number of inflammatory diseases such as cancer.[26]

A 2009 study suggests that curcumin may inhibit mTOR complex I via a novel mechanism.[27]

Another 2009 study on curcumin effects on cancer states that curcumin "modulates growth of tumor cells through regulation of multiple cell signaling pathways including cell proliferation pathway (cyclin D1, c-myc), cell survival pathway (Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, cFLIP, XIAP, c-IAP1), caspase activation pathway (caspase-8, 3, 9), tumor suppressor pathway (p53, p21) death receptor pathway (DR4, DR5), mitochondrial pathways, and protein kinase pathway (JNK, Akt, and AMPK)".[28]

A 2010 study in malignant brain tumors showed that curcumin effectively inhibits tumor cell proliferation as well as migration and invasion, and that these effects may be mediated through interference with the STAT3 signaling pathway.[29]

When 0.2% curcumin is added to diet given to rats or mice previously given a carcinogen, it significantly reduces colon carcinogenesis.[30]

Curcumin has recently been shown to have phyto-estrogenic activity that might contribute to anti-breast cancer activity.[31] In the murine model of breast cancer metastasis, Curcumin inhibits the formation of lung metastases [32] probably through the NF-kappa-B dependent regulation of pro-tumorigenic inflammatory cytokines.[33]

Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turmeric#Preliminary_medical_research
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curcumin

The results after taking it from 3 months are amazing, I feel with more energy and my digestion is great, I haven't suffer from constipation in weeks! Also my skin looks glowing but I think that's also because of the fish oil. This product has also help me with colon irritation and cope better with high fat meals. And surprisingly enough ,I have sporadic asthma, and I haven't had any attack since taking it, the doctor said it would help me reduce the high amount of phlegm in my body. So this supplement can also help with breathing problems, I think is an amazingly healthfull plant that more people should know about, even though its so popular...

I really hope this was helpful to someone!!!

EDU