Curcumin: Health Benefits of This Golden Supplement
Updated Feb. 29th, 2024 | Read Time: 3 Minutes | What You Will Learn:
- Key Health Benefits of Curcumin
- Curcumin's Natural Anti-Inflammatory Health Benefits
- Curcumin, Natural Cholesterol Control
- Brain Health Benefits of Curcumin
- Uncovering Curcumin Supplement Varieties: Formats, Forms & Potency
- Enhancing Curcumin's Bioavailability - Meriva and Longvida
- Final Cautions & Potential Side Effects
One of the leading health benefits of curcumin is its antioxidant properties that combat free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules that cause damage to the body's tissues when they bump into healthy cells. Thus turmeric can be used to stop infections, protect the liver from toxins, fight inflammation and may be helpful in healthy cell growth.
Key Health Benefits of Curcumin
Curcumin's Natural Anti-Inflammatory Health Benefits
The same molecules found in curcumin inhibit inflammation anywhere within the body, thus acting as pain relieving agents, as well. Curcumin has been shown to improve joint mobility and reduce the pain and swelling associated with all forms of arthritis. This activity is equivalent to the effect of some NSAID drugs.
Curcumin, Natural Cholesterol Control
Curcumin also lowers the level of harmful, or LDL, cholesterol and increases the level of helpful, or HDL, cholesterol. It increases circulation and blood flow. All of these properties make curcumin a good choice for individuals with compromised circulation, heart disease and high cholesterol.
Brain Health Benefits of Curcumin
Recently, curcumin has been recognized for its anti-amyloid properties. A key feature of Alzheimer's disease is the development of amyloid plaques in the brain. Beta-amyloid is a normally harmless protein which builds up in the brain as we age. It is thought that some sort of genetic defect in these proteins may be involved in the degree of decline in neuronal activity that occurs in individuals suffering from Alzheimer's. Curcumin, due to its anti-amyloid properties is showing significant results in terms of treatment for these patients, improving overall memory.
Uncovering Curcumin Supplement Varieties: Formats, Forms & Potency
Curcumin can be used as a spice (turmeric), encapsulated herb, dried herb, tincture or liquid extract. Better quality supplements are standardized which is an assurance that the product contains a certain amount of the more well-known active constituents. Curcumin is found as a component of pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory and cholesterol-lowering formulas. It may also be found in topical creams or gels for pain relief.
Enhancing Curcumin's Bioavailability - Meriva and Longvida
Curcumin is a lipophilic or fat-soluble substance. Our ability to effectively absorb curcumin is low. Its ability to reach the bloodstream to have its therapeutic effect has been questioned by those in the health field. Recently, supplement companies have started to change their formulations (liposomal curcumin, curcumin nanoparticles, curcumin phospholipid complexes) all in the name of making the curcumin more readily absorbed, with a significantly higher percentage of curcumin reaching the bloodstream.
Two raw material suppliers to nutritional supplement manufacturers now produce enhanced curcumin extracts bonded to phospholipid complexes, which improve the absorption and activity of Curcumin dramatically, giving better therapeutic results when used in clinical applications such as arthritis, detoxification, and brain health.
Final Cautions & Potential Side Effects
Curcumin contains substances that decrease blood clotting ability therefore those with active bleeding, or individuals who use blood thinners, aspirin or NSAIDs should use caution. For the same reason, stop using curcumin 2 weeks before surgery or dental procedures. Curcumin may alter the effectiveness of some heart and cholesterol medications. Some individuals have found it to irritate the gastrointestinal tract and liver or gallbladder.
I love to cook with turmeric, I didn't know there was also a supplement for it. So many great benefits and great explanation of curcumin.
Hello Harry,
Cooking with Curcumin is a great way to get these added benefits into your meals and it also makes dishes taste great, especially when paired with other flavourful spices. Turmeric is the medicinal form of curcumin that is derived and extracted to make more bioavailable supplements. When paired with black pepper, it also helps increase the absorption rate. Curcumin has many benefits for inflamed muscles and joint health as well as extraordinary antioxidant benefits.
Stay healthy & well!
Thank you for this article. My husband and I have been using curcumin for several months and this has opened our eyes to more benefits of it. We have very few achey joints but have found the curcumin does the job. Just thought we might start taking with a meal. I didn’t realize it is also good for lowering cholesterol and that it’s helpful as a mild blood thinner. (Helpful to know not to recommend it if someone is already on blood thinners). Thank you.
Hello Elizabeth,
Thank you for your comment. Glad you found our article beneficial and useful, it's important to know the contraindications before starting supplements, especially if you're taking other medications. Glad we could provide this information to you.
Have a healthy day!
Curcumin is arguably one of the most powerful natural anti-inflammatories and by large, one of the most thoroughly researched and proven. It is extensively used for all kinds of conditions with an inflammatory component and especially for conditions affecting the joints. Indeed, curcumin has been studied and proven to be more effective at controlling pain and inflammation.
Hello Mary,
Indeed, Curcumin has excellent benefits and is one natural health product that has had quite a bit of research done on it. It's not only great for its anti-inflammatory benefits but is loaded with antioxidant properties too. You can learn what other supplements support joint health in our article here:
https://www.nationalnutrition.ca/articles/health-concerns/joint-health/
Stay healthy & well!
I use this daily to aid blood pressure problems. It works well.
Hello, Sharon,
Thank you for sharing your experience with Curcumin. This nutrient has a lot of health benefits that have been backed of science. You can discover more about Curcumin in this article: https://www.nationalnutrition.ca/articles/research/curcumin-supplements/
Have a healthy day!
Hi, any curcumin in your brand and monster size with Pepperdine added?
Hello Ernestine,
Thank you for your comment and question, we're glad you enjoyed reading about Curcumin. Indeed, when formulated with Piperine (black pepper), it enhances the bioavailability of the curcumin supplement. Here is a supplement that includes pipeline in a larger volume size, https://www.nationalnutrition.ca/naturopathic-labs-clean-curcumin-95-enhanced-triple-extract-450mg-120-vcaps-bonus-item.html
If you have any further questions, please reach out to our customer care team, we're always here to help.
Have a healthy day.