Curcumin, the principal ingredient in turmeric, also known as the ‘Golden Spice’, has long been used in a wide range of applications, such as textile colouring, cosmetics, and nutritional ingredients. Curcumin is especially prominent in medicinal applications, where it has gained a reputation as a ‘wonder remedy’.
In fact, the use of curcumin as an herbal cure has been common for centuries. The Japanese love a cup of curcumin tea. In India, cooks season their curries with the fragrant spice. As traditional claims of curcumin’s benefits have been passed down through generations of Thai and other Asian households, curcumin has become popular with health enthusiasts across the globe. In the West, aficionados mix curcumin powder into their morning cereal or ease their hangovers with a curcumin drink.
Turmeric is one of Thailand’s best known traditional botanical ingredients. With a large body of research confirming its health benefits, the plant has gained even more acclaim in recent years. And an increasing number of researchers back this ‘hero herb’ as a crucial all-natural active ingredient for the treatment and prevention of major diseases. Thanks to their natural and non-intrusive healing properties, curcumin products are highly sought after and the market for the spice continues to grow rapidly, not least since the global coronavirus pandemic started.
A recent study of 15 herbs conducted by Carla Guijarro-Real and the Polytechnic University in Valencia, Spain, established that curcumin, the active ingredient found in turmeric, shows high potential to help control the spread of Covid-19, when tested under laboratory conditions. This study is being used to aid the research and development of further chemical, in vivo and clinical trials for the treatment of Covid-19.
An international pharmaceutical company named MGC Pharma (operating in Europe, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Israel) uses ingredients including turmeric, artemisia annua, and frankincense to develop CimetrA, a new product designed to treat Covid-19. CimetrA is currently undergoing authorised phase-trails and is projected to be launched in 2022.
Benefits of the Golden Spice include:
LIVER NOURISHMENT/DETOXIFICATION
Curcumin offers unique efficacy in detoxification. It can help restore livers that have been exposed to toxins from alcohol and drugs. Curcumin extract is effective in helping to prevent hepatitis. It nourishes the liver and reduces fatty liver disease. Curcumin can also help reduce the severity of hangovers.
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY/IMMUNITY BOOST
Curcumin is a potent anti-inflam-matory agent which supports the reduction and suppression of inflammatory cells in the human body and helps with the treatment of serious conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, metabolic syndrome, and Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, curcumin helps boost the immune system by enhancing the body’s defences against viruses, germs and toxins. Curcumin has proven to be helpful for people with respiratory problems and autoimmune diseases caused by a weak immune system.
ANTIOXIDANT/ANTI-AGEING
Curcumin has antioxidant properties that help prevent and slow damage to cells and scavenge for free radicals, the main contributors to cancer cells, heart disease and ischemic stroke. Curcumin extract helps nourish the body, slows cell degeneration and prevents the body from deteriorating with age. It has significant potential to act as an anti-ageing supplement.
Backed up by scientific literature, curcumin is widely produced in easy-to-use products befitting modern lifestyles such as fresh, powdered curcumin capsules and supplements, as well as a ready-to-drink curcumin beverage which is available in convenience stores at an affordable price. While being free of preservatives, the drink is said to contain nano-particles of concentrated curcumin (a nano equals one-billionth of a metre), offering a particularly easy way to absorb curcumin’s benefits. Drinking yourself to health has never been more convenient.
“Turmeric is one of Thailand’s best known traditional botanical ingredients. With a large body of research confirming its health benefits, the plant has gained even more acclaim in recent years. And an increasing number of researchers back this ‘hero herb’ as a crucial all-natural active ingredient for the treatment and prevention of major diseases.”
Source: www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-turmeric
