Turmeric comes from curcumin and it is commonly used to add up spice in some of your favorite Asian dishes. Decades ago, curcumin has only been used in food – until people began to take notice of its health benefits. Numerous research studies have been conducted to support curcumin’s health claims. From then on, it has been used to relieve pain and inflammation, treat flatulence, colic, hemorrhage, hematuria (presence of pain in the urine), menstrual difficulties and jaundice.

The modern times have also unraveled a lot more advantages with curcumin consumption – either in the form of spice, or its supplement.  It is said to have antimicrobial, anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Furthermore, curcumin is well-known for its use in liver diseases, gastrointestinal disorder and cardiovascular diseases. Researchers of the United States National Cancer Institute have discussed turmeric’s role in cancer prevention. It is also known to treat colorectal cancer and Candida infections according to a study made at Brazil’s Centro de Engenharias’ Department of Microbiologia.

How Curcumin Can Improve Your Health

Curcumin’s health benefits have been proven by time and tradition – and have been supported and validated by scientific research studies.  Aside from the ones already mentioned, here are more ways on how curcumin can improve your health:

In terms of Cholesterol. Curcumin is helpful in lowering low density lipoprotein (LDL) levels, or the bad form of cholesterol, while increasing the levels of the high density lipoprotein (HDL) or what is often referred to as the good cholesterol. According to the most recent research, it lessens cholesterol by its interference in the uptake of the intestinal cholesterol and increases the conversion rate of cholesterol into becoming bile acids.

In terms of kidney disease. Researchers from India discovered that curcumin can help in the prevention of kidney injury and restore its functioning into normal. It helps in the suppression of the free radicals and also increases the glutathione content in the kidneys.

In terms of Alzheimer’s disease. Curcumin may actually offer hope to patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.  The devastating effects that are associated with the condition are sources of worry and it has been threatening more and more aged people nowadays. According to relevant studies, curcumin can help by offering utmost protection against neurotoxic and genotoxic agents. Due to its efficacy and apparent level of low toxicity, the component of this Indian spice can bring hope to the prevention of this disease. This is according to a study conducted by scientists from UCLA and their colleagues coming from Human Biomolecular Research Institute and UC Riverside, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

In terms of Liver health. A recent study conducted at Saint Louis University revealed that curcumin compounds actually help prevent liver fibrosis damage – a chronic liver condition that eventually leads to complications such as portal hypertension, liver failure and cirrhosis. Results were published in the Endocrinology journal.

On HIV. HIV somehow appears to respond positively with the treatment using Curcumin. It is capable of interfering with the replication of the HIV cycle. But according to many researchers, these are just initial findings yet and a lot more studies needs to be done to further validate curcumin’s role in the treatment of HIV. But such research results normally offer a bright ray of hope for future HIV management and treatment.

In terms of Osteoarthritis. According to a study published in the Alternative Medicine Review from Italy, supplements that contain curcumin, along with soy phospholipids, can help in relieving pain associated with osteoarthritis. It also increases the mobility and function of a patient who suffers from the joint condition. The said research study involved about 100 people inflicted with the painful joint disease known as osteoarthritis. The use of curcumin as a daily supplement was considered as one of the most ambitious attempts in these recent days to analyze and evaluate clearly the benefits that curcumin can do as an anti-inflammatory agent.

As many people grow older, so as the burden of the growing number of those affected with osteoarthritis. About 20 million Americans suffer from this condition and osteoarthritis is ranked as second to ischemic heart disease as the main cause of not being able to work, especially with men who are over 50 years old. Even in other parts of the world, the figures are constantly growing as well.

Understanding What Osteoarthritis Is About

Osteoarthritis is not just a single disease but also the result of a variety of disorders that lead to functional or structural failure of your joints. It can involve the entire joint which also includes the muscles nearby, the bone that is underneath, the ligaments, along with the cover and lining of the joint itself.

Several Ways to Relieve Osteoarthritis Pain Naturally

The pain associated with osteoarthritis is oftentimes crippling and debilitating that movement becomes too difficult and it seriously affects one’s quality of life.  But fret no more – there are natural ways to relieve the pain brought about by osteoarthritis:

• Lose some weight. This is especially true with women according to one study which says considerable weight loss can lessen the risk of osteoarthritis especially in the knee area. Excess weight puts on added pressure to your joints which can further predispose you to more pain.
  
  
• Try to exercise regularly. By including exercise in your regular routine, you will be able to strengthen your muscles and the surrounding structures around your joint. You can just simply start with aerobics and avoid high impact sports activities.
  
  
• Be conscious with your diet.  Do away with foods that are rich in purine since this will only exacerbate your condition.  Instead, focus on getting sufficient amounts of vitamins C and E which are known as effective antioxidants. Vitamins D and E can also be helpful in maintaining strong and healthy bones.
  
  
• Use Heat. You can try enjoying some hot soaks or maybe some warm wax sessions, or commonly known as paraffin applications, to help you reduce the level of pain that you are experiencing.
  
  
• Natural Alternatives. Instead of going for over the counter medicines, you can try settling for other alternatives that are more natural options like curcumin, capsaicin in chili peppers, and bromelain in pineapple. These offers fast and instant relief from osteoarthritis pain.

All these and more are worth trying instead of settling for other medical treatments that can cause you great expense and has the potential for side effects. So you see, you do not have to fall victim to osteoarthritis pain, because you can do something to relieve it.

Sources
nutraingredients.com
curcumin.net
emedicinehealth.com
naturalhealthontheweb.com