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Turmeric Extract, Curcumin
  Curcumin
 Recommended for…
 Conditions prevented by it
 


Curcumin's documented choleretic effects support its historical use in the treatment of liver and gallbladder disorders. Source


Curcumin is the yellow pigment of turmeric.

Function; Reasons For Use
Curcumin is believed to be converted to a bile production stimulating compound, perhaps caffeic acid.

Curcumin's protective effects on the liver are similar to those of Milk Thistle (silymarin) and Artichoke Leaf Extract (cynarin).

Like cynara extracts, curcumin has also been shown to lower cholesterol levels.





Turmeric Extract, Curcumin can help with the following:
Circulation  Poor/Slow Wound Healing
 Curcumin is an extract of the spice turmeric, known to have antioxidant properties and other health benefits. In Indian medicine, curcumin is used to reduce inflammation and treat wounds and skin ulcers. Topical application of curcumin encourages wound remodeling via effects on transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-b). It also improves reepitheliazation (new skin formation) and migration of cells such as myofibroblasts, fibroblasts, and macrophages, necessary for healing at the wound site.

Inflammation

  Chronic Inflammation
 Curcumin comes from the spice turmeric. The rhizome of this plant has been traditionally used as an antiinflammatory agent in Ayurvedic medicine. Curcumin appears to reduce proinflammatory leukotriene synthesis and also promotes the breakdown of fibrin. In a double-blinded trial, patients receiving 1,200mg of curcumin per day experienced reductions in stiffness and joint swelling comparable to the effects of phenylbutazone, a potent antiinflammatory drug. Curcumin has also reduced inflammation in surgical patients.

Musculo-Skeletal

  Rheumatoid Arthritis
 Clinical studies have substantiated curcumin anti-inflammatory effects, including a significant beneficial effect in Rheumatoid Arthritis. In one study, curcumin was compared to phenylbutazone, a very potent NSAID that has fallen out of favor because of frequent side effects. The improvements in the duration of morning stiffness, walking time, and joint swelling were comparable in both groups.

Organ Health

  Gallbladder Disease
  Hepatitis

Turmeric Extract, Curcumin can help prevent the following:
Circulation  Stroke
 Reduces platelet aggregation


KEY
May do some good
Likely to help


GLOSSARY

Anti-inflammatory (Antiinflammatory)
Reducing inflammation by acting on body mechanisms, without directly acting on the cause of inflammation, e.g., glucocorticoids, aspirin.

Antioxidant (Antioxidants)
A chemical compound that slows or prevents oxygen from reacting with other compounds. Some antioxidants have been shown to have cancer-protecting potential because they neutralize free radicals. Examples include vitamins C and E, beta carotene, the minerals selenium and germanium, superoxide dismutase (SOD), coenzyme Q10, catalase, and some amino acids.

Ayurvedic (Ayurveda)
Type of alternative medicine in which diet and therapies, such as herbal inhalation and massage, are dictated by individual's body type; 4,000 year-old traditional Indian system believed to be helpful to those suffering insomnia, hypertension and digestive problems.

Bile
A bitter, yellow-green secretion of the liver. Bile is stored in the gallbladder and is released when fat enters the first part of the small intestine (duodenum) in order to aid digestion.

Choleretic
Agent stimulating the liver to increase bile production.

Cholesterol
A waxy, fat-like substance manufactured in the liver and found in all tissues, it facilitates the transport and absorption of fatty acids. In foods, only animal products contain cholesterol. An excess of cholesterol in the bloodstream can contribute to the development of atherosclerosis.

Fibroblast (Fibroblasts)
Any cell or corpuscle from which connective tissue is developed. Fibroblasts produce collagen and elastin.

Gallbladder (Gall Bladder)
A small, digestive organ positioned under the liver, which concentrates and stores bile. Problems with the gallbladder often lead to gallbladder attacks, which usually occur after a fatty meal and at night. The following are the most common symptoms: steady, severe pain in the middle-upper abdomen or below the ribs on the right; pain in the back between the shoulder blades; pain under the right shoulder; nausea; vomiting; fever; chills; jaundice; abdominal bloating; intolerance of fatty foods; belching or gas; indigestion.

Liver (Hepatic)
The largest and one of the most complex organs of the body, the liver is responsible for much of the metabolism of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. It is the site of much of the body's detoxification. It is connected very closely with digestion and the regulation of blood sugar, among many other functions. Found behind the ribs on the right side of the abdomen, it has many important functions such as removing harmful material from the blood, making enzymes and bile that help digest food, and converting food into substances needed for life and growth. Hepatic: Pertaining to the liver.

Macrophage (Macrophages)
An immune system cell that scavenges bacterial and other foreign material in the blood and tissues. It is a mature form of what is released from the marrow as a monocyte. A macrophage lives long, can digest much detritus, and is able to wear particles of odd food on its outer membrane. This allows T-cell and B-cell lymphocytes to taste the particle (an epitope) and form an antibody response. Further, these macrophages, traveling as monocytes, will take up permanent residence in many tissues, providing them with immunity. They line the spleen, form the cleansing Kupffer cells in the liver, make up the "dust cells" that protect the lungs, protect the synovial fluids of the joints, and form the microglial cells that provide protection to the brain and nerve tissues. Essentially the macrophages clean up messes and act as the intermediates between innate and acquired immunity.

Milligram (mg, Milligrams)
0.001 or a thousandth of a gram.

NSAID (NSAIDs)
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug.

Platelet Aggregation
Platelets are the small, rather uniform fragments of large bone marrow cells that aid the blood in coagulation, hemostasis, inflammation, and thrombus formation. Mild subclotting and sticking is a common early condition that can lead to thrombosis, atherosclerosis, and strokes, and can be helped by an aspirin a day, better fat digestion, and Ceanothus.

Rheumatoid Arthritis
A long-term, destructive connective tissue disease that results from the body rejecting its own tissue cells (autoimmune reaction).

Topical
Most commonly 'topical application': Administration to the skin.

Ulcer (Ulceration, Ulcers)
Lesion on the skin or mucous membrane.




Last updated: Jun 08, 2008


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