Why you should take Curcumin! - NL-001
It is highly recommended to consume Turmeric for its various benefits.
There is no question that turmeric is a powerful and beneficial spice, with over 800 scientifically proven health benefits. Its long history of being used to help people gain better health has made it a natural enemy of the pharmaceutical industry, since preliminary evidence suggests that turmeric may be just as effective as 14 chemically synthesized drugs, but without the risk of toxicity.
It is important to note that over the last decade, a great deal of research has been dedicated to studying a single element of turmeric: curcumin, which gives the spice its golden colour. As a result, many high-quality products, such as phospholipid-bound curcumin concentrate, have been developed to enhance the absorption and effectiveness of curcumin. However, this approach of isolating a singular "magic bullet ingredient" does not provide the full potential of therapeutic power that turmeric can offer.
It is commonplace in the nutraceutical world to take after the pharmaceutical sector and aim to single out a particular chemical element from the intricate 'forest' of any botanical agent. The idea is to normalize the dose of the claimed 'active ingredient' as if it were a pharmaceutical medication. This extraction and isolation process creates proprietary recipes to set the product apart from the rest and captivate a more significant market portion; a value proposition that only works in favour of the producer and not the consumer/patient.
It is not possible to attribute the healing powers of plants and foods to a single, "magic bullet" element. Quite the contrary, a great number of compounds are orchestrated by Nature to give the plant its healing abilities. This is something that cannot be reduced to any one quantifiable chemical or phytocompound.
A recent study published in Stem Cell Research & Therapy has indicated that the medicinal properties of turmeric cannot be wholly attributed to curcumin. This study suggested that Ar-tumerone, a fat-soluble element found in turmeric, could potentially be beneficial in treating neurological diseases.
German researchers examined the effects of a chemical found in Turmeric known as aromatic-turmerone on neural stem cells (NSCs). Brain repair and self-renewal are dependent on these cells. In vitro, the study showed that aromatic-turmerone (CTB) induced neural stem cell (NSC) proliferation. And in vivo, the study found that CTB stimulated NSC proliferation.
The research revealed that when neurons were exposed to ar-tumerone, there was a proliferation of neural stem cells. Additionally, this proliferation led to greater quantities of mature neurons, indicating a healing effect had occurred. This impact was seen in a living animal test, where rats that had ar-tumerone injected into their brains displayed an upsurge in neural stem cell proliferation and the formation of healthy brain cells.
Utilize Turmeric To Its Full Potential
We are often asked about the best kind of turmeric or curcumin to use. This study suggests the whole plant is more likely to include a greater selection of beneficial compounds than just curcumin by itself. Nonetheless, many people focus on the amount of a particular compound in a dose instead of the quality of the product, such as if it is organic or part of a plant-based food. This overlooks the type of nutritional information the substance holds and thus the "intelligence" it holds.
When it comes to determining the best way to ingest turmeric/curcumin, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. What is recommended should be tailored to the individual taking it, based on specific needs. For example, turmeric can be used to treat irritable bowel syndrome or polyps. In the case of an individual who needs to experience a systemic effect, such as for arthritis or brain cancer, turmeric and black pepper (piperine) combined into a nutritional supplement can overcome the glucuronidation barrier in the liver.
Consuming small amounts in culinary doses, combined with other ingredients that complete the experience on a physical, chemical, and sensory level (and don't forget the pleasure!) is certainly a great idea. Recently, for example, a study showed that consuming culinary doses of rosemary helped with memory, while higher, heroic doses had the opposite effect. The goal is to prevent major health issues from arising. Consuming turmeric in curries or blending a pinch of it into a smoothie could be an excellent daily supplementation method.
Quality is paramount and less can be more!