Tumeric

Tumeric is an highly effective anti inflammatory, treating digestive, liver and skin problems. This health supplement is a powerful antioxidant and mops up free radicals reducing their damage to the body while at the same time aiding recovery.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) has been used for 4,000 years to treat a variety of ailments. Studies show that Turmeric may help treat a number of illnesses, as well as fighting infections and some cancers, reducing inflammation, and treating digestive problems. Turmeric is widely used as a food coloring and gives Indian curry its distinctive flavor and yellow color. It is also used in mustard and to color butter and cheese. Turmeric has been used in both Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine as an anti-inflammatory, to treat digestive and liver problems, skin diseases, and wounds. Tumeric or Curcumin is also a powerful antioxidant; antioxidants scavenge particles in the body known as free radicals, which damage cell membranes, tamper with DNA, and even cause cell death. Antioxidants can neutralize free radicals and may reduce or even help prevent some of the damage they cause. In addition, curcumin reduces inflammation by lowering levels of two inflammatory enzymes (called COX-2 and LOX) in the body and stops platelets from clumping together to form blood clots.

Research suggests that Turmeric may be helpful for the following conditions:

All spices promote a nutrient-dense overall sense of wellbeing, with antioxidants more powerful than some fruits and veggies. But Turmeric tops them all. Just a few reasons to take Turmeric every day.

Turmeric

• Helps you burn calories naturally
• Supports healthy joint movement and flexibility
• Promotes radiant skin
• Assists a healthy neurological response to stress
• Supports healthy blood and liver functions
• Is a natural anti-inflammatory

And much more... So protect yourself from free radical damage and put the brakes on your aging process. Turmeric has been used in the Indian culture for thousands of years for a multitude of health-promoting reasons and is a traditional ingredient in Ayurvedic medicine.

Indigestion or Dyspepsia
Curcumin stimulates the gallbladder to produce bile, which some people think may help improve digestion. In Germany, the German Commission E, an authoritative body that determines which herbs can be safely prescribed in that country, has approved turmeric for a variety of digestive disorders. And at least one double-blind, placebo-controlled study showed that turmeric reduced symptoms of bloating and gas in people suffering from indigestion.

Ulcerative colitis
Turmeric may help maintain remission in people with ulcerative colitis. In one double-blind, placebo-controlled study, people whose ulcerative colitis was in remission received either curcumin or placebo, along with conventional medical treatment, for 6 months. Those who took curcumin had a relapse rate that was much lower than those who took placebo.

Stomach Ulcers
Turmeric does not appear to be helpful in treating stomach ulcers, and there is some evidence that it may increase the amount of acid in the stomach, making existing ulcers worse.

Osteoarthritis
Because of its ability to reduce inflammation, turmeric may help relieve the symptoms of osteoarthritis. A study of people using an Ayurvedic formula of herbs and minerals containing turmeric, as well as Withinia somnifera (winter cherry), Boswellia serrata (Boswellia), and zinc, significantly reduced pain and disability. While encouraging for the value of this Ayurvedic combination therapy to help with osteoarthritis, it is difficult to know how much of this success is from turmeric alone, one of the other individual herbs, or the combination of herbs working in tandem.

Atherosclerosis
Early studies suggest that turmeric may help prevent atherosclerosis (the buildup of plaque that can block arteries and lead to heart attack or stroke) in one of two ways. First, in animal studies an extract of turmeric lowered cholesterol levels and kept LDL or "bad" cholesterol from building up in blood vessels, a process that helps form plaque. Because it stops platelets from clumping together, turmeric may also prevent blood clots from building up along the walls of arteries. However, it isn't yet known whether turmeric would have this effect in humans, or how much you would have to take to see any benefit.

Cancer
There has been a great deal of research on turmeric's anti-cancer potential, but results are still very early. Evidence from test tube and animal studies suggests that curcumin may help prevent, control, or kill several types of cancers, including prostate, breast, skin, and colon. Curcumin's effects may be due to its ability to stop the blood vessels that supply cancerous tumors from growing, and its preventive effects may come from its strength as an antioxidant, protecting cells from damage. More research is needed. Cancer should be treated with conventional medications; never rely on alternative therapies alone to treat cancer.

Diabetes
When researchers gave laboratory animals with diabetes turmeric, their blood sugar levels dropped, as did their blood cholesterol levels. But researchers don't yet know whether turmeric would be helpful in treating diabetes in people.

Bacterial and Viral Infections
Test tube and animal studies suggest turmeric may have antibacterial and antiviral properties, but whether it would be effective in humans is unclear.

Uveitis
A preliminary study suggests curcumin may help treat uveitis, an inflammation of the eye. In one study of 32 people with uveitis, curcumin appeared to be as effective as corticosteroids, the type of medication generally prescribed for this eye disorder. More research is needed. http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/turmeric-000277.htm