Spice Nixes Pain, Inflammation, Brain Disease

If you’ve ever eaten an Indian curry, you’re probably familiar with turmeric. It is the yellowish spice commonly used in Indian cuisine. While it adds delicious flavor to your meals, it also offers many benefits to your health. Curcumin, the primary active ingredient in turmeric prevents the development of plaque in the brain and also has anti-pain and anti-inflammatory properties.

Protects against Brain Plaques

Research conducted by a medical team at a graduate school at Kanazawa University, Japan, demonstrated that curcumin found in turmeric prevents the development of a substance called amyloid beta (AB)–a type of plaque in the brain. This substance is linked as a causative factor for Alzheimer’s disease.

Anti-Pain

One of turmeric’s many properties is its ability to suppress pain through a similar mechanism as the pain-killing COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitor drugs primarily used for arthritis. However, turmeric lends its potent anti-pain properties without the harmful side-effects linked to the drugs. Research also shows that turmeric depletes nerve endings of substance P, a pain neurotransmitter, thereby reducing pain.

Anti-inflammatory

Turmeric also has powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Recent research indicates that ingesting 1200 mg of curcumin, the main therapeutic constituent of the spice turmeric, had the same effect as taking 300 mg of the potent anti-inflammatory drug phenylbutazone. Unlike phenylbutazone which is highly toxic, turmeric is safe for use.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Elena T.

1:50AM PDT on Mar 25, 2013

Thank you :)

March 25
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Fred H.

6:36AM PST on Jan 12, 2013

Thank you Michelle, for Sharing this!

January 12
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Anne G.

11:39PM PST on Jan 4, 2013

Thank you.

January 4
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Silvia W.

6:58AM PST on Jan 4, 2013

Sage is also good for preventing memory loss, so put plenty in your stuffing and eat it at least once a week. I put sage in whenever I saute onions for any dish.

6:55AM PST on Jan 4, 2013

I've been using turmeric to bring my cholesterol down. It was over 400; now it's 127. Every morning I take a rounded teaspoonful in a cup of hot water, with a half-tsp of honey. That's about 6 or 7 grams. I buy turmeric from a restaurant supply house in 500 gram bottles, which costs about $10. That's a lot better than paying about $2 for 40 grams (1.5 oz.) at the grocery store.

Sandi C.

9:40AM PDT on Jul 7, 2012

good to know!

July 7
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Karen G.

8:47AM PDT on Jul 7, 2012

Since learnng about the wonderful qualities of tumeric, I have added it to my everyday spices. BUT I have no idea how much I should be using, daily or otherwise, to be of benefit.

Karen B.

11:03AM PDT on Jun 25, 2012

whole tumeric is the best... you can buy it from the local indian store.