Turmeric and Curcumin

Curcumin is a bioactive substance that can help fight inflammation, though very high doses are required to produce medicinal results.

Still, it means it has the potential to fight the inflammation in several conditions and diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Even in adulthood, brain neurons are capable of forming new connections, and in certain areas of the brain, they can multiply and increase in number.

One of the main drivers of this process is brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which plays a role in memory and learning, and it can be found in areas of the brain responsible for eating, drinking, and body weight.

Many common brain disorders have been linked to decreased levels of BDNF proteinTrusted Source, including depression and Alzheimer’s disease.

Studies have found that curcumin may increaseTrusted Source brain levels of BDNF. By doing this, it may be effective in delaying or even reversing many brain diseases and age-related decreases in brain function.

However, more studies are needed to confirm this.

Heart disease is the number oneTrusted Source cause of death in the world. Research suggests that curcumin may help protect against many steps in the heart disease process.

Several other studies also suggest that curcumin can lead to improvements in heart health. In addition, curcumin can help reduceTrusted Source inflammation and oxidation (as discussed above), which can play a role in heart disease.

Many different forms of cancer appear to be affected byTrusted Source curcumin supplements.

In fact, curcumin has been studiedTrusted Source as a beneficial herb in cancer treatment and has been found to affect cancer growth and development.

Studies have shown that it can:

• contribute to the death of cancerous cells
• reduce angiogenesis (growth of new blood vessels in tumors)
• reduce metastasis (spread of cancer)

However, further research is still needed. It’s important to know that curcumin cannot treat cancer, and supplements should not be used in place of medical treatment.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and may contribute to up to 70% of dementia casesTrusted Source.

It’s known that inflammation and oxidative damage play a role in Alzheimer’s disease, and curcumin has been found to have beneficial effectsTrusted Source on both.

That said, whether curcumin can slow or even reverse the progression of Alzheimer’s disease in people is currently unknown and needs to be studied.

There are several different types of arthritis, most of which involve inflammation in the joints.

In a studyTrusted Source on people with osteoarthritis, curcumin appeared to be more effective in relieving pain than a placebo, and researchTrusted Source has also found its effect to be similar to that of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

That said, more study is needed to understand if curcumin can actually replace such drugs as a treatment for arthritis inflammation pain.

If curcumin can really help prevent heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s, it may have benefits for longevity as well.

Given that oxidation and inflammation are believed to play a roleTrusted Source in aging, curcumin may have effects that go way beyond just preventing disease. However, further research is still needed.