If you’re looking for one herb that supports just about every health condition known to man, it would be difficult to find one that fits the criteria better than curcumin.
Just in 2023 alone, new studies demonstrated curcumin’s effectiveness in four areas: Treating cold symptoms, soothing indigestion, supporting weight loss and reducing inflammation.
Curcumin is a bright yellow chemical-nutrient extracted from the tumeric plant. Tumeric is a flowering plant (Curcuma longa) that is part of the ginger family, and curcumin is the principle natural bioactive metabolite of the plant.
Most turmeric researchers agree that curcumin is the bioactive ingredient in turmeric that provides the numerous health benefits.
Turmeric has been used in traditional medicine for centuries. Today, both turmeric and the curcumin extracted from turmeric are widely used in nutritional supplements.
Cold symptoms study
According to a randomized controlled study conducted in Japan, curcumin supplementation demonstrated the ability to reduce cold symptoms in adults during a 12-week intervention.
After treatment with 150 mg of curcumin daily, the researchers recorded “significantly decreased” sneezing, nasal discharge, nasal obstruction and coughing in the study participants.
The study was published in the Journal of Dietary Supplements in March 2023.
Indigestion study
In a study from Bangkok, Thailand researchers found that curcumin was effective in treating symptoms of dyspepsia (indigestion).
In fact, the double blind controlled trial found that curcumin was as effective as the drug omeprazole in a head-to-head treatment comparison.
Omeprazole is a commonly prescribed drug that reduces stomach acid; however, it falls in a class of drugs known as proton pump inhibitors which have been linked to increased risks like broken bones and nutrient deficiencies.
The researchers wrote that they hope one day curcumin will serve as a viable alternative to the more-dangerous pharmaceutical option.
The study was published online by BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine.
Weight loss study
A meta-analysis published in May 2023 found that curcumin supplementation was associated with reductions in body mass index, body weight, and waist circumference in study subjects.
The participants in this study were adults with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, polycystic ovary syndrome and metabolic syndrome. The meta-analysis included 39 individual random control trials
Writing in the study conclusions, the researchers noted: “Augmenting curcumin supplements with lifestyle modification should be an option for weight reduction.”
The study was published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Inflammation study
A new study from Taiwan found curcumin supplementation during exercise relieved muscle soreness and fatigue in adolescent athletes.
The non-randomized prospective cohort study involved athletes participating in intense training at least 20 hours per week. The athletes were provided 900 mg of curcumin daily (300 mg three times per day) during a 12-week trial period.
“A significant decrease in muscle fatigue and muscle soreness scores was observed in the curcumin group after 12 weeks,” the researchers wrote in the study’s conclusion.
The study was published in the journal Frontiers in January 2023.
You can find turmeric and curcumin in the following Optimal Health Systems products:
• Essential Protect
• Optimal Acute
• Optimal Cort-Adrena
• Opti-Mito-Force
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Source: Journal of Dietary Supplements, BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Frontiers.