The invaluable anti-ageing benefits of Turmeric
Everyone is familiar with curry, the quintessential dish in Indian gastronomy. However, few know that this spice [PH1] and its recipe, can have varying ingredients, just like the composition of the condiment used, which is in fact a mixture of different spices (1).
If there is one spice it must always contain, it is turmeric, with its distinctive flavour and powerful yellow-orange colour. Obtained after drying and milling the rhizome of Curcuma longa, this spice is not just a key culinary ingredient, but also a vital health ally.
Combating oxidative stress
To understand how turmeric acts, we must first describe what it combats: oxidation.
Certain factors, such as stress, intense physical activity, an unbalanced diet, and even oxygen, contribute to the presence in our body of molecules that only have one atom instead of two: free radicals. The loss of this elementary particle causes a chain reaction that leads to the degradation of molecules. Free radicals can cause premature ageing: hormonal disturbances, DNA attacks and the onset of cardiovascular, inflammatory, rheumatic and oncogenic diseases (2).
When the presence of these oxidative substances is greater than a cell’s defence capacity, it is called oxidative stress. To maintain a balance that is favourable to the body, it must be provided with elements capable of preventing attack, or even the formation of free radicals: antioxidants (2).
The plant world is an inexhaustible source of antioxidants. A healthy, varied and balanced diet provides many these free radical inhibitors. The ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) index is used to measure the antioxidant value of each food. This measurement method has, for example, identified turmeric’s high antioxidant value: 159 277 μmol TE/100 g, i.e. 10 times the value of a walnut or almond (3).
Turmeric, a powerful antioxidant
The main bioactive compounds of turmeric are polyphenols, curcuminoids, including curcumin, the main enhancer of its taste (4).
Also known as diferuloylmethane, this antioxidant has various properties:
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anti-inflammatory (5): curcumin modulates different signalling molecules, which coordinate cells’ activity (6) and inhibits the activation of the Kappa B nuclear factor (NF-kB) involved in inflammation (6,7);
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anti-diabetic (4): curcuminoids, for example, decrease the concentration of glucose in the blood;
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lipid-lowering: curcumin increases levels of ‘good cholesterol’ (HDL) and reduces the presence of triglycerides (8);
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anti-carcinogenic: its anti-proliferative and immunomodulatory activity prevents tumour initiation, progression and growth (9).
Biocurcumax, the bioavailable curcumin
Curcuminoids have a major problem: their low bioavailability. With low solubility, they are metabolised before they can be absorbed by the intestines. This is why it is often recommended that you combine turmeric with black pepper (Piper nigrum) or long pepper (Piper longa), whose piperine acts in synergy with polyphenols.
At the cutting edge of progress in herbal medicine, Anastore offers an easily bioavailable curcumin that does not have to be combined with piperine: Biocurcumax™.
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Bibliography
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http://www.lacuillere.com/articles/62-L-histoire-du-curry-un-plat
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Morelle, J. (2003). L'Oxydation des aliments et la santé. François-Xavier de Guibert
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Vanotti, A., & Speranza, M. (2009). Il paniere degli alimenti: Come nutrirsi in modo sano e gustoso. Springer Science & Business Media.
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Zhang et al. (2013) Curcumin and diabetes: a systematic review. Evid-Based Compl Alt Med Vol 2013, 16 pages.
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Priyadarsini (2014) The chemistry of curcumin: from extraction to therapeutic agent. Molecules 19: 20091-20112.
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Prasad et al. (2014) Recent Developments in Delivery, Bioavailability, Absorption and Metabolism of Curcumin: the Golden Pigment from Golden Spice. Cancer Res Treat 46(1):2-18.
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Dulbecco and Savarino (2013) Therapeutic potential of curcumin in digestive diseases. World J Gastroenterol 19(48): 9256-9270.
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Bone and Mills (2013) Principles and practice of phytotherapy. Elsevier.
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Rahmani et al. (2014) Curcumin: a potential candidate in prevention of cancer via modulation of molecular pathways.