- Turmeric, a miracle nutrient that can lower
your chances of getting cancer?
Or is it an over-hyped spice
that you should avoid all together?
I'll explain.
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Turmeric, you may have used this popular ingredient
in your cooking in the past,
but now, more and more, we're starting to see it
commercially become available everywhere
in things like teas, capsules, powders,
extracts, cosmetics, spices, and much, much more.
And all of these turmeric products
are touting major health benefits.
Is turmeric the most effective
natural supplement in existence?
Can its chemical compounds actually
treat things like inflammation and cancer?
Or can it even help with upper respiratory infection
and other types of ailments?
Or is it all hogwash, and should a certain
group of people avoid it all together?
Today we're discussing it all,
and I'll be breaking down the top seven
benefits of taking turmeric.
Hey everyone, I'm Dr. Jordan Wagner.
I'm an emergency room doctor who treats everything
from COVID to gunshot wounds, burns, you name it.
I've created this video series to help answer
some of your medical questions and the questions
that I get from patients each and every day.
If you find this video helpful
please do me a favor and subscribe.
First things, first.
What in the world is turmeric?
It's often referred to as turmeric root,
or goes by other names like Indian saffron or golden spice,
and it's popular all around the world as a culinary spice,
and it's a major ingredient in curry powder.
It's derived from a tall plant in the ginger family,
and its underground stem is often used
as the basis for the culinary spice.
It is native to Southeast Asia
and primarily used in places like India.
If you're watching from India or if you like to cook a lot,
let me know if you use turmeric
in your dishes in the comments below.
But aside from cooking, what you may not have known
is that turmeric has also been used
as a traditional medicine in different parts
of the world for many, many years.
Historically speaking, turmeric was used
in Ayurveda and other traditional
Indian and Chinese medical systems.
And medicines primarily for disorders of the skin,
upper respiratory tracts, joints,
and issues with the digestive system.
Nowadays, the turmeric ingredient is even being promoted
as a dietary supplement that helps treat
many different health conditions.
That's why today we're counting down the top seven
health benefits of taking turmeric.
And you're definitely going to want
to hear some of these.
Number one.
Turmeric reduces overall inflammation in your body.
Here's the deal.
Turmeric contains bioactive compounds
with powerful medicinal properties.
So these crazy good compounds are called curcuminoids.
You see, curcumin is the most active ingredient
in turmeric, and it has a lot
of very powerful anti-inflammatory effects,
and it is a very strong antioxidant.
And, as we know, low level inflammation
plays a major role in most every chronic disease there is.
Therefore, anything that can help fight
chronic inflammation is of potential importance
in preventing and even treating these diseases.
Therefore, anything can help fight chronic inflammation
is of the utmost importance in preventing
and even treating diseases.
Here's the kicker though.
Curcumin is poorly absorbed into your bloodstream
and isn't that abundant in turmeric, only 3% by volume.
So a little hack to get the most curcumin
absorbed into your body is to consume
turmeric with black pepper,
which contains piperine,
a natural substance that enhances
the absorption of curcumin by 2000%.
Number two health benefit of turmeric?
Curcumin, it lowers the risk of Alzheimer's disease.
Yes, curcumin the active ingredient in turmeric
that I mentioned before does boost
brain-derived neurotrophic factor.
In other words, curcumin plus brain equals good.
You see, neurons in the brain are capable of forming
new connections, and in some areas of the brain,
even capable of multiplying and increasing in numbers.
One of the main reasons for this process
is brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF.
But many common brain disorders,
like depression and Alzheimer's disease, for instance,
have been linked to decreased levels of this hormone.
So in a nutshell, the main active ingredient in turmeric
is said to be able to increase the brain levels of BDNF,
which by doing so could be effective
in delaying or even reversing many brain diseases
and age-related decreases in brain function.
In addition, a key feature of Alzheimer's disease
is a buildup of protein tangles called amyloid plaques.
Studies have shown that curcumin
can help clear these plaques,
and it crosses the blood-brain barrier.
And it even may help improve your memory
and make you smarter given its effects
on these BDNF levels.
So studying for a test?
Worried you're losing your memory?
Time to start thinking about turmeric.
Number three, curcumin lowers your risk of heart disease?
Yes.
Although incredibly complicated, and many factors
go into treating heart disease,
curcumin may just help reverse the many steps
in the heart disease process.
One of the main benefits is improving
the function of the endothelium,
AKA the lining of your blood vessels,
as well as it reduces inflammation and oxidation as well.
One study randomly assigned 121 people
who were undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery,
either a placebo or four grams of curcumin per day,
a few days before the surgery,
and what they found was that the group of test patients
who were given curcumin showed a 65% decreased risk
of experiencing a heart attack in the hospital.
Number four.
Turmeric can help prevent or maybe even treat cancer?
It seems so.
Cancer is a terrible, terrible disease
that comes in many forms, but if you had
to really break it down to its most simple description,
it is often characterized by uncontrolled cell growth.
It seems according to some studies that some cancers,
not all, but some cells appear,
or even precancerous cells appear,
to be affected by curcumin supplements.
In one 30-day published study in 44 men
with lesions in the colon
who took four grams of curcumin per day
reduced the number of lesions in the colon by 40%.
Other studies have shown that it can contribute
to the death of cancerous cells
and reduce angiogenesis,
or the growth of blood vessels in tumors,
and the spread of cancer.
Other animal studies indicate that curcumin
reduced the growth of cells in lab tests
and inhibited the growth of tumors in test animals.
So will curcumin be used along with conventional treatment
for cancer one day or possibly prevent cancer?
Although it's too early to say for sure,
it does look promising and is being studied right now.
Number five, turmeric and arthritis.
A lot of you out there watching this suffer from arthritis.
I even have it in my back from an old soccer injury,
but given its anti-inflammatory compound,
it would make sense that curcumin,
the main and active ingredient in turmeric,
would work to combat arthritis, right?
Good news is several studies actually
show this to be true also.
In one study in people with rheumatoid arthritis
curcumin was seen to even be more effective
than anti-inflammatory drugs.
Number six, curcumin treats depression?
Yes, it seems to be the case.
In a controlled trial, 60 people with depression
were randomly sorted into three different groups.
One of these groups were given Prozac,
another took curcumin, and one of these groups
were even given a combination of curcumin and Prozac.
After six weeks, the group that took both
Prozac and curcumin together had the best results.
But surprisingly the curcumin-only group
saw very similar results to the Prozac group.
So according to this study, it was detailed
that taking curcumin was just as effective
as taking antidepressants.
Depression is also linked to reduced levels
of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, BDNF,
and a shrinking hippocampus, a brain area
that is responsible for learning and memory.
Curcumin boost these BDNF levels,
which could suggest as to why
it may help combat depression.
Number seven, turmeric delays aging?
Beyond just preventing disease,
if you're looking to just overall live longer
you have to take into consideration
things like oxidation and inflammation
and the role they play on the body and aging.
What we know about curcumin and its anti-inflammatory
properties, taking substances that contain curcumin
may have overall effects that go way beyond
just preventing disease and lead to increased longevity.
How much should you take?
All right, you've heard all the supposed health benefits
and are probably now wondering where do I get it
and how much should I be taking?
The exact dose obviously depends on the condition.
For certain studies, doses that range between
500 to 2000 milligrams of turmeric per day
had potential health benefits,
and groups like the Arthritis Foundation
suggest taking turmeric capsules,
400 to 600 milligrams, three times a day.
Or you could take half to three grams
of the root powder a day.
But again, it really depends on the condition
that you're trying to combat.
In terms of where to get it,
I'll link to several different options
in the description below.
It should be noted that in terms of side effects
some people do experience mild digestive issues
such as bloating, acid reflux, nausea,
and other digestive issues when exceeding
1,000 milligrams a day.
Also, turmeric may be unsafe for the use
during pregnancy and breastfeeding
in the amounts greater than commonly found in food.
So definitely talk to your primary care doctor
on what the proper amount is for you.
Also, remember, if you decide to take turmeric
or curcumin supplements, it's recommended
to find a product with BioPerine in it,
the trademark name of piperine,
which is the substance that enhances
curcumin absorption in your body.
Without this substance, most of the curcumin
just passes through your digestive tract.
All right, that's been a quick,
turmeric talk with me, Dr. Wagner.
So if you take it, how much do you take,
and have you seen any health benefits from it?
Let me know in the comments. I'd love to hear from you.
And, let me know if you have any other medical topics
or questions that you'd like me to make a video about.
I'd love to hear about them, too.
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Thank you so much for watching
and stay healthy, my friends.
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