Tumeric/Curcumin
Tumeric has been used in ancient Indian medicine for over 2500 years. In traditional Indian cuisine, the yellow powder inside the stem has been used as a spice. This cousin of the ginger plant is referred by many as ”Solid Gold” because of its deep yellow-gold colors and its healing capacity. This deep yellow color comes from a group of medicinal substances called curcumin.
The active ingredient called curcumin has six fundamental healing properties: anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-cancer. Several double-blind studies have shown that curcumin is as effective as the drug Phenylbutazone in reducing arthritic pain, swelling, and inflammation. Many ailments involve inflammation and pain, so a list of disorders would be large.
Tumeric/Curcumin acts as a potent antioxidant by protecting against free radical attack from food toxins, water, air and the basic living environment. Internally, curcumin helps block production of certain free radicals including superoxide. Maybe the most critical value of curcumin is its capacity to quench the oxidative damage to DNA. This will hopefully inhibit the binding of toxins to DNA and secure all genetic material.
With over a dozen clinical trials backing tumeric/curcumin, there appears to be real promise underway for some strong health benefits, the recommended dose is 1000-4000 mg/day.