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Spotlight on a golden pigment: Curcumin

The major active principle of turmeric, curcumin is a true jewel of nature. Studied by scientists for decades, it is the subject of thousands of publications and continues to attract attention for its extraordinary ability to act specifically on many molecules present in the human body. This antioxidant pigment has multiple medicinal properties, both regenerating, stimulating, antioxidant, thinning, and protective. An overview of the virtues of a magical powder!

Turmeric, curcumin... What are we talking about?

Turmeric has been used as a spice in South Asian cuisine, more precisely in India, for centuries. Its color and flavor, close to saffron, bring a lot of freshness to dishes. However, beyond its culinary interest, turmeric is also a top medicinal plant. It has long been used in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for its preventive and curative properties. But the plant owes its benefits to several components and active principles, notably curcuminoids, which are natural pigments with exceptional antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Among them, curcumin is the best known and especially the most important, as it represents about 90% of the total weight of curcuminoids present in the rhizome.

Properties and benefits of curcumin

Scientific studies on curcumin have multiplied and now highlight its many virtues on the entire body. This very powerful antioxidant pigment indeed presents an incredible list of benefits: more than 600 recognized benefits to date! Curcumin is also considered one of the molecules with the strongest anti-inflammatory action in the plant kingdom.

Antioxidant effects

Curcumin is primarily known for its antioxidant action, as it actively participates in eliminating free radicals stored in our body. By acting against these harmful substances, it helps limit cell aging. Its antioxidant effects as well as its anti-inflammatory properties notably extend to muscle tissue, making it an ally for top athletes. Indeed, intensive sports practice causes a state of stress in the body that can lead to the production of free radicals.

Anti-inflammatory

Curcumin has the ability to penetrate the entire body, including the brain environment protected by the blood-brain barrier. It is therefore a systemic anti-inflammatory, meaning this molecule acts throughout the system to calm inflammation.

The anti-inflammatory power of curcumin is linked to its antioxidant effect and its ability to inhibit many molecules involved in inflammation, such as certain fatty acids that promote problems like rheumatism, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and tendinitis. But curcumin also relieves intestinal inflammations and limits painful flare-ups in cases of ulcerative colitis. It is also effective against gastritis and pancreatitis.

Immune system

Thanks to its antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal action, curcumin helps strengthen the immune system. A powerful antioxidant, curcumin traps free radicals responsible for weakening the body. It activates several types of white blood cells, thus preventing symptoms of autoimmune diseases.

Brain system and cognition

The powerful anti-inflammatory effects of curcumin combined with its antioxidant capacity offer optimal protection for the brain. It is also an activator of glutathione, the brain's main antioxidant, playing an important protective role. Curcumin also helps preserve DHA (omega-3) content in brain tissue and stimulates enzymes involved in the synthesis of this fatty acid, thereby improving overall cognitive function. 

Cardiovascular health

Curcumin protects heart tissue by inhibiting a certain protein (p300 HAT) known to promote various diseases such as cardiac hypertrophy, heart failure, thrombosis, and inflammation. It is also capable of reducing cholesterol oxidation, thus providing comprehensive cardiovascular protection.  

Anti-cholesterol

The antioxidant power of curcumin prevents lipid peroxidation, including the bad cholesterol that clogs arteries. Moreover, curcumin regulates blood cholesterol levels by acting on several levels:

• It slows down the intestinal absorption of cholesterol.

• It stimulates bile secretions that contribute to the dissolution of dietary cholesterol.

• It increases cholesterol metabolism by promoting better absorption in liver cells so that it can be transformed.

Digestive health

Thanks to its antibacterial and immunostimulant properties, curcumin plays a beneficial role in various digestive disorders, such as stomach aches, nausea, bloating, and loss of appetite. In the stomach, curcumin inhibits the proliferation of a bacterium responsible for ulcers called Helicobacter pylori. It also plays a protective role for the liver, stimulates bile production by the liver, and bile release by the gallbladder. Finally, at the intestinal level, daily intake of curcumin improves irritable bowel and colon syndrome.

Joint pain

By inhibiting certain inflammatory enzymes, curcumin fights inflammation at its source. It also reduces histamine production, prolongs the action of cortisol, and improves blood circulation. Thus, it ensures joint flexibility, prevents cartilage aging, and supports stiffness and other joint discomforts.

Antidiabetic

Studies show that curcumin exerts remarkable antidiabetic effects through several mechanisms:

• It stimulates insulin production

• It improves insulin sensitivity

• It lowers blood sugar levels

• It reduces inflammation

• It protects cells against oxidative damage

• It activates the enzyme that increases glucose uptake

• It reduces glucose production in the liver

Antibacterial and antifungal

Curcumin has powerful antibacterial virtues, amplified by immunostimulant and antioxidant properties. Thus, curcumin helps regulate the intestinal flora and inhibit the multiplication of harmful bacteria, particularly Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium responsible for stomach ulcers. This antioxidant also plays an important role in the spread and growth of Candida, a fungus that can cause chronic infections.                                      

Skin Health

Curcumin prevents skin pigmentation and tones it. It has the ability to inhibit elastase, an enzyme that usually destroys the elastin in our skin and is responsible for its lack of firmness. Its anti-inflammatory properties also make it a highly appreciated treatment for sensitive skin prone to irritations and redness.

Curcumin and piperine: for better bioavailability

Studies have shown a low bioavailability of curcumin. Indeed, this molecule is poorly soluble in water, unstable, and poorly absorbed by the body. Research has highlighted the benefit of adding piperine (one of the main compounds of pepper), which would increase the absorption of curcumin by 2,000% compared to curcumin administered alone. Without this, our intestine poorly absorbs this molecule, which is too bulky and too easily filtered by our metabolism.

How to properly choose your curcumin dietary supplement

To properly choose your curcumin dietary supplement, it is necessary to consider 3 factors:

• The quality of curcumin

• Its dosage

• Its bioavailability

Green Ethnies offers a Organic Curcumin derived from high-quality organic turmeric, standardized to 95% curcuminoids and complemented with black pepper extract to enhance its absorption.

 

Sources

Curcumin: A Review of Its’ Effects on Human Health. Susan J. Hewlings, Douglas S. Kalman. Foods. 22 October 2017.

Efficacy and safety of Curcuma domestica extracts compared with ibuprofen in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a multicenter study. Vilai Kuptniratsaikul et al. Clinical Interventions in Aging. 20 March 2014.

Safety and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Curcumin: A Component of Tumeric (Curcuma longa). Chainani-Wu N. J Altern Complement Med. 2003 Feb;9(1):161-8.

Curcumin protects against myocardial infarction-induced cardiac fibrosis via SIRT1 activation in vivo and in vitro. Jie Xiao et al. Drug Design, Development and Therapy. 29 March 2016.

Curcumin boosts DHA in the brain : Implications for the prevention of anxiety disorders. Wu A, et al. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2015.

A PPARγ, NF-κB and AMPK-Dependent mechanism may be involved in the beneficial effects of curcumin in the diabetic db/db mice liver. Jiménez-Flores LM, López-Briones S, Macías-Cervantes MH, Ramírez-Emiliano J, Pérez-Vázquez V.  Molecules. 2014.

Anti-Hyperglycemic and Insulin Sensitizer Effects of Turmeric and Its Principle Constituent Curcumin. Ghorbani et al. Int J Endocrinol Metab. 2014.

Curcumin Extract for Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes. S. Chuengsamarn, S. Rattanamongkolgul, R. Luechapudiporn, C. Phisalaphong, S. Jirawatnotai. Diabetes Care, 2012.

Curcumin Protects Against Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Rat Skeletal Muscle. Bank J, Song DH. J Surg Re. 2011.

The dietary compound curcumin inhibits p300 histone acetyltransferase activity and prevents heart failure in rats. J Clin Invest. 2008.

Effect of different cucuminoid supplement dosages on total in vivo antioxidant capacity and cholesterol levels of healthy human subjects. Phytother Res. 2011.

Influence of piperine on the pharmacokinetics of curcumin in animals and human volunteers. Shoba G, Joy D, et al.  Planta Med. 1998 May;64(4):353-6.