Curcumin is the pungent, yellow pigment that makes the spice turmeric, and many Indian dishes containing it, yellow. Turmeric has been used as both food and medicine in the Ayurvedic tradition for centuries, if not millennia. In Ayurveda, it is used for a wide variety of ailments, and as Western Medicine looks at curcumin, it is validating many of these uses. Recent research has found that curcumin may have potential for reducing inflammation, improving cardiac health, reducing cholesterol, reducing the risk of certain cancers and improving immunity.
This new study was recently published in the prestigious Journal of the American Chemical Society by a group of researchers from the University of Michigan and was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The researchers used solid-state NMR spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry to determine that the curcumin molecules were actually able to insert themselves into cell membranes. The researchers found that "curcumin inserts deep into the membrane" and "induces segmental ordering in the membrane" resulting in a cell membrane that may be more resistant to infection by a pathogen. According to the researchers "curcumin has a strong effect on membrane structure at low concentrations."
Some experts recommend taking curcumin as a supplement over getting it from food due to the tendency of dishes containing it to be high in fat. Whole Health offers curcumin in our Anti-Inflammatory Support formula, a synergistic blend of seven ingredients that may help reduce inflammation in the body and help improve overall health.
Learn more about curcumin and our Anti-Inflammatory Support here.
Barry, J., M. Fritz, et al. (2009). "Determining the effects of lipophilic drugs on membrane structure by solid-state NMR spectroscopy: the case of the antioxidant curcumin." J Am Chem Soc 131(12): 4490-8.
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