There are a number of health benefits associated with turmeric and its compounds, including:
1. Potential Protection From Alzheimer’s Disease
Multiple studies suggest that curcumin has positive effects on Alzheimer’s disease. First, and most important, curcumin appears to both prevent the formation and encourage the breakup of the rogue proteins (beta-amyloid plaques) that form between the brain’s nerve cells and impair their communication (a hallmark of Alzheimer’s). Ultimately, the nerve cells die, irreparably damaging cognition. (In fact, Aduhelm, the newest pharmaceutical treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, works in a similar way by reducing the amyloid plaques.)
Curcumin also seems to help clear away another suspect protein called tau that collects inside the neurons and is also implicated in causing Alzheimer’s disease.
Research is mixed, however. One small clinical trial found the oral consumption of turmeric did not appear to improve cognitive function or slow cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s patients.
2. Arthritis Relief
Pain and joint dysfunction characterize osteoarthritis, and pain relievers like aspirin and ibuprofen are the most common treatment. However, a wide variety of studies document curcumin’s effectiveness in reducing joint inflammation and pain just as well, but without the gastrointestinal side effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS).
3. Improved Brain Health
Curcumin can potentially benefit the brain in broader ways as well. The polyphenol’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties may also help in preventing or reducing the symptoms of other neurodegenerative diseases like dementia, Huntington’s disease, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease.
4. Possible Mood Enhancement
In small clinical trials, curcumin reduced major depression and, in some cases, relieved anxiety in study subjects.
“Curcumin seems to benefit mood by increasing brain-derived neurotrophic factor,” says Dr. Jampolis. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a protein that keeps neuronal cells healthy, and its production seems to be stimulated by plant-derived polyphenols like curcumin. “BDNF is associated with neuronal regeneration,” she says.
With that said, research is limited. No long-term studies have assessed the potential effects of curcumin over a period of at least eight weeks.
5. Protection From Inflammation
Researchers are increasingly recognizing chronic systemic inflammation and oxidative stress as underlying factors in a host of serious diseases, including heart disease and diabetes. Because of curcumin’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions, it may convey some protection against the development of these chronic illnesses. One of the newest areas of research—the role of gut microbiota in promoting or suppressing disease—hints that curcumin can change our gut microbiome in ways that have positive effects on the entire body and the mind.
Beyond its two primary effects, curcumin also has antiseptic, anti-viral and anti-cancer properties. It has the potential to modulate the over-aggressive immune response some COVID-19 patients experience (the so-called “cytokine storm”) as well. Researchers are looking at it as both a preventative and a therapy for COVID-19.
