The components and medicinal properties of turmeric are some of the most researched ones in the world of plants. There are more than 5,600 biomedical studies about this plant, including 5-year long research which revealed 175 different beneficial physiological effects, and more than 600 potential therapeutic and preventive applications. You can go Web MD to download the entire database which includes 1,585 NCBI abstracts of turmeric.
The huge number of studies that have proven the benefits of turmeric have in fact suggested that its efficiency compares to various conventional medications, such as the following.
The Medication for Cholesterol – Atorvastatin/Lipitor
The journal Drugs in R&D has published a 2008 study, which discovered that a standardized preparation of turmeric curcuminoids gives better results than the medication Lipitor (the drug atorvastatin) on the blood vessels pathology that leads to atherosclerosis, in association with a decrease in oxidative stress and inflammation in patients with type 2 diabetes.
The Antidepressants Imipramine and Prozac/Fluoxetine
Acta Poloniae Pharmaceutica journal has published a 2011 study that proved that curcumin is more effective than both drugs in the treatment of depression in an animal model.
Steroid Medications – Corticosteroids
The journal Phytotherapy Research has published a 1999 study, according to which curcumin- the primary polyphenol in turmeric, showed better results in the management of the inflammatory eye disease known as chronic anterior uveitis, in comparison with steroids.
The Critical Care Medicine has published a 2008 animal study which showed that curcumin has higher efficiency in the alternative treatment for protecting injuries associated with lung transplantation by down-regulating inflammatory genes in comparison with the corticosteroid drug dexamethasone. Cancer Letters has published a 2003 study that analyzed the effects of dexamethasone and turmeric in a lung ischemia-reperfusion injury model. The results were in favor of turmeric.
The Blood Thinner Aspirin
Arzneimittelforschung has published a 1986 in vivo and ex vivo study which compared curcumin and aspirin. The results showed that curcumin provides anti-platelet and prostacyclin modulating effects, suggesting that it might be beneficial in people requiring anti-arthritis therapy and those prone to vascular thrombosis.
Anti-Inflammatory Drugs
The journal Oncogene has published a 2004 study that discovered that curcumin is a great alternative to ibuprofen, aspirin, phenylbutazone, sulindac, naproxen, tamoxifen, diclofenac, indomethacin, celecoxib, and dexamethasone, in exerting anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory activity against tumor cells.
The Chemotherapy Drug Oxaliplatin
The International Journal of Cancer has released a 2007 study, which says that when it comes to anti-proliferative activity in colorectal cell lines, curcumin shows better results than oxaliplatin.
The Diabetes Drug Metformin
The journal Biochemistry and Biophysical Research Community has published a 2009 study that analyzed the curcumin effects in the treatment of diabetes. The results showed that curcumin causes activation of AMPK (which raises the uptake of glucose), and suppression of gluconeogenic gene expression (suppressing the production of glucose in the liver) in hepatoma cells. The study discovered that curcumin is 500 to 100,000 times more powerful than metformin in the activation of AMPK and its downstream target ACC (acetyl-CoA carboxylase).
Research on multi-drug resistant and drug-resistant cancers revealed the incredible therapeutic properties of turmeric and its components, which top various effective substances against radiation- and chemotherapy-resistant cancers. There are around 54 studies that suggest that curcumin can kill or sensitize cancer cell lines resistant to conventional treatments. 27 other studies proved the same curcumin ability on multi-drug resistant cancer cell lines to the regular treatments of cancer.
Turmeric, or its active ingredient curcumin, has a strong track record of being used as a food and medicine in different cultures around the world for thousands of years. These studies are showing us that it can be also used as a drug alternative or adjuvant in the treatment of cancer. Even better, use lower amounts of organic turmeric in your daily life to prevent developing any serious disease.