Nobody can dispute the fact that nothing is as effective in the well-being of cardiovascular health as physical exercise. On the other hand, the extract of turmeric is also very good at providing almost the same positive effects to our cardiovascular health. Turmeric extract is especially important to women who are undergoing certain age-related unpleasant changes in arteries of the heart.
The extract can play a very important role in preventing heart disease, even though conventional medical practitioners are still hesitant in embracing this fact. To prove this fact, there are many studies and researches, which support the effectiveness of turmeric in promoting cardiovascular health.
One such study presented in the reputable American Journal of Cardiology has shown that this extract lowers heart attack in patients that have undergone bypass by 56 percent.
Another study published in 2012 in the popular Journal Nutrition Research found that the basic polyphenol found in turmeric, which is responsible for the extract golden shade, known as curcumin, is very effective in promoting the proper functioning of cardiovascular system in postmenopausal women, just like an aerobic training regimen.
This study was conducted on 32 postmenopausal women and lasted for 2 months. The women were divided into three control groups: exercise, curcumin and women that don’t practice any treatment. The condition of the inner lining of the women was examined with the help of ultrasound to determine flow-mediated arterial dilation, which is a good signal of the elasticity in arteries and thus endothelial function.
The main reason that leads to the development of atherosclerosis comes from disturbance of the inner lining of blood vessels. Furthermore, any factor that can contribute to the prevention or reduction of endothelial dysfunction, or lead the endothelial dysfunction to its initial stage, may directly affect the death rates related to cardiovascular disease.
150 gm. of turmeric extract was given to women who used curcumin treatment, 25mg. of colloidal scattered nanoparticle curcumin given to them for 8 weeks, while observing that no changes was made in their diet-exercise habits.
The women who were part of the group that performed exercises were involved in aerobic exercise training that lasted for more than three days in one week and included 2-3 monitored exercise sessions and extra training at home. Exercises included walking and cycling, and they were engaged in up to one hour (at least half an hour) long sessions as well.
The exercise sessions varied to intensity of 60 percent of the individually determined maximum allowed heart rate in the starting stage of the clinical trial, to intensity of between 70 and 75% of their determined maximal heart rate in the last stage.
The researchers concluded after the 8-week study period that there was an increase in the dilation supported by proper flow in both the curcumin and exercise treatment groups..
This study proved that regular exercise or regular intake of curcumin provided substantial improvement in endothelial function. The scale of improvement in this function was the same in both cases, leading to a conclusion that curcumin actually prevents the deterioration in endothelial function associated with postmenopausal women.
Conclusion
We find that this study proves that actually turmeric extract promotes cardiovascular health of women, but not that the supplement should be a substitute for exercise. Furthermore, exercise cannot substitute the role this extract plays in promoting health of women. Instead, exercise and turmeric use should work in synergy to provide more health benefits than any of them could provide alone. The bottom line is the key lies in combining the two proportionately.
Another study published in the respected American Journal of Hypertension by the same group of researchers in 2012; investigating the joint effect of both exercise and curcumin use in women after menopause in promoting resistance and tolerance of heart muscle stress, found that by performing endurance exercise on a regular basis in combination with daily intake of curcumin may reduce left ventricular pressure in the wall significantly compared to monotherapy used in intervention alone.
Chronic increased left ventricular pressure in the wall is related to aortic valve disease and hypertension.
Another benefit of exercise and turmeric extract combined use is they are a perfect remedy for pain and inflammation that result from intense exercise. This combination also relieves symptoms associated with osteoarthritis.