Spicing up your arthritis relief and cancer protection

Over and over again, modern science proves ancient remedies to be effective and safe for their traditional uses. And I can’t emphasize the plural of “uses” enough…Because unlike most pharmaceutical drugs, these ancient remedies are almost always effective for more than one thing.

Cucurmin is a perfect example. Curcumin is a natural plant chemical obtained from the dry root and rhizome of turmeric (Curcuma Longa). You may see the words turmeric and curcumin used synonymously, but the chemical name is cumerin.

And, recent research has confirmed  its long history of use for many different health concerns. Specifically, two new studies support its benefits for arthritis and for cancer.

The first study—published in Phytotherapy Research—evaluated the safety and effectiveness of curcumin alone, and in combination with a potent drug for patients with rheumatoid arthritis.1

Patients receiving curcumin (500 mg) on its own showed the highest percentage of improvement overall. And there were no adverse events in the curcumin group. This study provides the first evidence for the safety and superiority of curcumin compared to drug treatment for rheumatoid arthritis.

There have also been several new studies just in the past year showing curcumin’s powerful anti-cancer effects. The latest one focuses specifically on gastrointestinal cancers, including esophageal, stomach, liver, and intestinal cancer.2  The researchers concluded that it has high therapeutic potential for gastrointestinal cancers.

Curcumin supplements are widely available in natural food stores and online supplement retailers. A good general dose is 200 mg per day.

 

Sources:
1 “A Randomized, Pilot Study to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of Curcumin in Patients with Active Rheumatoid Arthritis,” Phytother Res. 2012 Mar 9
2 “Therapeutic potential of curcumin in gastrointestinal diseases,” World J Gastrointest Pathophysiol 2(1): 1-14