Medicinal Uses & Turmeric Essay

Turmeric (Curcumin) is an old spice that is apply in traditional Asian/Indian medicine and is related to the ginger root. Known for its various uses, it is not mediocre limited to the culinary scene ( garb powders) but to a fault as an alter inherent for therapeutic abilities. In chinaware and India the spice is being employ to help treat certain inflammatory ailments and even diseases like unhealthy arthritis and Alzheimers Disease (AD).It has been utilize for gastric pain, bringing down fevers, and even relief in the one of bloating. It has been used for attempting to curing hepatitis and heart disease. In Ayurveda medicine (a body of traditional/alternative medicine native to India) the ginger root is being prescribed not just for arthritic pain, but for decreased vision, and for coughs. In Southeast Asia, it is being given as an anti-parasitic remedy and for various gastrointestinal tract problems. Curcumin, which is extracted from turmeric, has been expressn to provok e antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and to reduce beta-amyloid and plaque burden in lab studies. Beta-amyloid is a component of the amyloid plaques that accumulate in the brain of an individual with AD. (Fetrow/Avila, 2000)Turmeric contains curcuminoids such as curcumin which is a yellow pigment. Research studies in animals show that curcumin has the following health benefits potent anti-inflammatory effects cigarettecer prevention activities antioxidant effects stimulates and enhances the immune system antibacterial and antiviral properties, including against HIV blood-thinning effects Most of these research studies are done in animals only and few are done in human subjects. The positive results from these studies suggest that turmeric possesses many benefits for treating and maybe curing some of our common health problems.Chronic inflammation of the nerve cells is one of the precursors of AD. Patients who have used drugs such as ibuprofen for long periods of time h ave been shown to have a reduced fortune of developing symptoms of AD. thither is a risk when using a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory for prolonged periods. They can cause a toxic effect on the gastrointestinal track, kidneys and liver. However, turmeric has an anti-inflammatory effect that is in truth potent and because of those various effects, turmeric may have a part in curing and upward(a) cognitive functions in AD. (PubMed 2008)Various studies and research indicate a lower rate of AD in India. The prevalence of AD among adults ranging from 70-79 days in India is 4.4 times less than that of adults ranging from 70-79 years in the United States. Researchers have examined the association between the consumption of turmeric and cognitive levels in 1,010 Asians between 60 and 93 years of age. The study found that those who occasionally ate curry (less than once a month) and those who ate it more practically (more than once a month) performed develop on a standard test of cogniti ve functions than those who ate curry never or rarely. (PubMed, 2000)Pharmacokinetics shows that the curcumin extract of turmeric has an estimated bioavailability of 65% after oral administration and inhibits cytochrome P-450 isoenzyme 1A1 and is metabolized by glucuronidation. (MedScape, 2010)Curcumin has been used safely as a culinary spice in Asia for centuries. It is estimated that adults in India ingest 80-200 mg of curcumin daily. There are no reported adverse effects of curcumin or turmeric, except stomach upset, nausea and dissipation and some rare cases of allergic contact dermatitis. There is a caution when taking Warfarin, blood thinners or having a bleeding disorder. Some reports show that taking turmeric along with blood thinning medications such as Plavix, Aspirin or Coumadin (warfarin) might increase the risk of bleeding. If there is a aim of stomach ulcers, caution is advised as turmeric may worsen existing stomach problems. Curcumin is also known to cause the gall bladder to contract and can worsen any conditions that may already be present. (Fetrow/Avila, 2000, NCCAM, 2010)In conclusion, there is the hope that turmeric (curcumin) ordain lead to a promising treatment for AD. The clinical studies of the chemical properties of curcumin and its various effects on AD shows that further research is needed to develop better drugs based on curcumin for treating AD. The need for large-scale human studies is required to identify the therapeutic effects of curcumin.However, some(prenominal) unanswered questions remain What is the one main chemical property of curcumin that can be exploited in treating AD? What is the role of curcumin in other neurological disorders such as Parkinsons, Huntingtons and other forms of dementias? How does curcumin act with neuronal plaques? Is it effective only as a food additive? Would it be effective when used alone or with other anti-inflammatory drugs? Once researches can answer these questions, maybe there will be a clearer path to the treatment of Alzheimers disease.