You have probably heard about curcumin, or you have found it among the ingredients of some of the best anti-inflammatory products, but do you know what it is and where it comes from? More importantly what makes it an irreplaceable ally in fighting different types of inflammations? To answer these questions and many others simply continue reading this article, and the benefits of curcumin will become quite clear.

Let’s Define It

Curcumin is a chemical produced by some plants and is recognized by its characteristic bright yellow color. It is the principal curcuminoid, a natural plant pigment which possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and is primarily found in turmeric. Now, turmeric is another name you have also heard a lot in relation to anti-inflammatory properties. Tumeric is a plant from the ginger family and is also considered to be a strong medicinal plant. Another common usage of turmeric is as a potent spice, dried and ground, it is one of the main ingredients in Indian cuisine.

The Benefits

Did you know that turmeric has an unbelievable 1523 inflammation factor, in addition to it being an excellent source of iron and manganese along with vitamin B6 and potassium? Now that we know what this superfood provides, let’s discuss main benefits of introducing it into our daily nutritional regimen.

Alleviate Inflammation

Well, it wouldn’t be considered nature's most powerful anti-inflammatory ingredient if it didn’t do just that. First of all, we need to understand where the inflammation comes from in order to fully comprehend the effects of curcumin. Inflammation in itself is not a bad thing, it is our body's natural response that helps protect us from disease and infection. However, chronic inflammation is much more serious condition and it can lead to ailments such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease. This is where curcumin’s ability to block the activity of several enzymes involved in the inflammatory process comes in quite handy. Several studies have proven that curcumin extract is one of the most potent ways of relieving inflammation. So introducing a quality curcumin supplement in our nutrition can significantly alleviate the ongoing inflammation process in our body, thus having a preventative effect when it comes to more serious diseases.

It Can Help Regulate Blood Sugar

Diabetes is one of the most widespread diseases of the modern society, and it is mostly due to bad nutritional habits that have taken over in most developed countries. Now, blood sugar is closely related to diabetes and if left unchecked can cause diabetes symptoms, like thirst, unintentional weight loss and fatigue. Having high blood sugar levels over longer periods of time can lead to much serious health problems. And this is where curcumin comes in, according to some studies, curcumin works by reducing glucose production, decreasing inflammation while stimulating glucose uptake and increasing the secretion of insulin from the pancreas. All of these contribute to maintaining an adequate blood sugar level.

Conclusion

There you have it, all you wanted to know about nature's most potent anti-inflammatory substance. Having been in use as a spice for thousands of years it is quite remarkable how curcumin still continues to surprise scientist to this day. The newly discovered benefits just keep piling up, and we are eager to see what other secrets are held in this bright yellow powder that has proved to amazingly helpful to all humankind.