Information on Turmeric

[Guest guest]

NatureLovers,

 

Just wanted you to brief you about the good effects of Curcumin (an active

constituent in Turmeric)

I am also attaching a Turmeric Flyer , that Linda once sent me recently.

The following article is a copy from one of the misc.health.alternative posts.

 

Disclaimer : THE INFORMATION IN THIS PROGRAM (AND ANY ACCOMPANYING PRINTED

MATERIAL) IS NOT INTENDED TO REPLACE THE ATTENTION OR ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN

OR OTHER HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL.

 

Elevated LDL cholesterol is associated with a greater-than-normal risk of

atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. The objective is to lower total

cholesterol to 200 mg/dL or less, and to lower dangerous LDL cholesterol to

under 120 mg/dL. The best way of lowering cholesterol is through dietary

modification, yet for some people, no matter how little fat and cholesterol

they consume, their livers produce too much cholesterol. FDA-approved

cholesterol-lowering drugs can produce serious long-term side effects.

There are nutrients that lower cholesterol as well or better than

FDA-approved drugs. By having regular blood tests to measure cholesterol

levels, you can now choose less costly herbal supplements that produce

beneficial side effects. One newly identified herbal extract that can lower

cholesterol levels is curcumin, the yellow pigment of turmeric.

 

Curcumin helps to prevent several diseases. When rats were fed small doses

of curcumin, their cholesterol levels fell to one-half those of rats not

receiving curcumin (Journal of Nutrition 100:1307-16, 1970). Curcumin's

mechanisms of cholesterol reduction include interfering with intestinal

cholesterol uptake, increasing the conversion of cholesterol into bile

acids, and increasing the excretion of bile acids, according to the

International Journal of Vitamin Nutritional Research (61:364-9, 1991).

Curcumin inhibits abnormal blood clot formation by blocking the formation

of thromboxane, which is a promoter of platelet aggregation. Curcumin

increases prostacyclin, the body's natural inhibitor of abnormal platelet

aggregation (Arzneim Forsh 36:715-7,1986). When 500 mg a day of curcumin

was administered to ten human volunteers, there was a 29% increase in

beneficial HDL cholesterol after only 7 days. In this study, total

cholesterol was reduced by 11.6% and lipid peroxidation was reduced by 33%

(Indian Journal of Physiology, 36(4):273-275, 1992). If you are taking

cholesterol-lowering drugs, you may be able to substitute curcumin and

other nutrients in our Herbal Cardiovascular Formula. In order to document

curcumin's effectiveness, test your cholesterol before taking curcumin,

then obtain another cholesterol test 45 days later. If curcumin works for

you, you will save money, avoid potential side effects, and obtain

additional health benefits. While FDA-approved cholesterol lowering drugs

can cause liver damage and may cause cancer, curcumin has well documented

cancer and viral inhibiting effects. Curcumin also has anti-inflammatory

effects. It neutralizes dietary carcinogens and inhibits cancer at the

initiation, promotion, and progression stages of development. Curcumin is a

potent antioxidant and an inhibitor of HIV replication. Unlike FDA-approved

drugs, curcumin may protect against viral hepatitis induced liver damage.

Do not use curcumin if a biliary tract obstruction exists because curcumin

increases the excretion of cholesterol bile acids. High doses of curcumin

on an empty stomach can cause stomach ulceration.

 

Curcumin is in the Herbal Cardiovascular Formula. A small amount of

curcumin is also included in Life Extension Booster. Another

cholesterol-lowering herbal extract is gugulipid, an extract from the

mukjul tree. In a study in the Journal of Associated Physicians-India,

37(5):323-8, 1989, 125 patients receiving gugulipid, experienced an average

11% decrease in total cholesterol, and a 16.8% decrease in triglycerides

within 3-4 weeks. Patients with elevated cholesterol responded better than

normal patients. HDL cholesterol increased in 60% of the patients receiving

gugulipid. In a placebo controlled study, 205 patients received gugulipid

at a dose of 25 mg three times a day. Of the gugulipid-treated patients,

70-80% experienced cholesterol reduction compared to virtually none in the

placebo group (Journal of Associated Physicians-India, 37(5):328-8 1989).

In another placebo controlled trial in 40 patients with high blood fat

levels, serum cholesterol declined by 21.75%, and triglycerides by 27.1%

after three weeks of gugulipid administration. After sixteen weeks of

gugulipid administration, HDL cholesterol increased by 35.8%.

 

You can read the full article at :

http://groups.google.com/groups?q=herbal+extract & start=10 & hl=en & lr= & ie=UTF-8 & oe=\

UTF-8 & selm=33B1D2A8.4255%40netcom.ca & rnum=20

 

Regards, Puneet

A strong believer in Ayurveda.

 

 

====Jai Shri Venkateshwaray Namah ====