For countless centuries, people have turned to various spices to flavor an otherwise bland diet.  An added bonus has been the discovery that many of these spices appear to have specific health benefits when incorporated into our diet.  Various research studies have also confirmed that quite a few can boost natural weight loss and the list continues to grow.  

Preliminary research on Curcumin, one of the primary compounds found in the spice Turmeric, is poised to join that list as well.    Turmeric is a popular spice used through the Middle East and parts of Asia.  If you love Indian food, you are probably familiar with its bright yellow color and strong taste.  

Since the early 1900s, Turmeric has been used to treat a wide variety of ailments ranging from jaundice and menstrual issues to colic and flatulence.  However, the preventative and therapeutic benefits of Curcumin may be even greater.   Studies that are more recent suggest that Curcumin might prove to have anti-cancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticarcinogenic properties.  It is also one of just a few other activities (i.e. high impact exercise, learning, bright light, antidepressant usage) that has been found to have a positive effect on reducing stress, depression and anxiety.  

The good news does not stop there either as a study published in the Journal of Nutrition suggests Curcumin may also play a role in weight loss.  The Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University fed mice a high-fat diet (22%) along with 500 mg of Curcumin per kilogram of diet for 12 weeks.   At the end of the clinical trial, researchers found that they were successful in reducing body weight gain and fat mass in the mice, while also lowering blood cholesterol levels.  Results are preliminary and researchers stress the need for additional studies involving humans to confirm, but the data is promising.

Curcumin may indeed prove helpful in weight loss, but there are a few potential problems in terms of unlocking the rewards.  Very little Curcumin is actually absorbed into the body when eaten.  There are Curcumin supplements available, but they typically come in non-soluble pill form, which can limit absorbability.  To improve absorption rates, Curcumin supplements are sometimes combined with piperine, extracted from pepper.  Combined with 20 mg of piperine, Curcumin absorption improved 2,000 percent in the first hour after ingesting.  However, after that, it wasn’t any more effective than if taking a straight Curcumin extract.  A final note of caution: piperine has been found to affect drug metabolism, so if you are taking other drugs, speak with your doctor before starting.

In regards to possible side effects, human trials have shown that high dosages of between 2 and 12 g showed few ill effects.  A few study participants reported mild nausea and diarrhea, but nothing beyond that at this point.  Additional human clinic trials kicked off in 2008 to study the effects of Curcumin on multiple myeloma, pancreatic cancer, colon cancer, psoriasis and Alzheimer’s, so more information about this polyphenol in the next few years.  
 

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