What Are the Benefits of Eating Raisins?

What Are the Benefits of Eating Raisins?

Raisins are dried grapes. However, unlike fresh grapes, they indeed are rich and concentrated sources of energy, vitamins, electrolytes, and minerals.  One small box of raisins, which is 1.5 ounces and holds about 90 raisins, fills one-half cup of your daily fruit requirement, plus it only has 129 calories and no fat. The same portion has 1.3 grams of protein, which gives men 2 percent and women 3 percent of their recommended daily intake.

Carbohydrates for Energy
The 34 grams of carbohydrates in one small box of raisins include 26 grams of sugar for rapid energy. If you use sports chews or other sports products to add carbohydrates and improve performance while you exercise or participate in endurance sports, you can get the same benefit from eating raisins, according to research published in the March 2012 issue of the “Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.” You’ll also get 1.6 grams of fiber, which is 4 percent of men’s and 6 percent of women’s daily intake from just one small box of raisins. About half of the total is soluble fiber that helps lower cholesterol and balance blood sugar.

Iron
Eating raisins every day helps you meet your daily requirement for iron. Even though most of the iron in the body carries oxygen in red blood cells, it’s also present in every cell in your body because it has so many other jobs. It supports your immune system, helps make amino acids and it’s essential for metabolism. Men should consume 8 milligrams and women need 18 milligrams daily, but no one should consume more than 45 milligrams of iron in a day because it can become toxic. You’ll get 0.81 milligrams of iron in one small box of raisins, which is 10 percent of men’s and 5 percent of women’s daily recommended intake.

Potassium
Potassium is able to carry electrical charges that cause muscle contraction and stimulate nerve impulses. It’s especially vital for your heart because potassium regulates the heart beat and also helps lower blood pressure by limiting the effect of sodium. Special structures in your body work constantly to maintain a strict concentration of potassium in the cells. These structures account for about 20 to 40 percent of your resting energy, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. The raisins in a 1.5-ounce box have 322 milligrams or 7 percent of the recommended daily intake of potassium.

Having a few raisins every day is good for your stomach. Raisins contain fibres that start to swell in the presence of water. These give a laxative effect to the stomach and help in relieving constipation. Also, daily intake of raisins keeps the bowel movement regular and the fibers help to keep toxins and waste products out of the system.

Reduce Acidity
Raisins contain potassium and magnesium in good levels. These help reduce acidity and help remove the toxins from the system, preventing diseases like arthritis, gout, kidney stones and heart diseases.

For The Eyes
Raisins are found to be rich in polyphenolic phytonutrients which are antioxidants that help in keeping your eyesight strong. The antioxidants in raisins help in protecting the eyes by reducing the free radical action that weakens the vision and causes muscular degeneration as well as cataract. Also, as raisins have vitamin A, beta carotene and A-Carotenoid  and they are super good for the eyes.

In addition, resveratrol reduces stroke risk by altering at the cell molecular level inside the blood vessels. It does so firstly through reducing susceptibility of blood vessels damage by decreasing the activity of angiotensin (a systemic hormone causing blood vessel constriction that would elevate blood pressure) and secondly, through increased production of the vasodilator substance, nitric oxide (a beneficial compound that causes relaxation of blood vessels).

White Mulberry Health benefits

White Mulberry http://goo.gl/MV4IRQ Health benefits 

Mulberries are delicious and nutritious, people all over the world enjoy it. 

Natural dried mulberries are a delicious and nutritious snack. These crunchy berries have no additives and pack a naturally sweet taste that is similar to goji berries and dried figs. You can enjoy dried white mulberries by themselves as a snack, or added to granola and trail mix. Dried mulberries can also be reconstituted in water to improve their texture and incorporated into other recipes. Mulberries pair exceptionally well with other superfruits like goji berries and blueberries. They can also be used to make puddings and wines.

Mulberries are a product of the Morus alba tree. Its leaves, which also contain nutrients and are even used as food for silkworms, are thin, glossy and light green.

Health benefits of mulberries

• Delicious, fleshy, succulent mulberries are less in calories (just 43 calories per 100 g). They compose of health promoting phyto-nutrient compounds like polyphenol pigment antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins that are essential for optimum health.

• Mulberries have significantly high amounts of phenolic flavonoid phytochemicals called anthocyanins. Scientific studies have shown that consumption of berries have potential health effects against cancer, aging and neurological diseases, inflammation, diabetes, and bacterial infections.

• The berries contain resveratrol, another polyphenol flavonoid antioxidant. Resveratrol protects against stroke risk by altering molecular mechanisms in the blood vessels; reducing their susceptibility to damage through reduced activity of angiotensin (a systemic hormone causing blood vessel constriction that would elevate blood pressure) but potentiating production of the vasodilator hormone, nitric oxide.

• In addition, these berries are an excellent sources of vitamin-C (36.4 mg per 100, about 61% of RDI), which is also a powerful natural antioxidant. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin-C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents, counter inflammation and scavenge harmful free radicals.

• Further, the berries also contain small amounts of vitamin A, and vitamin E, in addition to the above-mentioned antioxidants. Consumption of mulberry provides another group of health promoting flavonoid polyphenolic antioxidants such as lutein, zea-xanthin, ß-carotene and a-carotene in small but notably significant amounts. Altogether, these compounds help act as protect from harmful effects of oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging and various disease processes.

• Zea-xanthin, an important dietary carotenoid selectively concentrates into the retinal macula lutea, where it thought to provide antioxidant functions and protects the retina from the harmful ultraviolet rays through light-filtering actions.

• Mulberries are an excellent source of iron, which is a rare feature among berries, contain 1.85 mg/100 g of fruits (about 23% of RDI). Iron, being a component of hemoglobin inside the red blood cells, determines the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.

• They also good source of minerals like potassium, manganese, and magnesium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase.

• They are rich in B-complex group of vitamins and vitamin K. Contain very good amounts of vitamin B-6, niacin, riboflavin and folic acid. These vitamins are function as co-factors and help body in the metabolism of carbohydrates, protein, and fats.

Bee Pollen Benefits

What Is Bee Pollen?
Bees collect pollen from plant anthers, mix it with a small dose of the secretion from salivary glands or nectar, and place it in specific baskets on the tibia of their hind legs which is collected to form pellets.

After the pollen is collected, it’s brought to the hive where it’s packed in honeycomb cells. Then the surface of the collected pollen is covered with a thin layer of honey and wax, creating “bee bread.” The bee bread undergoes anaerobic fermentation and is preserved by the arising lactic acid. The bee bread serves as the basic protein source for the bee colony.

According to the latest national data, one bee colony gives one to seven kilograms of pollen a year. Each day, the amount of pollen collected from one colony amounts to 50–250 grams. There are special devices, or pollen traps, that are used to collect pollen baskets as field bees return to their hives. The bees must force their way through the traps to get into the hive, and they lose part of the pollen basket, sending them back out to collect more pollen.

The color of the pollen varies, ranging from bright yellow to black. Bees usually collect pollen from the same plant, but they sometimes collect pollen from many different plant species. The pollen grains depend on the plant species; they differ in shape, color, size and weight.


Bee pollen is known as an apitherapeutic product because it contains groups of chemical compounds that are made by bees and used for medicinal purposes. In its composition, there are about 250 substances, including amino acids, lipids, vitamins, macro- and micronutrients, and flavonoids.

Chemical Composition of Bee Pollen

• 30 percent digestible carbohydrates
• 26 percent sugars (mainly fructose and glucose)
• 23 percent protein (including 10 percent of essential amino acids)
• 5 percent lipids (including essential fatty acids)
• 2 percent phenolic compounds (including flavonoids)
• 1.6 percent minerals (including calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, iron, copper, zinc, manganese, silicon and selenium)
• 0.6 percent water-soluble vitamins and acids (including B1, B2, B6 and C)
• 0.1 percent fat-soluble vitamins (including vitamins A, E and D)

Reduces Inflammation

The anti-inflammatory activity of bee pollen has been compared to drugs, such as naproxen, analgin, phenylbutazone and indomethacin. Researchers suggest that it can be used in acute and chronic inflammatory conditions, initial degenerative conditions, and liver disease or toxicity. A 2010 study published in Pharmaceutical Biology found that honeybee pollen displayed significant anti-inflammatory activities when given to mice with acetaminophen-induced liver necrosis. 

Another study conducted in 2010 investigated the anti-inflammatory effect of bee pollen bulk, its water extract and its ethanol extract by a method of carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats. The results indicate the bulk mildly suppressed the paw edema while the water extract showed almost no inhibitory activity. The ethanol extract showed potent anti-inflammatory activity, and researchers suggest that it can used as a dietary supplement and as a functional food. 

Acts as an Antioxidant

Recent studies have revealed that enzymatic hydrolysates from bee pollen are beneficial for patients undergoing various diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and hypertension. The antioxidant properties were measured in a 2005 study, and researchers found that it has remarkable antioxidant activity. They witnessed high scavenging activities against active oxidative stress. Researchers even suggested that the inhibitory activities of bee pollen were similar to those found in fermented foods, such as natto, miso, cheese and vinegar.

Protects Against Liver Toxicity

One 2013 study published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that chestnut bee pollen protects hepatocytes from the oxidative stress and promotes the healing of liver damage caused by toxicity. Rats with carbon tetrachloride-induced liver damage were separated into two groups — one group took two different concentrations of chestnut bee pollen orally (200–400 milligrams per kilogram a day), and one group was given silibinin, a medication that contains flavonoids.

The researchers detected that both treatments reversed the liver damage, but silibinin caused significant weight loss and death due to severe diarrhea when given to rats. These findings suggest that bee pollen is a safe alternative to the silibinin in the treatment of liver injuries and can be part of a liver cleanse. 

Boosts the Immune System

Bee pollen has antimicrobial and antiviral properties. A 2014 study published in Food and Chemical Toxicology evaluated the biological actives of eight commercial bee pollen purchased from the market. All of the samples exhibited antimicrobial activity. Staphylococcus aureus was the most sensitive to bee pollen, and candida glabrata was the most resistant. 

Bee pollen may also be a natural allergy fighter. A 2008 study conducted in Japan investigated the effect of bee pollen on mast cell activation, which plays a central role in various allergic diseases. The researchers performed in vivo and in vitro experiments and found that bee pollen does have anti-allergic action because of its ability to inhibit the activation of mast cells, which plays an important role in the early and late phases of allergic reactions. 

Serves as a Dietary Supplement

Animal studies suggest that bee pollen can be used as a valuable dietary supplement. Studies have proved that mice and rats fed with pollen showed a higher vitamin C and magnesium content in the thymus, heart muscle and skeletal muscles. They also had a higher hemoglobin content and greater number of red blood cells after pollen consumption. Bee pollen has actually lengthened the life span of experimental animals.

An interesting study published in the Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition evaluated the effects of bee pollen on 40 New Zealand white rabbits. The rabbits were equally divided among four groups that received the same commercial diet. Each group was given a water solution containing no bee pollen or 100, 200 or 300 milligrams of bee pollen per kilogram of body weight. The female rabbits were mated with non-treated male rabbits from October to February and May to September.

For each season, 80 weaned rabbits originated from the females of the control group, and they were divided into the same four groups to begin treatment. Bee pollen treatment for the female rabbits at 200 milligrams significantly increased body weight, conception rate, milk yield and litter size. It also improved biochemical profiles of blood. The same dose of bee pollen also significantly increased the growth of baby rabbits and their survival rate until weaning. Similar bee pollen benefits were displayed in a 1994 study that involved pregnant rats and fetal growth. 

These animal studies suggest that bee pollen has a high nutritional value and works as a supplement for animals with nutritional deficiencies. Researchers suggest that it can be helpful when given to children who have a lack of appetite or experience a developmental delay. It may also help malnourished children and adults, especially before and after surgery, when recovering from an addiction to alcohol, or when they’re under physical or mental stress.

Relieves Menopausal Symptoms

A 2015 study conducted in Germany found that both honey and bee pollen honey improved menopausal complaints in breast cancer patients on antihormonal treatment. Over two-thirds of the patients who completed the study reported an improvement in their symptoms.

Researchers suggest that bee pollen and honey may be offered to women who have failed to respond to other alternatives to cope with postmenopausal symptoms. They also note that the flavonoids found in honey and pollen have been found to prevent breast cancer, supporting the use of these products in women with menopause symptoms and problems with or without a history of breast cancer. 

Helps Relieve Stress 

Because of bee pollen’s nutritional and tonic properties, it improves blood supply to nervous tissue, boosting mental capacity and strengthening the nervous system that may be weakened by stress. That makes it one of the most effective natural stress relievers. It may be particularly useful for people with a lack of energy, especially the elderly. Even small doses of bee pollen over an extended period of time can improve mood and physical endurance, thereby strengthening one’s desire to live.

It also serves as a local analgesic, giving it the ability to relieve pain that can be brought on by stress or injury. 

Promotes Healing

Bee pollen can be used as a topical ointment to speed up the healing process, especially useful as a home remedy for burn relief. The pollen includes kaempferol, which inhibits the activity of enzymes after a burn and decreases inflammatory reactions and swelling.

Pollen helps improve blood circulation in the vessels, and it moistens the skin. The anti-inflammatory and analgesic action of flavonoids in bee pollen helps relieve pain and prevent platelet aggregation. Pollen also helps prevent infection because of its antimicrobial activity, allowing a wound or burn to heal quickly. 

Because bee pollen is a great source of many vitamins and minerals, it can also help keep your skin looking younger and glowing. It stimulates blood supply to all skin cells, helps detoxify the body, reduces the appearance of wrinkles and speeds up the healing process.

Treating Allergies 

Pollen reduces the presence of histamine, ameliorating many allergies. Dr. Leo Conway, M.D of Denver Colorado, reported that 94 percent of his patients were completely free from allergy symptoms once treated with oral feeding of pollen. Everything from asthma to allergies to sinus problems were cleared, confirming that bee pollen is wonderfully effective against a wide range of respiratory diseases.

Prostate Aid 

Men who suffer from benign prostate hyperplasia can find relief by using bee pollen. Bee pollen can help reduce inflammation to stop frequent urges to urinate. 

Garbanzo beans benefits nutrients and uses

Binomial name: Cicer arietinum

There's now direct evidence about garbanzo beans http://goo.gl/4RQX0p and appetite! Participants in a recent study reported more satisfaction with their diet when garbanzo beans were included, and they consumed fewer processed food snacks during test weeks in the study when garbanzo beans were consumed. They also consumed less food overall when the diet was supplemented with garbanzo beans.


Garbanzo beans (like most legumes) have long been valued for their fiber content. Two cups provide the entire Daily Value! But the research news on garbanzos and fiber has recently taken us one step further by suggesting that the fiber benefits of garbanzo beans may go beyond the fiber benefits of other foods. In a recent study, two groups of participants received about 28 grams of fiber per day. But the two groups were very different in terms of their food sources for fiber. One group received dietary fiber primarily from garbanzo beans. The other group obtained dietary fiber from entirely different sources. The garbanzo bean group had better blood fat regulation, including lower levels of LDL-cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglycerides.

In some parts of the world (for example, parts of India), garbanzo beans are eaten daily in large amounts and on a year-round basis. But a recent study has shown that we can obtain health benefits from garbanzo beans even when we eat much smaller amounts over a much shorter period of time. In this study, it took only one week of garbanzo bean consumption to improve participants' control of blood sugar and insulin secretion. Equally important, only one-third cup of the beans per day was needed to provide these blood-sugar related health benefits.

Garbanzos are a food you definitely want to keep on your "digestive support" list—especially if you are focusing on the colon. Between 65-75% of the fiber found in garbanzo beans is insoluble fiber, and this type of fiber remains undigested all the way down to the final segment of your large intestine (colon). Recent studies have shown that garbanzo bean fiber can be metabolized by bacteria in the colon to produce relatively large amounts of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), including acetic, propionic, and butyric acid. These SCFAs provide fuel to the cells that line your intestinal wall. By supporting the energy needs of our intestinal cells, the SCFAs made from garbanzo fibers can help lower your risk of colon problems, including your risk of colon cancer.

Most garbanzo beans found in the grocery (especially canned garbanzos) are cream-colored and relatively round. This type of garbanzo bean is called the "kabuli-type." Worldwide, there's a far more common type of garbanzo bean called the "desi-type." This second type of garbanzo bean is about half the size of cream-colored type we're accustomed to seeing in the grocery, and it's more irregular in shape. The color is also different—varying from light tan to black. Researchers have recently determined that many of the antioxidants present in garbanzo beans are especially concentrated in the outer seed coat that gives the beans their distinctive color. Darker-colored "desi-type" garbanzo beans appear to have thicker seed coats and greater concentrations of antioxidants than the larger and more regularly shaped cream-colored garbanzos that are regularly found at salad bars and in canned products. Of course, it is important to remember that antioxidants can be found in both types of garbanzo beans and you'll get great health benefits from both types. But if you have previously shied away from darker-colored or irregularly-shaped garbanzo beans, we want to encourage you to reconsider and to enjoy all types of garbanzo beans, including the darker-colored and irregularly-shaped ones.

Health Benefits

Digestive Tract Support
Even though legumes are known for their fiber, most people do not know how helpful the fiber in garbanzo beans can actually be for supporting digestive tract function. First is the issue of amount. Garbanzos contain about 12.5 grams of fiber per cup. That's 50% of the Daily Value (DV)! In addition to this plentiful amount, at least two-thirds of the fiber in garbanzos is insoluble. This insoluble fiber typically passes all the way through our digestive tract unchanged, until it reaches the last part of our large intestine (the colon). Bacteria in our colon can break down the garbanzos' insoluble fiber into short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) including acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid. These SCFAs can be absorbed by the cells that line our colon wall and can be used by these cells for energy. In fact, butyric acid is the preferred source of energy for the cells lining our colon. With the extra amounts of energy provided by SCFAs from the insoluble fiber in garbanzos, our colon cells can stay optimally active and healthy. Healthier colon cell function means lower risk for us of colon problems, including lower risk of colon cancer.

Unique Supply of Antioxidants
Many of our body systems are susceptible to oxidative stress and damage from reactive oxygen molecules. These systems include our cardiovascular system, our lungs, and our nervous system. Plentiful amounts of antioxidant nutrients are critical for the support of these body systems, and garbanzo beans are a remarkable food in terms of their antioxidant composition. While containing small but valuable amounts of conventional antioxidant nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene, garbanzo beans also contain more concentrated supplies of antioxidant phytonutrients. These phytonutrients include the flavonoids quercetin, kaempferol, and myricetin (usually found in the outer layer of the beans), and the phenolic acids ferulic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, and vanillic acid (usually found in the interior portion of the beans). Depending on the type of bean and color/thickness of the outer layer, garbanzo beans can also contain significant amounts of the anthocyanins delphinidin, cyanidin, and petunidin. The mineral manganese—a key antioxidant in the energy-producing mitochondria found inside most cells—is also provided in excellent amounts by garbanzo beans. In fact, just one cup of garbanzos can provide you with nearly 85% of the Daily Value (DV) for this key antioxidant. An increasing number of animal and human studies clearly show the ability of garbanzo beans to reduce our risk of heart disease, and we believe that an important part of this risk reduction is due to the fantastic antioxidant make-up of these legumes.

Decreased Cardiovascular Risks
While epidemiologic studies don't always single out garbanzo beans from other beans when determining their relationship to cardiovascular disease, garbanzo beans are almost always included in the list of legumes studied when heart disease is the focus of diet research.
Large-scale epidemiologic studies give us a great look at potential heart benefits from garbanzo beans, and the evidence shows garbanzo beans to be outstanding in this area. As little as 3/4 cup of garbanzos per day can help lower our LDL-cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglycerides in a one-month period of time. This cardiovascular support is likely to come from multiple aspects of garbanzo beans and their nutrient composition. About one-third of the fiber in garbanzo beans is soluble fiber, and this type of fiber is the type most closely associated with support of heart health. 

As mentioned earlier in this Health Benefits section, garbanzo beans also have a unique combination of antioxidants, and these antioxidants clearly provide support for our blood vessels walls and blood itself. And while garbanzo beans are not a fatty food, they do contain valuable amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids, including alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the body's omega-3 fatty acid from which all other omega-3 fats are made. There are about 70-80 milligrams of ALA in every cup of garbanzo beans, and there are about 2 grams of other polyunsaturated fatty acids. Risk of coronary heart disease is one of the specific types of cardiovascular risks that has been shown to be reduced by regular intake of garbanzo beans and other legumes.

Better Regulation of Blood Sugar
No food macronutrients are more valuable for blood sugar regulation than fiber and protein. These two nutrients have an amazing ability to help stabilize the flow of food through our digestive tract and prevent the breakdown of food from taking place too quickly or too slowly. When food passes through us at a healthy rate of speed, release of sugar from the food is typically better regulated. Strong vitamin and mineral composition of a food - including strong antioxidant composition - can also help stabilize its digestive impact on our blood sugar. Given these basic relationships between nutrition and blood sugar control, it's not surprising to see garbanzo beans improving blood sugar regulation in research studies. We've seen studies in which participants consumed as little as 1/2 cup of garbanzo beans per day and still witnessed better blood sugar control in as little as one week. In animal studies, garbanzo-based improvements in blood sugar regulation have partly been linked to better control of insulin output and overall insulin function. We suspect that some of these blood sugar benefits are directly related to improved digestive function. Garbanzo beans are a fantastic food for providing our digestive system with nutrient support. Even though research studies have shown blood sugar benefits with as little as 1/2 cup servings of garbanzo beans, we recommend that you consider more generous single servings of this delicious legume, in the range of up to 1 cup.

Increased Chances for Satiety and Decreased Caloric Intake
We have been excited to see recent studies showing a positive relationship between garbanzo beans and weight management. The best single study we've seen in this regard has been a study that measured food satiety. "Food satiety" is the scientific term used to describe our satisfaction with food—how full it leaves us feeling, and how effective it is in eliminating our sense of hunger and appetite. Participants in a recent study were found to consume fewer snacks and fewer overall calories when supplementing their regular diet with garbanzo beans. They were also found to report greater food satiety, with experiences of reduced appetite and greater food satisfaction. 

We look forward to some large-scale studies in this area, and we expect to see a clear role being carved out for garbanzo beans in terms of weight loss and weight management. 
Along with their unusual combination of protein and fiber and their great ability to stabilize digestion, garbanzo beans also stand out as a food that is moderate in terms of calories. At approximately 270 calories per cup, we're talking about 10-15% of daily calories. In return for this moderate calorie cost, we get 50% of the DV for fiber and 29% of the DV for protein. Those nutrient amounts are great trade-offs for anyone struggling with weight loss or weight management.

Health Benefits of Turmeric

Although the list is much longer, we’ve selected 10 drugs that pale in comparison to turmeric http://goo.gl/DgH10k in potentially reversing disease. As you read this report, keep in mind that one of the most powerful advantages curcumin has over the traditional medical approach is the lack of side effects.

Anticoagulants/Antiplatelets
Medical intervention generally includes the following medications to slow and prevent blood clotting:

• Aspirin
• Clopidogrel (Plavix)
• Diclofenac
• Enoxaparin (Lovenox)
• Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others)
• Naproxen
• Warfarin (Coumadin), and others.

Unfortunately, for people with conditions that are treated by these drugs (i.e. deep-vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism), this approach may not always be the wisest decision. Ibuprofen overdose is one such common problem. In addition to common side effects like excessive bleeding and hemorrhage, the risks associated with anticoagulants abound and include everything from back pain to headaches to difficulty breathing.

Turmeric http://goo.gl/DgH10k  , on the other hand, has relatively no known side effects unless taken in extremely excessive amounts.
Additionally, ever since several groundbreaking studies in the mid-1980s, the curcumin in turmeric has been suggested by researchers as actually being a better option for those with vascular thrombosis.

Anti-depressants
Although few studies have been conducted on humans, dozens of research trials have proven that turmeric is especially effective in correcting depression symptoms in laboratory animals.

To address this issue, the journal Phytotherapy Research published the results of an amazing, innovative study this past year.  The study took 60 volunteers diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD), such as manic depression, and split the group to determine how patients treated by curcumin fared against fluoxetine (Prozac) and a combination of the two. 

Not only was it discovered that all patients tolerated curcumin well, but they discovered curcumin was as effective as Prozac in managing depression.

According to the authors, “This study provides first clinical evidence that curcumin may be used as an effective and safe therapy for treatment in patients with Mild Depression.”

Anti-inflammatories
Arguably, the most powerful aspect of curcumin is its ability to control inflammation. 

The journal Oncogene published the results of a study that evaluated several anti-inflammatory compounds and found that aspirin and ibuprofen are least effective, while curcumin, is among the most effective anti-inflammatory compounds in the world. 

This news should have reached every household in the world after the study was conducted because inflammation puts people at risk for almost every disease process known to man.

Diseases today such as cancer, ulcerative colitis, arthritis, high cholesterol and chronic pain can be the result of inflammation.

As you will see below in several other articles related to chronic illness, keep this in the back of your mind: Turmeric’s key to disease reversal may be its ability to keep inflammation at bay. 

Arthritis management 
Because curcumin is known for its powerful anti-inflammatory and pain reducing characteristics, a study was conducted on 45 rheumatoid arthritis patients to compare the benefits of curcumin in turmeric to arthritis drugs (diclofenac sodium), that put people at risk of developing leaky gut and heart disease.

The study split these volunteers into three groups: curcumin treatment alone, diclofenac sodium alone, and a combination of the two. The results of the trial were eye-opening:

The curcumin group showed the highest percentage of improvement in overall [Disease Activity Score] scores and these scores were significantly better than the patients in the diclofenac sodium group. More importantly, curcumin treatment was found to be safe and did not relate with any adverse events. Our study provides the first evidence for the safety and superiority of curcumin treatment in patients with active RA, and highlights the need for future large-scale trials to validate these findings in patients with RA and other arthritic conditions.

Published by Phytotherapy Research in 2012, the results of this study has encouraged more human research to evaluate the amazing effects curcumin-rich plants like turmeric has on people suffering from various different types of arthritis.

Cancer treatment 
Of all the various topics scientists have tackled in regards to the curcumin and disease reversal, cancer (of various types) is one of the most thoroughly researched topics. In the words of global authorities like Cancer Research UK,

A number of laboratory studies on cancer cells have shown that curcumin does have anticancer effects. It seems to be able to kill cancer cells and prevent more from growing. It has the best effects on breast cancer, bowel cancer, stomach cancer and skin cancer cells. 

A 2007 American study that combined curcumin with chemotherapy to treat bowel cancer cells in a laboratory showed that the combined treatment killed more cancer cells than the chemotherapy alone. 

States-side, the American Cancer Society states,

Laboratory studies have also shown that curcumin interferes with cancer development, growth, and spread. Researchers have reported that curcumin blocked the formation of cancer-causing enzymes in rodents.

Recently, curcumin has received a great deal of focus because of it’s ability to reduce tumor size and kill cancer cells.

Bottom line: Turmeric works incredibly well to help naturally treat cancer and is especially effective at treating breast cancer, colon cancer and skin cancer.

Diabetes management 
For lowering blood sugar and reversing insulin resistance there’s arguably no better natural treatment than adding turmeric into your diet.

In 2009, Biochemistry and Biophysical Research Communications published a study out of Auburn University that explored how supplementing with turmeric can help reverse diabetes.

The study discovered that curcumin in turmeric is literally 400 times more potent than Metformin (a common diabetes drug) in activating AMPK which improves insulin sensitivity which can help reverse Type 2 Diabetes.

In addition to correcting the causes of diabetes, curcumin has also been proven to help reverse many of the issues related to insulin resistance and hyperglycemia.

Take, for instance, diabetic neuropathy and retinopathy. One of the most common complications of diabetes is damaged blood vessels which cause blindness.

A study found that supplementing with curcumin can delay this horrible complication of diabetes because of its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Gastrointestinal treatments
Oftentimes, people with digestive and stomach complaints become intolerant to medical interventions because the stomach flora is already compromised and drugs can literally tear up the mucosal lining.
An in-depth analysis of all the studies evaluating curcumin’s ability to manage inflammatory bowel disease (IBS, Crohn’s disease, and Ulcerative Colitis) found that many patients were able to stop taking their prescribed corticosteroids because their condition improved so dramatically by taking curcumin! 
For many patients with IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) corticosteroids reduce their pain symptoms, but damage the intestinal lining over time actually making the condition worse.

However, supplementing with curcumin did not have these side effects and, because of its anti-inflammatory properties, actually helped heal the gut and supported the growth of good bacteria (probiotics).

Cholesterol regulators 
One of the reasons heart disease is such a problem in the U.S. is that people are developing pre-diabetes (excessive blood sugar) at an alarming rate.

In turn, diabetics and non-diabetics alike are suffering from a common complication called oxidative stress, which damages the inside of blood vessels.  Because of this damage to the arteries, cholesterol begins to build up to patch up the damaged areas which leads to high levels of LDL cholesterol. 

Traditionally, statin drugs (like Lipitor) are widely known to harm the kidneys and liver and cause a number of deadly side effects.  They do bring cholesterol down but never address that actual cause which is oxidative stress that is caused by high blood sugar levels and inflammation.

Thankfully, medical doctors are becoming more and more aware of the dangerous side effects of statin-drugs and prescribing natural alternatives like curcumin and fish oil instead!

A study done by Drugs in R & D found that curcumin was equal or more effective than diabetes medications at reducing oxidative stress and inflammation in the treatment of high cholesterol.

Studies like these are causing pharmaceutical companies to try and design a synthetic form of curcumin that unfortunately, will not work as well as the real thing.

Painkillers 
One of the more widely accepted properties of curcumin in scientific communities is its ability to manage pain.

Just this past year the European Journal of Pharmacology published research that discovered curcumin naturally activates the opioid system in diabetic rats. Typically manipulated by drugs, this natural process serves as the body’s inherent pain-relieving response. 

Not being limited to diabetic pain conditions, an interesting study also published late last year gives us a clue as to the wide array of pain conditions that can be treated by curcumin.

Take, for instance, severe burns. Typically, burn victims are treated by dangerous opioids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories. However, because of its anti-inflammatory benefits, U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research suggests that, curcumin should be used to treat burns instead of these conventional medications.

The trend should becoming clear at this point. Therapeutic use of turmeric and other curcumin-rich plants are displacing conventional medical treatments and proving it’s a legitimate natural painkiller.

Steroids 
Lastly, we’ll take a look at how turmeric benefits the many conditions normally treated by corticosteroids such as:

• 
  
• Psoriasis
• Lupus
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Scleroderma
• Chronic pain                                                                                                                                                                                  

In a 1999 breakthrough clinical study, it was found that curcumin has the ability to cure chronic inflammation of the eye.  Typically this condition was only treated with steroids but today it’s common for medical doctors who practice functional medicine to prescribe curcumin instead.

What cannot be overstated, however, is that although statistically “comparable” to steroids in managing and reversing chronic disease, “The lack of side effects with curcumin is its greatest advantage compared with corticosteroids,” as stated by the authors in the above study out of K.G. Medical College.

To give you a sense of the amount of suffering alleviated by curcumin, the following is a sample of steroid side effects listed by the UK’s National Health Services (NHS):

• Acne
• Asthma
• Cancer
• Cataracts
• Delayed wound healing
• Diabetes onset
• Glaucoma
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Increased appetite (oftentimes leading to increased weight)
• Indigestion
• Insomnia
• Kidney and thyroid issues
• Mood disturbances (including aggression, irritability, and rapid mood swings mimicking bipolar disorder)
• Muscle weakness
• Nausea
• Risk of infection
• Stunted growth in children
• Tachycardia (rapid heartbeat)
• Thinning skin (leading to easy bruising)

Ultimately, when taking into account the large amount of deadly complications these 10 drugs puts your body at risk for, it is easy to see how taking therapeutic curcumin is superior to most medicines.

If you have any of the diseases above, you will want to consider this natural approach first. For those of you who aren’t sick, taking turmeric will serve you well as a preventative measure.