What are the Attributes of Curcumin?

Curcumin for Heart Health

Curcumin, the yellow pigment of the Indian spice turmeric, may have several heart or cardioprotective effects, a new study reports.

Researchers from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, explained that curcumin is extracted from the powdered dry rhizome of Curcuma longa Linn (Zingiberaceae) and it has been used for centuries in indigenous medicine.

They noted that: curcumin has a protective role against myocardial necrosis (heart muscle death); curcumin has antioxidant activity; curcumin may enhance the activities of detoxifying enzymes; and curcumin inhibits free-radical generation in myocardial ischemia (heart attack).

The review covered the following aspects: (1) the history of curcumin and its discovery as a potent drug with relevance to cardiovascular diseases; (2) mechanistic role of curcumin in vitro, emphasizing the antiplatelet and anticoagulant effects; (3) cardiovascular properties of curcumin; (4) application of curcumin in different animal models (viz. myocardial ischemia, myocardial infarction, cardiomyopathy, and arrhythmia in vitro and in vivo); (5) curcumin free-radical scavenging activity, particularly against O2 radical and depletion of the oxidative stress.

Curcumin is also being studied for the prevention and/or treatment of: cancer, dyspepsia (upset stomach), peptic ulcer disease, cholelithiasis prevention/cholagogue (gallbladder contraction/bile flow stimulant), hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol), osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, scabies, HIV and uveitis (inflammation of the membranes of the eye).

References

Miriyala S, Panchatcharam M, Rengarajulu P. Cardioprotective effects of curcumin. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2007;595:359-77. View Abstract.
Natural Standard Research Collaboration: The Authority on Integrative Medicine. http://www.naturalstandard.com/. Copyright © 2008.

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