20 Health Benefits of Curcuma Longa (Curcumae Radix)

BRAIN TUMORS
One of the biggest health benefits of Curcuma Longa (Curcumae Radix) is in the prevention and treatment of cancer. Research has found that curcumin induces cell death in medulloblastoma, a pediatric brain tumor. Other studies have found that it may induce cell death in glioblastomas, an aggressive type of brain tumor that is resistant to chemo and radiation.

PROSTATE CANCER
One study found that Curcuma Longa (Curcumae Radix), when combined with cruciferous vegetables, may prevent prostate cancer and stop or slow the growth of existing prostate cancer.

SKIN CANCER
A study found that curcumin caused melanoma cells to commit suicide. Topical curcumin has shown promise in fighting squamous cell carcinoma.

LEUKEMIA
Curcumin was found to have an inhibitory effect on WT1 gene expression in childhood leukemia cells. A study on Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) at the University of Palermo in Italy found that mice treated with curcumin developed smaller tumors than the control group.

MULTIPLE MYELOMA
A French study published in 2014 in Cancer Biology & Therapy found that several different multiple myeloma cell lines were sensitive to curcumin. The study authors concluded that the results indicate more clinical trials are worth doing on curcumin and multiple myeloma. MD Anderson Cancer Research Center at the University of Texas has been studying the effects of curcumin on multiple myeloma for several years. For an interesting anecdotal story of a woman with multiple myeloma who has been keeping her cancer at bay for years using MD Anderson’s curcumin protocol, check out Margaret’s Corner.

METASTASIS PREVENTION
Multiple studies have found that one of the most exciting health benefits of Curcuma Longa (Curcumae Radix) is the prevention of metastasis, the spread of cancer from the primary site to other areas of the body.

CACHEXIA PREVENTION
Cachexia is one of the biggest hurdles for many cancer patients with solid tumors. It causes weight loss and muscle wasting even when large amounts of food are ingested. A Chinese study found that patients with colorectal cancer who were given oral curcumin while waiting to undergo surgery experienced weight gain. The same study also found that curcumin induced cancer cell death in patients with colorectal cancer.

CHEMOTHERAPY ENHANCER
Researchers at UCLA found that curcumin enhances the effects of cisplatin, a chemotherapy used in the treatment of many different cancers. Cisplatin and curcumin together worked better at suppressing tumors than cisplatin alone. In addition, a study published in the Nutrition and Cancer journal found that curcumin not only makes cancer cells more susceptible to chemo but it also protects healthy cells from the toxic effects of chemo.

ALZHEIMER’S PREVENTION
One of the most exciting Curcuma Longa (Curcumae Radix) benefits is in the realm of brain health. It has long been noted that elderly people in India have low rates of Alzheimer’s disease. One reason may be that they consume a lot of Curcuma Longa (Curcumae Radix) in their diets. A study found that curcumin may prevent or slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease by removing amyloyd plaque buildup in the brain.

EYE HEALTH
A study at the UC San Diego found that curcumin may be able to treat some types of retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative group of eye diseases that can lead to blindness. Another study found that it may be helpful in the treatment of macular degeneration.

WEIGHT LOSS
Research has found that curcumin may be a powerful tool in the fight against obesity and its related symptoms. Curcumin reduces leptin resistance, lowers insulin resistance, reverses hyperglycemia, reduces inflammation, and activates fat burning gene signals.

NATURAL PAINKILLER & ANTI-INFLAMMATORY
Curcumin is a natural painkiller and cox-2 inhibitor. One study compared curcumin to ibuprofen for pain relief in knee osteoarthritis patients and found that the curcumin worked just as well as ibuprofen. Several studies have found that curcumin has potent anti-inflammatory properties. According to the Arthritis Foundation, several studies have found Curcuma Longa (Curcumae Radix) to be effective at reducing joint inflammation and pain, with one of the studies even finding curcumin to be better at reducing pain and swelling in patients with rheumatoid arthritis than diclofenac, an NSAID that is commonly prescribed for people with RA.

LIVER HEALTH
Is your liver taxed to the limit? One of the health benefits of Curcuma Longa (Curcumae Radix) that is believed to be a natural liver detoxifier. One study found that it may protect against alcohol-induced liver damage as well as damage caused by a high fat diet.

PARKINSON’S DISEASE
Curcumin crosses the blood-brain barrier and is a known neuroprotective agent. Several studies have found that curcumin may be beneficial in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. According to Michigan State University researchers, curcumin can prevent clumping of a protein that leads to Parkinson’s.

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
Curcumin has shown promise in slowing the progression of multiple sclerosis. A study at Vanderbilt University found that curcumin prevented the onset of an autoimmune disease in mice that is similiar to MS in humans. In fact, the study authors said that MS is a rare disease in India and China, where Curcuma Longa (Curcumae Radix) is consumed on a regular basis.

PSORIASIS HELP
Oral curcumin has been shown to be effective against psoriasis. The National Psoriasis Foundation recommends Curcuma Longa (Curcumae Radix) as a natural remedy for psoriasis.

DEPRESSION
An Indian study found that curcumin may be an effective treatment for people with major depression. The study compared people who were taking Prozac, curcumin, or Prozac and curcumin together. The group who took Prozac and curcumin together had the best results, while those taking either Prozac or curcumin had very similar results indicating that curcumin may work just as well as Prozac.

H. PYLORI
Curcumin has been found to stop the growth of H. pylori (helicobacter pylori), a bacterium that is found in the stomach and other parts of the body. If left untreated, it can lead to stomach ulcers and stomach cancer.

BETTER SLEEP
Curcumin may protect against the effects of sleep deprivation. A study found that it prevented anxiety, oxidative damage, and other impairment in mice deprived of sleep for 72 hours.

ANTIBACTERIAL
Several studies have found that curcumin has antibacterial properties and is useful in disinfecting cuts and burns.

Curcuma Longa (Curcumae Radix) can be taken in powder or capsule form. Capsules are usually sold in 250-500 mg increments.

Once you start using Curcuma Longa (Curcumae Radix) on a regular basis, it’s fun to find new ways to use it in recipes. My favorite way to use it is to add a pinch of it to egg salad. It adds a nice flavor and gives the egg salad a rich yellow hue.

Contraindications: Curcuma Longa (Curcumae Radix) should not be used by people with gallstones or bile obstruction. Though Curcuma Longa (Curcumae Radix) is often used by pregnant women, it is important to consult with a doctor before doing so as Curcuma Longa (Curcumae Radix) can be a uterine stimulant.

강황 / 울금의 효능
강황은 뜨거운 성질을 띄어 몸이 냉하여 생리가 나오지 않는데 효과적이다. 뭉친 피를 풀어주는데 많이 사용한다.
그리고 강황에 함유된 터마신이라는 성분이 염증을 억제하는 역할을 하는데 이 터마신 성분은 울금에는 없다.
울금은 소화불량에 효과적이며, 구역질이 나거나 명치 아래가 아플 때, 기운이 막힌 것을 풀어주는 역할을 한다.
가슴이 답답하고 몸이 무거울 때 울금이 좋다고 한다.

모양이나 쓰임새가 비슷해 헷갈리는 작물이 많지만, ‘강황’과 ‘울금’은 아마 그중에서 으뜸이라 할 수 있다. 흔히 약재로 사용하는 강황과 울금은 재배농가에서조차 혼동하는 경우가 많으며, 조선 시대 기록에도 이 둘을 혼동한 것들이 왕왕 발견된다. 인간이 재배하는 작물 중 가장 오랜 혼란을 일으키고 있다고 평가받는 강황과 울금은 과연 어떤 차이가 있고, 어떻게 구분할 수 있을까? 강황과 울금이 헷갈리는 이유는 식물명과 생약명이 같기 때문이다. 생약이란 식물, 동물, 광물 등 약재나 의약품의 원료로 사용하는 천연물을 뜻하는 것으로, 식물 ‘칡’에서는 생약 ‘갈근(칡뿌리)’과 ‘갈화(칡의 꽃)’를 얻을 수 있다

강황과 울금은 ‘강황’이라는 식물에서 얻을 수 있는 생약으로, 강황의 뿌리와 줄기를 ‘강황’, 덩이뿌리를 ‘울금’이라 한다. 식물 ‘강황’은 인도를 비롯한 열대·아열대 지역에서 주로 재배되는 생강과의 식물 ‘커큐마 롱가(Curcuma longa)’라는 식물이 우리나라에 들어온 것으로, 오래전부터 식용·약용 등에 사용됐다.같은 식물의 다른 부분인 강황과 울금의 식품학적 차이는 별로 없다. 강황과 울금은 모두 항산화, 항염 작용이 뛰어난 커큐민 성분을 다량 함유하고 있어, 면역력 증진에 도움이 된다. 만성질환 예방과 치료에도 효과적이어서 항암, 간 기능 회복 등의 효능이 있으며, 불필요한 지방 축적을 막고 신진대사를 촉진하는 것으로도 알려졌다.하지만 동의보감에 의하면 강황은 따뜻한 성질, 울금은 찬 성질을 갖고 있으며, 그 약성도 조금 다른 것으로 기록되어 있다. 강황과 울금은 색깔에서도 다소 차이가 있는데, 샛노란 색의 강황과 달리 울금은 옅은 미색이다. 우리가 흔히 먹는 카레의 원료는 강황이고, 울금은 주로 한약재로 이용된다.