All the powers of curcumin

Karakterističnu žutu boju kurkuma (lat. Curcuma longa) owes to the polyphenol curcumin, an active ingredient from the group of curcuminoids. Thanks to the beneficial properties of curcumin, which have been discovered so far, scientists believe that curcumin has a preventive and protective effect in a wide range of diseases, including malignant, autoimmune, neurological, metabolic, pulmonary, liver and cardiovascular diseases.

Among the most common areas of application of curcumin are states of weakened immunity and allergic diseases characterized by an overreaction of the immune system.

Curcumin against bacteria, viruses and fungi

Turmeric has been used for centuries as a natural preservative in food production, so it is not surprising that scientific research has shown that curcumin, a pigment from turmeric, has antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties.

Research published in 2015.studied the effect of curcumin on four known bacteria that cause diseases in humans (Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). Research has shown that curcumin damages bacteria's protective outer shell, making it permeable, which means that harmful substances from the environment can penetrate the bacteria and that its contents can leak out of the bacteria itself. As a result, the bacteria become weakened and die.

However, bacteria are organisms with a great ability to adapt to the environment and acquire resistance to antibiotics. For example, those bacteria that are capable of forming a biofilm have an increased resistance to antibiotics. Biofilm is a specific bacterial formation that is protected by an envelope on its surface.Ona ovu zajednicu čini otpornom na vanjska djelovanja, a različite bakterijske vrste koje žive unutar biofilma jedna drugoj rade na korist. Research published in 2016 in a professional pharmaceutical journal showed that the appropriate antibiotic together with curcumin had stronger antibacterial properties than the antibiotic itself tested on more than 60 different types of bacterial biofilm.

The scientists concluded that curcumin works synergistically with antibiotics, i.e. together they increase the action of both substances, and curcumin is recommended as supportive therapy alongside antibiotic therapy.

Da je kurkumin moćan saveznik u zdravlju pokazuju istraživanja koja su se bavila proučavanjem utjecaja kurkumina na viruse. So the research was published in 2010., showed that curcumin in laboratory conditions successfully destroys influenza viruses, namely the H1N1 swine flu virus.

Curcumin and HPV

Humani papiloma virus (HPV) je naziv za grupu virusa koji inficiraju kožu i sluznicu, a infekcija određenim tipovima virusa može dovesti do razvoja karcinoma vrata maternice, ali i nekih drugih vrsta karcinoma kod žena, ali i muškaraca. Najveći rizik za pojavu karcinoma nose tipovi 16 i 18. HPV proizvodi onkoproteine tzv. “loše” bjelančevine koje ometaju prirodni imunološki odgovor i normalno odumiranje stanica zbog čega dolazi do oštećenja koja mogu napredovati do karcinoma. Kurkumin je u laboratorijskom istraživanju 2006. godine pokazao antitumorsko djelovanje inhibirajući proizvodnju “loših” bjelančevina kod HPV tipova 16 i 18, a više o mehanizmu djelovanja pročitajte u članku dr. Maje Gudelj.

Curcumin and candidiasis

Antifungalna svojstva kurkumina dokazana su 2009. godine kada je ispitivano djelovanje kurkumina na 14 sojeva Candide uključujući i Candida albicans koja najčešće izaziva probleme poput kožnih infekcija, vaginalne kandidijaze i  smetnji u probavnom sustavu kod osoba oslabljenog imunološkog sustava. No prava moć kurkumina leži u činjenici da kurkumin uspijeva modulirati imunološki sustav.

Davne 2007. godine dokazano je kako kurkumin utječe na rast stanica imunološkog sustava – potiče proizvodnju i aktivaciju poznatih boraca našeg imuniteta T stanica, B stanica, makrofaga i stanica ubojica.

Curcumin and the treatment of asthma

Uloga imunološkog sustava jest štititi organizam od bakterija i virusa. Međutim, kod osoba koje pate od alergija, imunološki sustav radi pojačano kako bi se obranio i od tih dodatnih prijetnji. U normalnim okolnostima, imunološki sustav ne napada pelud ili mačju dlaku, međutim, kod osoba koje su alergične, u doticaju s tom tvari njihov organizam stvara IgE antitijela koja uzrokuju otpuštanje molekula histamina koje pak dovode do oticanja i upalnih procesa. Tada se javljaju klasični simptomi alergije: curenje nosa, svrbež u očima i kihanje. Alergijska astma je najčešći oblik astme i preko 50 % astmatičara boluje upravo zbog alergijskih reakcija. Alergeni u plućima izazivaju prekomjernu reakciju imunološkog sustava što dovodi do sužavanja mišića oko dišnih puteva i upale u dišnim putevima koji se s vremenom napune s gustom sluzi. U liječenju alergijske astme ključno je poduzeti korake kojima će se izlaganje alergenima smanjiti na najmanju moguću mjeru. Također, oboljelima će se često propisati i terapija lijekovima, a dobru potpornu terapiju uz lijekove čini – kurkumin.

In a study published in 2014, in which 60 subjects participated, the impact of curcumin was examined, which was taken as a supportive therapy in addition to prescribed drug therapy for 30 days. The subjects were divided into two groups, of which one group received curcumin capsules in addition to medication, while the other group received only medication.

Rezultati spirometrije su pokazali kako je kurkumin kod ispitanika uspješno smanjio opstrukciju dišnih puteva. Također, u skupini koja je unosila kurkumin došlo je do poboljšanja određenih krvnih parametara (ukupnog i diferencijalnog broja leukocita i brzine sedimentacije eritrocita).

Based on the obtained results, the scientists concluded that curcumin is a safe and effective supportive therapy in the treatment of bronchial asthma thanks to its strong anti-inflammatory properties.

Author: Vitaminoteka nutritionist team

Literature:

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