Cellular Health

Old Human Cells Rejuvenated by Resveratrol-like Compounds

The anti-aging industry pulls in billions of dollars every year with promises of helping people preserve both health and beauty. While beauty products offer to keep us young with creams and serums, scientists suggest that youth comes from the inside out. What we feed our cells can make all the difference in whether they stay young and healthy over our lifetime. According to new research, plant compounds called resveralogues may be important in keeping our bodies healthy and cells rejuvenated.

What Causes Aging?

Understanding the root cause of aging is essential to learning how to stop it. There are several factors that contribute to cellular aging and eventually death. Oxidation is one such important factor. Although our cells need oxygen to survive, this comes at a cost. Metabolic processes that use oxygen split the oxygen molecule into two free radicals. These radicals can cause great destruction to cells if not controlled. While our body has natural antioxidant abilities, eating antioxidant vitamins and compounds also is necessary to keep free oxygen radicals from damaging DNA.

Telomeres also are an important part of aging. These structures act as a cap on the end of DNA and prevent DNA from being damaged during division. They become thinner and thinner until they finally wear away and are unable to protect DNA. This leads to issues with DNA division, which is necessary for cells to replicate and replenish tissues. When people are young, they make an enzyme called telomerase that rebuilds telomeres so cell division can occur almost constantly. However, as we age the body stops making telomerase, leading to less frequent cell division and more visible damage to tissues.

Last, a process called mRNA splicing appears to be a factor in aging. This process occurs after proteins have been created by the cell. In mRNA splicing, different “building blocks” are spliced together to make functional cell components. Splicing factors are chemicals that tell the body to perform mRNA splicing and create new components to support cell division and divide. Cells that have replicated many times eventually stop undergoing mRNA splicing due to a lack of these factors, causing an aged appearance.

What Are Resveralogues?

Have you heard that red wine and dark chocolate can be good for your health? This is indeed true due to both containing a natural compound called resveratrol. Resveratrol is a natural plant compound found in red wine, red grapes, red berries, chocolate and even peanuts. It has been linked to a variety of anti-aging and anti-oxidant effects. This, in turn, has been linked to lower risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease and a variety of other life-threatening diseases. Resveratrol also has been found to lead to longer life spans in cells of a variety of kinds, from human cells to even simple yeast.

There are several compounds that are biochemically similar to resveratrol and thus have the same effects. These compounds are called resveralogues. These compounds may be the key to maintaining healthy youthful cells longer than we ever thought possible before.

How Are Cells Rejuvenated by Resveratrol-Like Compounds?

Resveralogues appear to be key to preventing aging by encouraging the production of splicing factors and thus cell division.

Scientists were able to grow human cells in vitro, or in a Petrie dish. These cells eventually aged enough times that they became aged and stopped making splicing factors. As expected, cell division slowed and even stopped. However, when resveralogues were added to the cells they regained function. One important function that they gained was the production of splicing factors. This, in turn, caused the cells to begin dividing once again, creating new, young, healthy cells.

Could this compound stop aging in its tracks? The scientists behind the research are hopeful. They also point out that more study will be needed before an anti-aging treatment can be developed from this knowledge. Professor Lorna Harries, one of the lead researchers, notes that “We are now trying to see if we can find out how the changes in splicing factor levels [cause] cell rescue. We have more papers in preparation on this.”

Preserving Youth From the Inside Out

It is clear that what we eat can have as great of an effect on aging as anything we apply to our skin. Preserving health from the inside out should be the goal of any anti-aging product. Until resveralogues are available on the mass market, people who wish to remain young should continue to take in antioxidants and other supplements known to reduce the effects of aging. Vitamins C and E, as well as foods containing resveratrol, all have been found to be effective in many research trials.

Researchers are constantly making new discoveries about natural ways that we can remain healthier and more youthful throughout our lives. Someday maintaining smooth skin, a youthful appearance and optimal health may be possible for a previously unknown length of lifespan. Although resveralogues are currently unavailable, there are many supplements, foods and beverages that contain the important anti-aging compound resveratrol.

Curcumin Shows Promise for Keeping Skin and Cells Healthy

Oct 06 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Curcumin is the bioactive chemical in turmeric root, and is best known for its bright yellow color. This chemical has much more to offer than its distinctive color; there are also numerous health benefits of curcumin, including a variety that have just been discovered over the last few years. Here are some of the most important findings regarding this powerful plant compound.

Curcumin Effects on Melanoma and Breast Cancer Cells in the Lab

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer and often the most difficult to treat. While melanoma makes up just 4 percent of skin cancer cases each year, it’s responsible for 79 percent of skin cancer deaths.

A study has found that in the laboratory, curcumin can stop the growth of melanoma. The study, published in Cancer in 2005, found that curcumin blocks an important pathway melanoma and other cancers need to spread. The compound even causes cell death in melanoma cells.

Essentially, curcumin triggers apoptosis, the natural death process of cells, in cancer cells. Curcumin works by suppressing production of a protein normally found in cancer cells to prevent the cells from functioning. The larger the dose of curcumin delivered, the greater the amount of cell death.

In laboratory tests, this compound has also been found effective against other types of cancers, such as breast cancer. Evidence suggests that curcumin can target breast cancer with numerous anti-cancer effects that involve proliferation of cancer cells, estrogen receptor pathways, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) pathways.

Recent research has found that curcumin can even offer promise in the treatment of neuroblastoma, a deadly form of cancer that usually affects children under the age of one. In a study published in Nanoscale, researchers found that attaching curcumin to nanoparticles helps target neuroblastoma cells that have become resistant to treatment.

It’s important to note that studies have only been conducted with mice, and there have been no human trials yet. Because curcumin has low bioavailability, its potential in treating cancer in humans is limited without the use of a novel approach.

Curcumin and Chemotherapy Resistance

While curcumin has many anti-carcinogenic properties, it’s very quickly metabolized by the body. Researchers have called for more trials and clinical studies to determine if it has therapeutic benefits in humans, potentially in combination with other forms of treatment.

One study examined whether curcumin could have benefits when combined with traditional chemotherapy to treat pancreatic cancer. This study, published in Carcinogenesis, investigated whether the chemical could overcome chemoresistance, a common problem in treating pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

Cancer stem cells are suspected to be the culprit in chemotherapy resistance in PDAC treatment as previous studies have found these stem cells can escape chemotherapy drugs. These stem cells are believed to be the primary cause of metastasis.

Research indicates that curcumin may be able to block chemoresistance, possibly due to a subunit of a polycomb protein group that are important in the maintenance of stem cells. The study found that curcumin blocks the pathway of a subunit called EZH2, making cells more receptive to chemotherapy.

Curcumin and Skin Health

Lab studies have found that curcumin has antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties, all of which can have benefits for skin health. As an antioxidant, curcumin can help protect the skin from free radical damage while supporting healthy inflammatory processes. Curcumin is also a modulator of phase II detoxification enzymes which are necessary for normal detox processes in the body and to protect against oxidative stress.

Some research indicates that curcumin may benefit common skin conditions such as psoriasis and scleroderma. Psoriasis is a common skin disease that can affect the uality of life and increase the risk of heart problems. Current psoriasis treatments take time and can risk damage to organs with chronic use. Curcumin has been found to inhibit immune pathways responsible for psoriasis, including cell signaling that increases inflammation and abnormal cell growth.

Benefits of Curcumin: Alzheimer’s Studies

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive and often fatal neurodegenerative disease and the most common form of dementia. Alzheimer’s leads to progressive cognitive deterioriation and estimates 5 to 6 percent of people over the age of 60. Dozens of studies have investigated whether curcumin may offer protection against Alzheimer’s. Indian cuisine is typically very high in tumeric, and thus curcumin, and the country has a much lower prevalence of Alzheimer’s; 4.4 times less than the United States.

One study investigating curcumin found that people who eat curry at least occasionally performed better on a standard test of cognitive function than those who never ate curry. It’s believed that curcumin may offer promise because it can address the three ways in which Alzheimer’s disease degrades nerve cells: inflammation, oxidative damage and the formation of beta-amyloid plaques.

A UCLA study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease found that curcumin can help macrophages, or the body’s “cell-eaters,” clear amyloid plaques found in Alzheimer’s disease. Curcumin also possesses antioxidant properties and helps support healthy cellular inflammatory processes. Alzheimer’s disease degrades nerve cells through chronic inflammation.

Curcumin and Neuroblastoma: Promise for Treatment-Resistant Tumors

Aug 15 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Curcumin is a bright yellow chemical and the main component of turmeric. While curcumin and neuroblastoma (a type of cancer most common in infants) may seem entirely unrelated, a new study found that this chemical, which is currently used in food coloring, cosmetics and spices, may help in the treatment of neuroblastoma tumors that are resistant to treatment.

What is Curcumin?

Curcumin is the biologically active chemical in the spice turmeric and the component that gives it its distinctive color. Turmeric comes from the root of the Curcuma longa plant, which is dried and powdered to use as a spice. Turmeric is widely used in cooking, especially in Indian cuisine. It’s turmeric that gives Indian curry its distinctive yellow color. Previous research has indicated that curcumin may have cancer-protective properties.

Curcumin that is consumed orally is poorly absorbed in the human body, which means it is mostly metabolized and eliminated. The potential for curcumin in treating illness is limited by this limited bioavailability outside of the digestive tract, although novel solutions exist, such as evidence in this latest study.

Curcumin and Neuroblastoma: A Novel Treatment Approach

A new study published in Nanoscale explored the potential of curcumin in the treatment of neuroblastoma, which accounts for 50 percent of all cancers in children under age one. A team of researchers at the University of Central Florida and Nemours Children’s Hospital discovered that attaching the curcumin chemical to nanoparticles can help target and kill neuroblastoma cells that are treatment-resistant.

Neuroblastoma cancer begins in early nerve cells and forms in adrenal gland tissue. There are nearly 700 new cases of this cancer every year in the United States with most cases diagnosed in children under five. High-risk neuroblastoma is currently very difficult to treat and is often highly resistant to treatment. This form of cancer is also associated with symptoms after treatment ends, such as hearing loss and developmental delays.

This novel approach combining nanoparticles and curcumin can treat neuroblastoma tumors without the toxicity of alternative aggressive therapies and the associated risks. While curcumin has poor bioavailability when consumed orally, researchers were able to show that it can be attached to nanoparticles to deliver the chemical directly to tumor sites.

During the study, researchers attached curcumin to Cerium oxide nanoparticles and coated them with dextran to test the system in the cell lines of high-risk neuroblastoma (MYCN-amplified) and non-high-risk neuroblastoma. The team found that the combination of nanoparticles and curcumin resulted in significant cell death in neuroblastoma tumor cells with no or minor toxicity to healthy cells. The high-risk neuroblastoma cells, which are usually more treatment-resistant, had a more pronounced effect with the treatment.

How Does Curcumin Kill Cancer Cells?

Previous research has helped identify the mechanism by which curcumin targets tumor cells. A study published in the AAPS Journal showed that curcumin works by modulating the growth of cancer cells by regulating cell signaling pathways.

Curcumin works upon several molecular and biochemical processes and physically binds to up to 33 different proteins. This chemical can inhibit the survival and growth of almost any type of tumor cell by activating cell death pathways or inhibiting cell proliferation pathways. This study identified over 40 biochemicals involved in cancer cell death induced by curcumin.

Research has indicated that curcumin selectively affects cancer cells rather than healthy cells. It has a far lower likelihood of causing treatment resistance because it acts through so many cell pathways.

Curcumin and Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer-related death in men in the United states. Every year, about 30,000 men are killed by castration-resistant prostate cancer that has become resistant to docetaxel, the first-line treatment. According to one recent study, curcumin may have some therapeutic benefit in treating prostate cancer.

One study found that curcumin is able to downregulate the expression of androgen receptor (AR) expression and limit AR binding to the androgen response mechanism of the prostate specific antigen gene. It has also been found to delay tumor growth.

Health Benefits of Curcumin

In addition to acting directly on tumor cells in laboratory settings, curcumin is a powerful antioxidant that can protect against free radicals in the body that cause cell damage. It has also been found to help maintain healthy levels of two enzymes that cause inflammation while also promoting healthy blood flow.

Research has indicated that curcumin and turmeric may have some benefit when it comes to a host of conditions, including osteoporosis via its effects on inflammation, heart disease by promoting healthy platelet clumping, uveitis or inflammation of the iris of the eye, neurodegenerative disease and even diabetes. One study published in Phytotherapy Research even found that curcumin supplements may be more effective than NSAID therapy at treating rheumatoid arthritis symptoms like joint swelling, tenderness and disease progression.

Turmeric and curcumin may be consumed in food, as a powder or as a tincture. While turmeric is considered safe in food or taken at the recommended doses, the low bioavailability of curcumin means it’s unlikely to have any cancer-protective benefit when consumed except in the case of conditions directly affecting the gastrointestinal tract, which are more likely to be prevented or treated with oral curcumin.

Turmeric and Diabetes: An Ancient Spice Shows Promise for a Modern Disease

Jul 06 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Much has been researched and written about the curative properties of turmeric. New studies on turmeric and diabetes suggest that this tasty spice may offer new hope for an all-too-common disease.

Turmeric is gaining popularity, both as a spice and as a natural remedy. Not only is this exotic spice an important part of popular foreign cuisines such as East Indian food, but it also is being suggested as a natural remedy that can benefit a variety of serious conditions in several new studies. An increasing body of new research on the link between turmeric and diabetes suggests that this bold spice may also help protect against diabetes and may even soothe some symptoms of this common concern.

What Is Curcumin?

Many people have heard of turmeric but few have heard of curcumin. Curcumin is the compound in turmeric root that gives it its distinctive color and flavor. In lab tests, curcumin has been found to protect against inflammation, slow the growth of tumors and otherwise promote good health. According to new studies, curcumin in turmeric root can offer a number of benefits in relation to diabetes, including reducing complications and even helping to protect against this common metabolic condition. This makes sense in light of other recent studies finding that diabetes can be at least partially attributed to inflammation in the endocrine system.

The Link Between Turmeric and Diabetes Prevention

According to new research, consuming turmeric may act as a powerful preventative measure for diabetes. People who were at risk for diabetes were placed on a turmeric supplement and had their hemoglobin A1c as well as inflammation markers tested at regular intervals. Hemoglobin A1c is a popular measurement that tells doctors how high a person’s blood glucose has been on average for the past three months.

Taking a turmeric supplement led to a quick decrease in hemoglobin A1c and blood glucose. It also led to lower levels of inflammatory markers and less insulin resistance than a placebo. While this effect may not be enough to cure diabetes once the disease process has begun, it very well may help to prevent the disease. In addition, turmeric appears to reduce the immune response in people with type 1 diabetes, which can lessen the severity and extent of the disease immensely.

In addition, curcumin and turmeric can be used to prevent the complications of diabetes once the disease has been diagnosed. People with diabetes often suffer from end organ damage such as peripheral neuropathy, kidney disease, cataracts and even progressive cognitive decline. While these processes can be slowed down by controlling blood glucose, they often cannot be stopped entirely. However, turmeric appears to slow the development of these diseases even further. Turmeric appears to have a huge effect on the damage to blood vessels and organs that be caused by high blood sugar.

Can Diabetes Be Treated Naturally?

Although there are several popular medications to treat diabetes, it often can be managed naturally. Many people find that diet and exercise both help to keep both sugar levels low. In addition, you can try any one of the following:

Eat more whole foods. Processed foods tend to have hidden carbs that can drive blood glucose high.
Add fiber to every meal. Fiber slows the absorption of dietary sugars.
Test your blood glucose regularly. This is important to identify what unique factors affect your own blood glucose. Your doctor can tell you how often is ideal for you.
Take supplements that may benefit metabolism and promote healthy blood glucose levels after talking to your doctor. There are also many natural remedies besides turmeric/curcumin that can help you to get your blood glucose under control.

Getting More Turmeric in Your Diet

Turmeric has been found not to just be helpful for diabetes, but for a wide range of inflammatory disorders. These can include joint disease, heart disease and more. People around the world eat turmeric in larger quantities than in the United States, which may be part of the reason that we have such high rates of autoimmune and inflammatory illness. If you are trying to get more turmeric, consider eating more yellow curries and East Indian food. These contain plenty of turmeric, enough to have a positive effect on your life.

If you are not a fan of curry, there are other ways to get the health benefits of this spice. There are many capsules on the market that offer turmeric in a form that does not require a taste for hot foods. It is important to start with a very small dose and then to gradually work up to a higher one. This will allow you to have fewer side effects such as stomach upset. Also, it is important to talk to a doctor before beginning this or any new supplement. Even natural medications have drug interactions and contraindications to be considered.

Diabetes is becoming a health crisis in the Western world, with millions of Americans struggling to manage their blood sugar due to this devastating disease. However, there are many proven ways to prevent and treat this disease naturally. Consider taking turmeric and other natural supplements to get your blood sugar under control once and for all.

Magnesium Benefits for Men Not Limited to Heart Health

Jun 03 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Modern food tends to be over-processed and depleted of many of the nutrients we need for optimal health. Not too long ago, people focused on both getting enough calories and sufficient amounts of important vitamins; dietary deficiencies were mainly seen in people who were underfed or people living in extreme circumstances. Although people in the West now get plenty of calories, we suffer from a lack of vitamins and minerals. Magnesium is one important mineral with a growing number of deficiencies in the developed world. This could have immense effects on male health due to the many magnesium benefits for men.

A Trace Mineral With Huge Effects

Many reading this may wonder: “What exactly does magnesium do for your body that is so important?” It might be better to ask what magnesium doesn’t do. Magnesium is an integral part of hundreds of enzymatic reactions in the human body that control everything from our metabolism to our sleep cycles. It also is important for dealing with stress in a healthy way. Stress raises blood pressure and otherwise places additional demands on our body; most of these new demands involve magnesium in some way.

Without optimal levels of magnesium, people may suffer from a variety of health problems, including cardiovascular disease, metabolic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and chronic headaches. Even tiny magnesium deficiencies can cause a variety of symptoms such as fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, depression and muscle aches. Insomnia also has been linked to low magnesium levels. While these are problems that may affect all people, the problems that come with a low magnesium level appear to be especially severe for men.

Magnesium Benefits for Men

There are several ways that taking in plenty of magnesium may especially benefit men. First, magnesium appears to significantly lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases, including heart attack. These diseases tend to disproportionately affect men. Prevention is key, and in this case getting enough magnesium is important as that prevention.

Second, high plasma levels of magnesium may actually prevent prostate cancer. Men with a high calcium-to-magnesium ratio were found to have higher rates of this dreaded disease. Calcium and magnesium levels tend to be inverse due to the way these minerals interact with each other, so taking a calcium supplement without taking a magnesium one may actually be depleting your body of the nutrients it needs to thrive.

Why Are Americans So Magnesium Deficient?

There is no reliable way to test for magnesium levels because so much of our stores are stored in our cells at any given time rather than carried in our bloodstream. However, many researchers estimate that the majority of Americans are deficient in this mineral—as many as 70 to 80 percent. It is easy to see why when you examine the American diet and lifestyle. Most magnesium in the human diet traditionally came from eating plant foods such as greens, nuts and beans that had grown in magnesium-rich soil. Now, people rarely eat these things in significant amounts. In addition, modern soil is almost always depleted of this mineral. The result is that many men could be eating a lot of foods that are considered magnesium-rich while still deficient in this mineral… and suffering the health effects.

In addition, we now have more activities that deplete magnesium levels. Magnesium is a part of stress reactions, so we deplete this nutrient when we struggle with anxiety, depression or just plain worry. This leaves less of this mineral for dealing with cell processes and otherwise promoting good cardiovascular health. In addition, modern people tend to eat large amounts of processed foods, which have had the high magnesium parts such as the rinds and husks removed. The Western diet is structured so that most people will have an insufficiency of this mineral.

Natural Ways to Get More Magnesium

There are several ways to ensure that you are getting enough magnesium in your diet. Consider choosing magnesium-rich foods such as:

spinach, chard, and other leafy greens
almonds, cashews, and other unprocessed nuts
amaranth
mackerel, salmon, and other oily fish
seeds such as pumpkin or sesame seeds

However, because modern food is increasingly depleted of magnesium, consider also taking a supplement. The National Institutes of Health recommend that men take at least 400 mg a day. However, many doctors who are experts on magnesium deficiency say that three milligrams per pound of body weight should be the minimum. This means that men who need more magnesium in their diet will need to work hard to get enough of this trace mineral.

Good health is a modern obsession. Most people are actively looking for ways to enjoy better health and to live a longer, happier life. Getting enough nutrients is an important part of good health. Although the modern depleted diet makes it difficult to get enough of the vitamins and minerals that we need, there are many supplements on the market that can boost your intake.

Turmeric Benefits for Inflammation and Cellular Health

May 26 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

In the Western world, we don’t use turmeric heavily in our diet, although this is beginning to change. Many people are starting to enjoy spicy foods such as curries as part of their daily meals. Pungent spices are an integral part of Middle Eastern cuisine, Indian cuisine and even Latin American foods. In some cultures, turmeric is even made into a tea that is enjoyed both for flavor and as a traditional medicine. Whether you enjoy spicy foods or not, several new studies on turmeric benefits may encourage you to take in more of this potent yellow spice.

An Ancient Natural Remedy

Although most people in the West know turmeric as a yellow spice with a distinctive pungent flavor, it has been used for hundreds of years in other parts of the globe as a medicine. As a plant, turmeric is closely related to the popular spice ginger, which also has been found to have health benefits. It is the reason curries are yellow as well as a component of mustard. Both traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic medicine consider turmeric an important medicine as well. People who take turmeric medicinally can take it as a spice, as a tea and even in capsules.

Traditionally, turmeric has been used to fight infections and reduce inflammation. This is due to a compound called curcumin that is present in high levels in this spice. New studies suggest that it indeed is useful for these health issues. However, it appears to have even more benefits for modern wellness than previously realized.

Turmeric Benefits for Cellular Health and More

Turmeric has been the subject of several recent studies due to its purported health effects. It has antioxidant properties that prevent cell damage from environmental exposures as well as daily wear and tear. In addition, it fights cytokines, the molecules that are responsible for inflammation in our bodies. Proven benefits of turmeric also include reducing chronic joint pain from arthritis.

These actions add up to a lot of benefits for human health. Turmeric is the latest natural wonder compound. It has been shown to affect the size of tumors, prevent heart disease and lessen some of the deadly side effects of cancer treatments. High turmeric intake may be the reason that places such as India have much lower rates of cancer. People who have inflammatory conditions such as ulcerative colitis also may see a reduction in symptoms when taking this spice. It is clear that practitioners of ancient medicine were right about the health benefits of turmeric. Are there any drawbacks to taking this compound?

Potential Drawbacks of Turmeric

As with all compounds, too much turmeric can have drawbacks. While eating this spice in foods or taking a modest dose as a daily supplement are safe for most people, researchers are clear that this spice can have negative health effects in mega doses—as with all dietary supplements. People who take more than 12 grams of turmeric a day may have diarrhea, headaches and skin rashes. In addition, turmeric can cause people to have yellow feces. It can also interact with other drugs, most notably chemotherapy drugs and the popular blood thinner Warfarin. At very high doses, it can even cause some of the inflammation that it treats in more modest amounts.

As with all medicinal compounds, it can be beneficial to take turmeric—but not in huge quantities. In addition, people who take other medications should talk to their doctor to ensure that there are no interactions with other drugs they are prescribed. However, people in India eat large amounts of turmeric as part of their daily diet with no ill effects. It is difficult to get too much of this natural remedy without taking capsules and supplements that contain a higher than recommended dosage.

Future Studies on Turmeric

This spice shows huge promise as a treatment for several of the most common diseases in the developed world. Because of this promise, it is currently being studied more seriously as a future medicine. For example, researchers at Ohio State University are looking at ways to enable better absorption of this spice as well as ways to increase its anti-inflammatory effects. Scientists are also studying its effects on cancer and tumors, with hopes that it may someday be added to the arsenal of chemotherapy drugs on the market. It is also being studied as a treatment for several common diseases of aging, such as Alzheimer dementia and osteoarthritis. While we know much about the benefits of turmeric, it appears that there may be much we do not know yet about its disease-fighting potential.

Turmeric is not the only spice that has been found to have health benefits. It appears that these compounds may not just flavor our foods, but contribute to whole body health. Whether you choose to take a supplement containing turmeric simply eat more curry, adding some extra turmeric to your diet may improve your health in a variety of ways.