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When it comes to health, food choice is crucial. However numerous studies also indicate the power of spices in your food choices too. By adding more turmeric to your meals you can reduce the risk of heart disease, cancers and boost longevity.
Turmeric contains curcumin, which may kill some cancerous cells – in particular, breast and bowel cancer cells.
Adding more of the spice to your diet could even prevent some cancers from developing, according to dietitian Juliette Kellow, and nutritionist Dr Sarah Brewer.
“The medicinal and longevity properties of spices have been known about since ancient times,” they said in their book ‘Eat Better Live Longer – Understand What Your Body Needs To Stay Healthy’.
“Now scientific studies are providing evidence to back up their potential health benefits, which include cancer protection and improving memory.
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“Several spices have been linked to protecting against cancer, including ginger and black pepper.
“But the strongest evidence so far is for turmeric. Several lab-based studies show that curcumin in turmeric seems to be able to kill cancer cells, particularly in the breast, bowel, stomach and skin, plus it even seems to prevent more from growing.”
Eating turmeric could also help to protect against dementia, they added.
Curcumin may prevent plaques forming in the brain, which are one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease.
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Evidence suggests curcumin may reverse factors that lead to heart disease.
One of its main heart-health benefits is its ability to boost the function of endothelium, which is the lining of a person’s blood vessels.
Evidence links endothelial dysfunction to heart disease risk as it involves an ability to regulate blood pressure, blood clotting and various other factors.
Several studies suggest that curcumin leads to improvements in endothelial function.
One study by WHICH found that it’s as effective as exercise while another shows that it works as well as the drug Atorvastatin.
In addition, curcumin reduces inflammation and oxidation, mechanisms which can contribute to heart disease.
The study randomly assigned 121 people, who were undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery, either a placebo or four grams of curcumin per day, a few days before and after the surgery.
The curcumin group had a 65 percent decreased risk of experiencing a heart attack in the hospital.
Curcumin has been studied as a beneficial herb in cancer treatment and been found to affect cancer growth, development and spread at the molecular level.
Studies have shown that it can contribute to the death of cancerous cells and reduce angiogenesis and metastasis.
Multiple studies indicate that curcumin can reduce the growth of cancerous cells in the laboratory and inhibit the growth of tumours in test animals.
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