Turmeric
The single most anti-inflammatory food per the Dietary Inflammatory Index.
Also known as: turmeric powder
Active Compounds
Bioactive compounds found in Turmeric, based on research from longevity science.
- Curcumin
Source: How Not to Age
Health Benefits
Health conditions and aging processes that Turmeric may influence, based on the source research.
Protects Against
- DNA DamageA tenth of a teaspoon of cooked turmeric for one week; an eighth of a teaspoon daily cut DNA damage by 55%
Led the pack in DNA protection among spices tested
Source: How Not to Age
- Colorectal cancer
Curcumin reduced aberrant crypt foci by nearly 40 percent in 30 days. Six months of curcumin plus quercetin decreased polyp number and size by more than half.
Source: How Not to Die
- Pancreatic Cancer
Curcumin stalled advanced pancreatic cancer in one-third of patients (5 of 15) at MD Anderson Cancer Center, with zero adverse effects.
Source: How Not to Die
Improves
- Knee Osteoarthritisabout 1/2 teaspoon daily
16 RCTs: significantly reduced pain and improved function vs placebo, similar to NSAIDs with better safety
Source: How Not to Age
- Alzheimer's diseaseabout 1/4 teaspoon daily
Remarkable case series of 3 Alzheimer's patients dramatically improving on about 1/4 teaspoon/day; but curcumin supplements failed in 2 RCTs; whole turmeric may be greater than sum of parts
Source: How Not to Age
- Ulcerative Colitis
More than 50 percent of ulcerative colitis patients achieved remission within just one month on curcumin compared to none on placebo; Curcumin in combination with mesalamine induces remission in mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis (Lang et al. 2015)
Source: How Not to Die
- Endothelial dysfunction
Daily ingestion of curcumin can improve endothelial function just as well as up to an hour a day of aerobic exercise
Source: How Not to Die
- Osteoarthritis
Curcuma domestica extracts were comparable to ibuprofen for knee osteoarthritis (Kuptniratsaikul et al. 2014)
Source: How Not to Die
- Lupus Nephritis
Oral turmeric supplementation decreases proteinuria, hematuria, and systolic blood pressure in lupus nephritis patients (Khajehdehi et al. 2012)
Source: How Not to Die
Reduces Risk Of
- Chronic inflammation (inflammaging)1/4 teaspoon/day
Curcumin has been shown to effectively treat rheumatoid arthritis better than the leading drug and is also effective for osteoarthritis, lupus, and inflammatory bowel disease
Source: How Not to Die
- Rheumatoid arthritis
Curcumin showed efficacy and safety in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (Chandran & Goel 2012)
Source: How Not to Die
- Cancerquarter teaspoon daily
Curcumin-free turmeric exhibits anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities (Aggarwal et al. 2013); whole turmeric may be better than curcumin alone
Source: How Not to Die
Biological Mechanisms
How Turmeric works at a cellular level.
- PromotesReduces inflammation
The single most anti-inflammatory food per the Dietary Inflammatory Index. | Randomized controlled trials clearly show a drop in inflammatory markers | Less than 1/10 teaspoon per day suppresses release of inflammatory mediators like TNF | Curcumin has anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects; bioavailability confirmed from herbs and spices in humans
- PromotesBoosts Antioxidant Enzymes
Catalase enzyme activity boosted by more than 50 percent
- PromotesAntioxidant Defense
50:1 ratio of turmeric to black pepper reduced oxidative damage by 50 percent before radiation therapy
- PromotesBoosts BDNF Levels
- InhibitsStomach Fat Oxidation
Half teaspoon to half pound of ground beef cuts MDA by ~20%; adding black pepper doubles the effect
- PromotesReduces lipid peroxidation
Turmeric and black pepper decreased lipid peroxidation in meat patties during cooking
- PromotesSuppresses NF-kB signaling that drives cancer growth
Turmeric inhibits inflammatory nuclear factor NF-kB and NF-kB-regulated gene products (Kim et al. 2012)
- PromotesStimulates gallbladder contraction and bile flow
Curcumin stimulates gallbladder contraction; people with gallstones should be cautious (Rasyid & Lelo 1999)
- PromotesActivates Nrf2
Food extracts such as coffee, turmeric, rosemary, broccoli, thyme, clove and oregano strongly induce Nrf2-mediated SR.
Dosage Recommendations
Specific amounts mentioned in the research literature.
- A tenth of a teaspoon of cooked turmeric for one week; an eighth of a teaspoon daily cut DNA damage by 55%for DNA Damage
Led the pack in DNA protection among spices tested
Source: How Not to Age
- 3/4 teaspoon per day for a monthfor DNA Damage
Turmeric reduced DNA damage by about 40 percent in a study of people eating spices
Source: How Not to Age
- 3/4 teaspoon per day for a monthfor Boosts Antioxidant Enzymes
Catalase enzyme activity boosted by more than 50 percent
Source: How Not to Age
- Half teaspoon of 50:1 turmeric-to-black-pepper mix for 5 daysfor Antioxidant Defense
50:1 ratio of turmeric to black pepper reduced oxidative damage by 50 percent before radiation therapy
Source: How Not to Age
- about 1/2 teaspoon dailyfor Knee Osteoarthritis
16 RCTs: significantly reduced pain and improved function vs placebo, similar to NSAIDs with better safety
Source: How Not to Age
- about 1/4 teaspoon dailyfor Alzheimer's disease
Remarkable case series of 3 Alzheimer's patients dramatically improving on about 1/4 teaspoon/day; but curcumin supplements failed in 2 RCTs; whole turmeric may be greater than sum of parts
Source: How Not to Age
- less than 1 teaspoon dailyfor DNA Damage
Smokers eating less than a teaspoon of turmeric daily reduced DNA-mutation rate by up to 38 percent.; A single pinch of turmeric once a day for a week cut the number of cells with DNA damage in half; Less than a teaspoon of turmeric daily reduced the DNA-mutation rate of smokers' urine by up to 38%.
Source: How Not to Die
- 1/4 teaspoon/dayfor Chronic inflammation (inflammaging)
Curcumin has been shown to effectively treat rheumatoid arthritis better than the leading drug and is also effective for osteoarthritis, lupus, and inflammatory bowel disease
Source: How Not to Die
- quarter teaspoon dailyfor Cancer
Curcumin-free turmeric exhibits anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities (Aggarwal et al. 2013); whole turmeric may be better than curcumin alone
Source: How Not to Die
Tips & Recommendations
Eat 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric daily
Source: How Not to Die
Include a quarter teaspoon of turmeric daily with black pepper
Source: How Not to Die
Recipes with Turmeric
- Okinawa-Inspired Smoothie
- Eight Check-Mark Pesto
- Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
- Haldi Milk (Turmeric Latte)
- Savory Spice Blend 2.0
- Groatnola Plus
- Blackberry-Mango Smoothie Bowls with Barberries
- Chickpea Flour Vegetable Frittata
- Cheesy Sauce
- Tempeh Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce
- Turmeric Quinoa with Broccoli, Chickpeas, and Tomatoes
- Winter Vegetable Stew
- Smoky Scrambled Tofu with Chopped Salad
- Coconut Carrot Soup with Crispy Chickpeas
- Red Lentil Tarka Dahl
- Harissa Chickpea Stew
- Tomato Fish Curry with Coconut Rice
- Butternut Squash Curry with Cucumber Relish
- Cashew Hollandaise
Sources
- How Not to Age
- How Not to Die
- Nutrition, Food and Diet in Ageing and Longevity