Curcumin: A Review of Its Effects on Human Health
1
Department of Nutrition, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859, USA
2
Substantiation Sciences, Weston, FL 33332, USA
3
Health and Human Performance, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314, USA
4
Nutrition Research Division, QPS, Miami, FL 33143, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Foods 2017, 6(10), 92; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods6100092
Received: 2 September 2017
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Revised: 18 October 2017
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Accepted: 20 October 2017
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Published: 22 October 2017
Turmeric, a spice that has long been recognized for its medicinal properties, has received interest from both the medical/scientific world and from culinary enthusiasts, as it is the major source of the polyphenol curcumin. It aids in the management of oxidative and inflammatory conditions, metabolic syndrome, arthritis, anxiety, and hyperlipidemia. It may also help in the management of exercise-induced inflammation and muscle soreness, thus enhancing recovery and performance in active people. In addition, a relatively low dose of the complex can provide health benefits for people that do not have diagnosed health conditions. Most of these benefits can be attributed to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Ingesting curcumin by itself does not lead to the associated health benefits due to its poor bioavailability, which appears to be primarily due to poor absorption, rapid metabolism, and rapid elimination. There are several components that can increase bioavailability. For example, piperine is the major active component of black pepper and, when combined in a complex with curcumin, has been shown to increase bioavailability by 2000%. Curcumin combined with enhancing agents provides multiple health benefits. The purpose of this review is to provide a brief overview of the plethora of research regarding the health benefits of curcumin.
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Keywords:
curcumin; turmeric; antioxidant; anti-inflammatory; polyphenol
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MDPI and ACS Style
Hewlings, S.J.; Kalman, D.S. Curcumin: A Review of Its Effects on Human Health. Foods 2017, 6, 92. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods6100092
AMA Style
Hewlings SJ, Kalman DS. Curcumin: A Review of Its Effects on Human Health. Foods. 2017; 6(10):92. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods6100092
Chicago/Turabian StyleHewlings, Susan J., and Douglas S. Kalman. 2017. "Curcumin: A Review of Its Effects on Human Health" Foods 6, no. 10: 92. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods6100092
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