Scientific studies concerning turmeric and inflammation were initiated, because the spice, which is also called curry powder, has been used for centuries to treat inflammatory diseases, such as arthritis, colitis and gastric ulcers. To date, over 100 studies have been conducted using animal models and cell cultures, all have ended with positive results.

One of the most recent turmeric inflammation reduction studies compared the effect of the different yellow pigments found in the roots of curcuma longa, which is the Indian spice plant and differs from the Javanese variety. The pigments are called curcuminoids. The primary pigment is curcumin.

The researchers wanted to see if the other curcuminoids were as effective as curcumin for healing ulcers. For several years, it has been accepted that the connection between turmeric and inflammation reduction was due to curcumin, but these researchers showed that the other curcuminoids are just as effective.

In the US, the National Institutes of Health is currently sponsoring research into the turmeric inflammation reducing ability in people. These studies will provide more information concerning effective dosages and delivery methods. One of the problems that researchers have noted concerns the bioavailability of the compound. If it is to be effective for relieving inflammatory conditions that exist outside of the digestive system, it must be able to enter the bloodstream.

Compounds that can not pass through the intestinal wall to enter the bloodstream must be treated differently than those can. It has been seen that curcumin has low bioavailability. In order to see the benefit of turmeric inflammation reduction in arthritis or other painful conditions, the supplement would need to be protected from digestive acids by an enteric coating. Researchers have also seen that the inclusion of piperine, a compound found in black pepper, increased the bioavailability of curcumin by 2000%.

Piperine is also a natural anti-inflammatory agent. It isn’t just turmeric and inflammation that have been studied. Many different natural anti-inflammatories have been the subject of study. This is not just a matter of relieving or treating painful conditions. Chronic-inflammation contributes to cancer, heart disease and other life threatening diseases.

So, the turmeric inflammation benefits could include the prevention of cancer and possibly life extension. One of the things that causes cellular aging is chronic-inflammation, as is, oxidative stress. Curcuminoids have some anti-oxidant activity, but one of the strongest antioxidants is l-glutathione.

If you are interested in turmeric and inflammation, you may also be interested in other natural anti-inflammatories. Those include carnosine, glutathione, resveratrol and green tea catechins. All of which are also antioxidants.

The bottom line is that turmeric inflammation relievers are not your only natural choice. There are many. If you are interested in protecting the cells of your body from age and disease, take a multi-nutritional supplement that includes essential vitamins and minerals, as well as curcumin, green tea, resveratrol, piperine, glutathione and many other beneficial ingredients.

The results of the studies concerning turmeric and inflammation in people should be released within the next year or so. Until then, you can do many things to improve your overall health. Focusing on optimal nutritional intake is one of those things.

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Article Source: ArticleSpan

Recent research has given hope to melanoma patients: vitamin D can help you survive this very serious disease. Studies have shown that those melanoma patients with high amounts of vitamin D in their bloodstreams were up to 30 percent more likely to survive.

Vitamin D is produced by the body when sunlight strikes the skin. Although too much sunlight raises the risk of skin cancers, higher levels of vitamin D translate to less severe lesions in melanoma. There are also lower rates of relapse in those patients getting an adequate amount of vitamin D.

Vitamin D can also be taken as a nutritional supplement, and many doctors advise their melanoma patients to boost their vitamin D levels with the addition of supplements to their diet. Some researchers have recommended up to 2000 International Units of vitamin D daily, although the current supplement recommendations are 200 to 600 units daily.

The first study linking vitamin D levels to melanoma survival was undertaken a the Cancer Research UK and the National Institutes of Health. The researchers in that study concluded that melanoma patients with high levels of vitamin D had thinner lesions than those who had levels that were too low. These researchers also believe that it is common in Western countries for people to get too little vitamin D. This is partly due to the fact that people tend to stay out of the sun to lower their overall risk of skin cancer, making it more important to eat foods high in vitamin D and to take daily supplements of the vitamin.

A second study done at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute showed a lower incidence of death from colorectal cancer in patients with adequate vitamin D levels. People with higher blood levels were up to 50 times less likely to die from the disease. These researchers also plan to see if vitamin D has a similar effect on bowel cancer.

Vitamin D has many other health benefits as well. Adequate vitamin D levels protect against a number of diseases, including heart disease, infection, and general poor health and low energy. Vitamin D is necessary for the absorption of calcium, which is needed for proper bone health. Children with vitamin D deficiency are susceptible to rickets. This nutrient is essential to the maintenance and enhancement of the body’s health.

Many foods contain high vitamin D levels. This vitamin is found in fish, fortified milk and dairy products, eggs, and cod liver oil. Those who do not eat enough of these kinds of food and do not receive enough sunlight should take a daily supplement of this important vitamin.

For those suffering from melanoma, the new research into the effects of vitamin D is excellent news. The vitamin makes survival much more likely and mitigates the seriousness of the disease. Ingestion of vitamin D at adequate levels significantly lowers the incidence of relapse. There is much hope in the medical community and among cancer patients that vitamin D will help you survive melanoma.

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