Curcumin, a substance contained in turmeric, can bring about a series of changes in the body, leading to the development of diseases
Curcumin is an active compound present in Curcuma longa, a plant widespread especially in Indian cuisine. Curcumin supplements are popular for their potential anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits. Thanks to this, they can provide benefits such as pain reduction and represent an option for cancer treatments. Furthermore, they improve cardiovascular and cognitive health, preventing neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s.
However, as this type of supplement has become popular, people have started using it indiscriminately, which can lead to a number of problems. According to geneticist and molecular biologist Susana Massarani, it is necessary to analyze each patient individually before starting integration.
“Curcumin is a really great supplement, but for some people it can increase some serious health problems. It’s all a matter of looking at the individual patient in relation to the genes and the cost-benefit ratio (not monetary, but health) for that patient at a certain point in life you can no longer practice medicine without taking these particularities into account”, he underlines.
Why is attention needed?
For Dr. Fabiano de Abreu Agrela, biologist and postdoctoral in Neuroscience, biologist and genomics student of Susana Massarani, it is necessary to look beyond the benefits attributed to turmeric. “We need to analyze the nutritional process based on the genetic changes that each individual may have,” he says.
The expert also underlines that what we find in supplements is not food turmeric, but curcumin, which is the bioactive compound, which makes them more concentrated. “Ingesting turmeric itself is one thing, using isolated curcumin indiscriminately is another,” says Susana.
Curcumin supplements are freely available with concentrations above 90% of the substance, promising improvements in circulation, cognition and sexual performance. Despite this, it is essential to be careful when consuming these products without medical supervision.
This is because the product can have a negative impact on the body’s genetics for a number of diseases. “The risk would be to reduce the expression of genes that would already be lower if the patient carried variants that reduce their expression. In the case of COMT, MAOA and MAOB, their further reduced expression can increase the predisposition to depression, to cancer and various neurological conditions and psychiatric disorders as they are involved in these characteristics,” he warns.
“The important thing is that the person knows their genetic information so that the integration works and does not become a nuisance,” concludes Dr. Fabiano de Abreu.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
