When something becomes popular, it is sure to become a fad and that is especially true for eatables. Everyone wants to be healthy and strong but in the least time. However, that is not possible, or is it? Lately, celebrities and stars have fixated their attention on curcumin as the new wonder drug. To back this up, researchers also agree that curcumin does have multiple health benefits. Let’s Know Is It Safe To Take Curcumin Daily?
Furthermore, every dietician and culinary expert supports the theory. We do believe curcumin is healthy but is it worthy enough to be taken every day? Is it safe to be consumed regularly? Let’s read about it to find out.
What is curcumin and what are its benefits?
Curcumin is a naturally occurring substance that is found in plants generally. It is known to be abundant with benefits that make it a special substance to pique the interests of doctors as well. Before we look into its safety, let’s briefly discuss some of its benefits.
1. Anti-inflammatory– When eaten in appropriate amounts, curcumin can help with the inflammation of the organs. It is often blamed for being the root cause of many problems in the body.
2. Antioxidant– The substance is also believed to stop free radicals from roaming around and hence neutralize them which can lead to many issues of the skin and hair.
3. Potential cancer prevention– Cancer and its relation with curcumin is being studied closely. Researchers are positive about its effects, which may be the next big thing.
4. Brain health– Curcumin is also known to improve the neuron system with an increase in the effectiveness of the nerve system and signals.
5. Heart health– Curcumin can decrease the level of cholesterol and therefore help increase the potency heart and its valves which can narrow down due to fat deposition.
6. Arthritis– People with arthritis use it to get relief from the symptoms.
Is it safe to take curcumin daily?
Curcumin is generally considered to be safe. However, there are some considerations one should keep in mind while taking it daily-
- General safety– Most people find it common to take curcumin. There are no side effects suggested and therefore is generally considered safe to consume.
- Interactions with medications– Curcumin like all compounds might interact with certain medications. It is commonly known to work against blood thinners which could make your body profusely bleed. Warfarin, a blood thinner medication is known to affect the body adversely.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding– To err on the side of caution, we should always stay away from any compounds in large quantities. While breastfeeding, if we ingest any compound it could lead to the transfer from mother to baby. The reaction in both individuals could be different.
- Other health conditions– If you have a particular health condition, chances are you might not be fully aware of its depth and grasp. So it would be wise not to consume it beyond a point.
- Quality and dosage– A lot of the effects of curcumin depend on the quality of the product you buy. Its dosage could also be taken into consideration.
- Potential benefits– Its potential benefits are too big to ignore and therefore could not be overridden by the side effects.
If curcumin exceeds its limit it can lead to
1. Gastrointestinal Issues– If you take curcumin beyond a limit, it can lead to digestive distress. This includes bloating, nausea, and gas.
2. Increased bleeding risk– As mentioned before, curcumin is known to have anti-platelet properties so when you are on blood thinners, it might not affect you as well as you would like it to.
3. Decreased stomach acid– It is often observed that the stomach acid gets decreased which can lead to problems when digesting food. Proton pump inhibitors or antacids are known to be less effective.
4. Iron deficiency– Curcumin is also known to alter the levels of iron in the body as it binds it with itself and therefore people consuming it in larger quantities might suffer from anemia.
5. Allergic reactions– Some people are allergic to the compound and may cause rash, reddening, and itching. It is similar to normal allergic reactions and can elevate into breathing problems. This is especially concerning for those who have respiratory issues. It could then spiral into something else.
6. Liver issues– Some individuals find out their liver function fails when they eat excess curcumin without a limit. This means it is hepatotoxic and could be difficult to go through.
7. Kidney stones– Because of their high oxalate levels, the kidney may find it difficult to process them. When this happens, it is seen that the kidney starts developing stones which is painful in every way.
8. Pregnancy– Pregnant ladies have different hormones when compared to regular adults. So eating curcumin daily might not be as feasible as it seems. In case they do, we would suggest going for organic only.
Read More: What Are The Benefits Of Turmeric And Black Pepper For Arthritis?
Conclusion
Curcumin has several advanced properties that make it stand out from the rest. However, the side effects are also to be considered. Individuals can try to take benefit of it as much as they want. Also, it is be to taken care of that the response to each of these conditions can be personalized. People should try to accommodate it only according to what their body says and not what the public follows.
Moreover, there are also chances that it could treat diseases that you never knew were there in the first place. Although it is a stretch, we can trust researchers to come up with something interesting that may shape-shift the whole way we see curcumins. In any case, the future is open and may be full of possibilities.
Furthermore, it is always better to be on the safer side and not go overboard with anything that is not naturally present in our systems. One should solely depend on these compounds to treat a disease magically and get astonishing results. The results could be cripplingly slow in some cases. All we have to do is trust the process.
References
- Aggarwal B.B., Kumar A., Bharti A.C. Anticancer potential of curcumin: Preclinical and clinical studies. Anticancer Res. 2003;23:363–398. [PubMed]
- Priyadarsini K.I. The chemistry of curcumin: From extraction to therapeutic agent. Molecules. 2014;19:20091–20112. doi: 10.3390/molecules191220091. [PMC free article]
