(31-05-13) Turmeric compounds improve heart health as much as exercise

by David Gutierrez, staff writer

(NaturalNews) A chemical that naturally occurs in turmeric root appears to
improve heart health as much as moderate aerobic exercise, according to a trio
of studies conducted by researchers from the University of Tsukuba in Japan.

Turmeric root has been an important component of traditional Asian medicinal
systems for hundreds of years. In recent decades, scientific studies have
confirmed the potent anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties of the trio
of turmeric chemicals known as "curcuminoids," which give the root its
distinctive yellow-orange color. Although only one of these chemicals is
properly known as "curcumin," the name is commonly used to refer to all of them
collectively.

The three new studies all compared the effects of exercise and curcumin on
heart health and postmenopausal women over an eight-week period. All the
studies were randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled. Curcumin was
delivered by means of colloidal nanoparticles.

Can turmeric prevent heart disease?
In the first study, researchers assigned 32 women to either take a curcumin
supplement, engage in moderate aerobic exercise training, or undergo no
intervention at all. The researchers measured participants' vascular
endothelial function - the responsiveness of the layer of cells that line the
blood vessels, a key indicator of overall cardiovascular health - both at the
beginning and end of the study. They found that while there was no improvement
in the control group, endothelial function significantly increased in both the
exercise and curcumin groups. Most surprisingly, the improvement in the two
experimental groups was identical.

The second study examined curcumin's effects on the responsiveness of arteries
to changes in blood pressure ("arterial compliance"), another key measure of
cardiovascular health. In this study, 32 women were randomly assigned to
receive either a curcumin supplement or a placebo pill, or to undergo an
exercise routine plus either a curcumin or placebo pill. The researchers found
no significant improvement in the control group, significant (and equivalent)
improvements in both the exercise-only and curcumin-only groups, and the
greatest improvement among participants who exercised and also took the
supplements.

In the final study, researchers examined the effects of exercise and curcumin
on the rate of age-related degeneration of the heart's left ventricle. 45
participants were randomly assigned into one of the same four groups used in
the second study.

The researchers once again found that both exercise and curcumin produced
significant increases in heart health. In this study, however, curcumin alone
did not appear to provide any benefit. Specifically, brachial systolic blood
pressure (SBP) decreased among participants who exercised, whether or not they
took curcumin. In addition, heart-rate-corrected aortic augmentation index
(AIx) and aortic SBP both decreased significantly only among participants who
both exercised and took curcumin.

"Regular ingestion of curcumin could be a preventive measure against
cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women," the authors of the first study
wrote. "Furthermore, our results suggest that curcumin may be a potential
alternative ... for patients who are unable to exercise."

Curcumin is best absorbed from turmeric root, rather than from supplements.

Sources for this article include:
http://www.vitalchoice.com/shop/pc/articlesViewprint.asp?id=1953

http://www.prohealth.com/library/showarticle.cfm?libid=17666

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