Turmeric, which gives many foods an almost neon glow, can now be found in everything from drinks, yogurts and bread to buns, biscuits and even popcorn.

Fancy a turmeric latte? How about a turmeric-infused bag of popcorn, washed down with a turmeric tea? And maybe later you can dab on a little turmeric face cream? Not too long ago, this golden spice was just another powder at the back of the cupboard

Undoubtedly, the surge in interest is at least partly due to news about the alleged health-giving benefits of the root, which in its raw form looks a bit like ginger, linking it to everything from aiding gut ailments and easing joint pain to helping stave off depression and even preventing cancer.

Whether or not the aromatic taste of turmeric appeals is one thing. But is eating it doing us any good? Here we examine the facts (and some myths) to help you decide if you need to get some in…

LESS PAINFUL JOINTS

Numerous trials have concluded that the spice – or rather, its active ingredient curcumin, which makes up around three per cent of the powdered spice – could help ease the pain of arthritis.

Most arthritis studies have used a concentrated extract of the spice containing at least 500mg curcumin, which would equate to over five and a half teaspoons of turmeric powder. But at these sort of levels it’s a promising treatment. In a small 2012 pilot study, a concentrated pill form of curcumin under the brand name BCM95 reduced joint pain and swelling in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis better than diclofenac, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).

Biocurcumax (£21.99 from bioturm.co.uk) supplies the BM95 form with 650mg in a daily dose of two capsules.

LOWER DIABETES RISK?

A study published in Diabetes Care in 2012, found that people with prediabetes who took curcumin for nine months had improved function of insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. About 240 people were involved in the study and, after nine months of treatment 16 per cent of subjects in the placebo group were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, but none in the curcumin-treated group.

The results sound impressive but need replicating, ideally with lower dosages, as the amounts used in this study were in a concentrated curcumin supplement form – equating to 16 teaspoons of turmeric powder. It’s more easily achieved by taking three capsules daily of a 500mg supplement such as Opti-Turmeric (£18.95 for 50 capsules from health span.co.uk) – though the recommended daily dose is two.

 A study published in Diabetes Care in 2012, found that people with prediabetes who took curcumin for nine months had improved function of insulin-producing cells in the pancreas

BALM FOR THE BOWELS

A handful of small clinical trials suggests that curcumin can help people with ulcerative colitis. A study in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology in 2015 found that for people with mild to moderate ulcerative colitis taking the standard medication of mesalamine, the addition of a high-dose curcumin supplement (equivalent to 30-plus teaspoons of turmeric powder) helped half of them achieve remission after four weeks. None given a placebo benefited.

More trials are needed to confirm the findings.

CALM THE BLOOD PRESSURE 

Curcumin supplements may improve the ability of blood vessels to dilate and expand, which enables blood pressure to normalise during stress. In a 2012 Japanese study involving 32 post-menopausal women split into three groups, those who took high- dose curcumin supplements had the same improvement in artery flexibility as those who did aerobic exercise. A placebo group saw no improvement.

An Iranian study reported in Phytotherapy Research in 2013 also found a reduction in triglycerides in those taking 1g curcumin a day – about 11 teaspoons of turmeric powder or 2 x 500mg curcumin capsules. Elevated levels of triglycerides make the blood sticky and thick, increasing the risk of clots.

WHAT DOESN’T IT WORK FOR?    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-5798885/Turmeric-touted-magic-bullet-joint-pain-eczema-depression.html#ixzz5HMnkQKCB

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Humans have been studying the anatomy of our own bodies for thousands of years – but, to this day, scientists are still uncovering new secrets.

A team of researchers has identified what’s said to be a previously undiscovered organ, and may even be one of the largest in the body.

What was once thought to be dense, connective tissues running all throughout the body has now been found to be a network of fluid-filled compartments that may act as ‘shock absorbers.’

Not only could the finding reshape our understanding of the human body, but scientists say it could help to explain why cancer is more likely to spread when it invades certain areas.

 Dubbed the ‘interstitium,’ interconnected compartments act like a ‘highway of moving fluid’ that sits beneath the top layer of the skin (as shown above), lines the digestive tract, lungs and urinary systems, and surrounds the arteries, veins, and the fascia between muscle

The NYU-led team says the newly discovered organ is found all over the body – but somehow, it hasn’t been identified until now.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5551189/Scientists-discover-new-organ-spanning-ENTIRE-human-body-acts-built-shock-absorber.html

Dubbed the ‘interstitium,’ interconnected compartments act like a ‘highway of moving fluid’ that sits beneath the top layer of the skin, lines the digestive tract, lungs and urinary systems, and surrounds the arteries, veins, and the fascia between muscle.

The human body contains huge amounts of fluid.

More than half of this is found within the cells, and another seventh inside the heart, blood vessels, lymph nodes, and lymph vessels. The rest is known as interstitial.

Now, researchers say the network that carries this interstitial fluid is its own distinct organ.

And, it may even be one of the largest organs in the body.

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7 Foods That Prevent Prostate Cancer

                                Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men. According to the American Cancer Society, one in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime, and the disease kills more than 32,000 Americans each year. Yet, hundreds of studies have shown that certain foods, such as tomatoes and fish, are powerful cancer-fighters. 

 

Improve the odds of avoiding prostate cancer by adding generous helpings of the following foods to your anti-cancer diet: 

 

1. Cruciferous vegetables

A study from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle found that men who ate three servings a week of cruciferous vegetables, which include cabbage and broccoli, lower their odds of developing prostate cancer by 41 percent. These veggies contain two powerful phytochemicals, glucosinolates and isothiocyanates, which are believed to neutralize cancer-causing substances. 

Another study reported in the Journal of Biological Chemistry found that a compound in cruciferous vegetables called indole-3-carbinol, is converted by the body into DIM, a substance which blocks male hormones and keeps prostate cancer cells from growing.

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