Dr. Woliner's weekly health tip

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Lyndon McGill, D.C.

EvolvHealth Wellness Advisory Council Member

Salem, Oregon

www.SalemSpineClinic.com

www.EvolvingDaily.com

Spice May Offer Immune System Breakthrough

I love spices. They add wonderful favors to food... and many

spices also have wonderful healthful properties.

Take turmeric, for example. This pungent spice gives curry its

distinctive flavor. But it has also been used in Ayurveda - the

traditional medicine of India - for over 2,000 years.

In recent years, animal studies suggest that turmeric may be one

of the healthiest spices. That's largely thanks to a compound it

contains called curcumin.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture tested turmeric on mice and

found many heart-healthy benefits.

Researchers gave three groups of mice three different diets. The

first group ate a low-fat diet. The second group ate a high-fat

diet. The third group ate a high-fat diet plus curcumin.

After 12 weeks. The low-fat group remained healthy. The high-fat

group began to show the signs you'd expect forecasting a high fat

diet.

And the curcumin group? In spite of eating the same diet - and

the same quantity - as the high-fat group, we're much healthier.

They gained far less weight and body fat than the high-fat group.

Plus they had much lower levels of several important measures of

health...

Lower total cholesterol

Lower blood sugar levels

Lower triglycerides (blood fats)

Lower levels of fat in their liver (1)

A second study - just published this year - looked at slightly

different factors, but had similar results. These scientists found

that mice on a high-fat diet gained less weight when they added

curcumin. Plus they found the mice processed blood sugars better.

(2)

If you enjoy curries, studies like these are a good excuse to

indulge. But another new study has taken turmeric's health

benefits in a whole new direction.

Two researchers at Oregon State University discovered curcumin

appears to have an unusual property. It "switches on" a gene that

makes a protein your body uses to fight invading germs.

The "CAMP" protein helps your immune system fight off unfamiliar

germs. And the researchers discovered that curcumin triples the

levels of this protein. (3) That would be a significant boost to

your immune defenses.

All of these studies have to be verified in human trials. But we

already know turmeric is a powerful antioxidant. And it can help

reduce levels of systemic irritation. So there's really no reason

not to add more of this delicious spice to your weekly menu.

Yours in continued good health,

Dr Woliner, M.D.

(1) Bliss, M., "Benefits of Compound in Turmeric Spice Studied,"

USDA. May 21, 2009.

(2) Shao, W., et al, "Curcumin Prevents High Fat Diet Induced

Insulin Resistance and Obesity via Attenuating Lipogenesis in

Liver and Inflammatory Pathway in Adipocytes," PLoS ONE. 2012;

7(1): e28784.

(3) "Like Curry? New Role Identified for Compound Used in

Ancient Medicine," Linus ing Institute at Oregon State

University. May 25, 2012.