Why Turmeric is Good For Liver
Various researches and experiments have named turmeric as a natural solution to many diseases such as cold, arthritis, swelling, pain, ulcer, bruises and many more. The roots of turmeric are mainly used for therapeutic purposes. The powdered form of turmeric is used for making edibles in curry and some other Asian food items.
It contains a lot of active therapeutic ingredients that are good for human consumption. However, the most important of the turmeric constituents is the “Curcumin” which is responsible for most of the medicinal effect of turmeric.
Curcumin has several studies taken about it and has been discovered to serve as a cure or treatment for diseases like Osteoarthritis, gastroenteritis, fibrosis, cancer, infections and so on. So why are you not eating turmeric?
Some reasons why turmeric is good for the liver, include:
It Helps to modulate signaling in liver cells
A lot of signaling molecules like the NF-kB, the ERK and others have been known to modulate the stellar cells in the liver. The signaling molecules are activated whenever the liver is damaged. This signaling causes the satellite cells to get activated and leads to the production of the connective tissue growth factor (or CTGF). The CGTF causes the cells to produce extracellular matrix proteins that lead to liver fibrosis. Turmeric (the Curcumin) constituent helps the liver to kill the stellate cells and ensure that the production of the CTGF gets suppressed. Thus, every of the fibrosis causing stellate cells is duly handled by turmeric and that is a reason why turmeric is good for the liver.
It Kills The Liver Cells That Can Lead to Liver Fibrosis
There are some cells in the liver that once they get damaged, they can begin to produce collagen and some other extracellular proteins that can cause fibrosis in the liver. These cells are called the stellate cells and they are activated when the liver is injured.
Curcumin from turmeric, according to studies, can easily activate apoptosis i.e. programmed cell death in the stellate cells, to protect the liver. Also a regulated and regular consumption of Curcumin over a long rime can actually ensure that the stellate cells don’t get activated at all, thereby not posing any health risk to the liver and the entire body system.
It Exerts Protective Effects on The Liver
There are a lot of chemical compounds that come in contact with our liver daily. Some of these compounds have negative effects on the liver. It is hard for the liver to not come in contact with these chemicals because it is responsible for detoxification.
Therefore, when we consume foods that have low nutritional value and high chemical compounds, alcohol and so on, we are at risk of causing serious damage to the liver, and this makes it too weak to fight the compounds.
Due to its anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory purposes, the Curcumin present in turmeric reduces the number of molecules that can damage the liver. That is molecules like transpeptidase, aspartate, aminotransferase, bilirubin, and others. Turmeric also increases the amounts of glutathione and matrix metalloprotease 13. They help with the breakdown of excessive connective tissue in the liver that can cause liver fibrosis.
Can Function as an Antioxidant
At any time that the liver gets injured, the oxidative and inflammatory mechanisms in the cells will be switched on. What these mechanisms intend to do is to alert other tissues of the injury, but they end up causing even more damage to the liver cells when the reactive oxygen species gets activated in the cells.
During an injury to an organ as important as the liver, many oxidative and inflammatory mechanisms begin to function naturally in the cells. These oxidative reactions are intended to alert nearby tissues of a possible injury, but this process, unfortunately, causes more damage to liver cells. This process continues through to the secretion of the extracellular proteins which can end up causing a big problem to the liver instead of healing it. However, turmeric increases the glutathione in the cells to fight the ROS in the tissue and duly stop them from causing any damage to the part of the undamaged cells.
It Cures And Prevents Inflammation in The Liver Cells
Inflammation can occur in the liver at any time, mostly when the liver gets injured. This inflammation can lead to serious health hazards for the liver and the entirety of the body. Turmeric, through its Curcumin constituents, hinders and reverses the inflammatory reactions I’m the liver cells. This further causes a reduction in the stellate cells that can cause liver fibrosis. This is another reason why turmeric is good for the liver.
Turmeric, when used in small sizes and edible quantities as part of a diet is always very beneficial. The turmeric supplements and other forms also exist, but they are not recommended for consumption. We can add turmeric to a variety of things and are effective when taken as edibles in meals or raw powder than the supplements. One tablespoon of turmeric daily is the perfect and most effective dose of turmeric.
One problem with the turmeric is the fact that it doesn’t get easily absorbed into the body. However, if you take turmeric with black pepper, it might help with the absorption. Turmeric supplements should be taken with care as well.
Also, taken turmeric in doses that are more than the recommended 1 tablespoon daily can result in serious issues to the body. Therefore, when taking turmeric, ensure you take the edible powdered form or use it as part of a meal to harvest its effective purpose. And if possible, avoid the supplements, or patronize only trusted brands.
Turmeric is good for the liver ultimately, but it requires attention and moderation for you to get the maximum result possible.
