There is a lot of information out about the healing power of turmeric and curcumin and ayurvedic supplements in general. Yet, there is still some confusion about what these supplements are. They are two separate things. Turmeric is a plant ( Curcuma longa ) while Curcumin is a substance that comes from the roots of the turmeric plant ( Curcuma longa.) It is important to make that distinction and to also list the Latin name given to this plant as there are other turmeric plants and when taking anti-inflammatory supplements it is important that the ingredients come from the right plant.
Does Turmeric Help Reduce Inflammation?
There are many peer-reviewed studies that show the benefit of Turmeric and Curcumin as a treatment for inflammatory diseases including cancer. [1]
It is the role of the cell and its genes that begin the cancer process. Scientists understand that it is the cell signaling pathways and errors or misinterpretation by genes that cause some forms of cancer to form. The medication involved in treating cancer address one of those cell signaling pathways and are grouped together as monotargeted drugs. The problem with these drugs is that cell signaling can occur along 500 or more pathways. Yet, the drug only addresses one of those pathways. In addition, there is the long list of dangerous side effects caused by cancer drugs. The traditional treatment for cancers combines monotargeted drugs to help control, reduce or stop cancer.
There are clinical trials that show Curcumin has the ability to multi-target cell signaling pathways without the long list of dangerous side effects. A journal article that appeared in the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists and that appeared on the National Library of Medicine's site [1] discusses the role that Curcumin plays in cancer treatment and the hope that it is bringing to patients who suffer from colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and Multiple Myeloma.
The problem with many cancer treatments is the negative impact from side effects of the drugs. The idea behind cancer treatment is very much a race to poison cancer before the patient. The other problem is that cancer is not a single-source issue. It is a multiple cell pathway signaling issues and cancer treatments are often only a single pathway treatment. That is like trying to plug 1,000 leaks in a dam with just one finger. However, the studies suggest that turmeric and curcumin address cancer on multiple cell signaling pathways. In some of the studies discussed in this paper, tumor size decreased, non-progression of cancer occurred, and there was adecrease in serious side effects such as nausea.
The Cancer Consideration
The consideration of these studies is that all of the participants already had cancer. Can Turmeric and Curcumin act as a preventative for cancer?
An article that appeared on the site - power of positivey [2] discusses six things that happen in your body when people take turmeric every day. Those six things include:
- How turmeric fights inflammation
- How turmeric reduces risk of cancer
- How turmeric improved digestion
- How turmeric improves health
- How turmeric improves heart health
- The reduction of arthritic pain and symptoms
Not only are these claims addressed in studies, they have caught the eye of the public. Turmeric is a hot topic right now for health conscious consumers. In fact, according to Google Trends, Turmeric latte recipe search is up 4,550 percent across much of North America, Australia, India, and South Africa. That is a huge market area for turmeric as an additive to a latte.
The Opportunity of Turmeric and Curcumin
What this says is "opportunity." The interest in turmeric is huge from the consumer point of view. In fact there are over 25 turmeric related queries on Google Trends that indicate a 250 plus percent increase in search for products that contain turmeric.
The search for "Turmeric Supplements" is a big topic in the United States when combined with phrases such as "Joint Pain, Probiotic, and Pharmaceutical drugs. The search phrase "Turmeric Pills" is up by more than 400 percent.
What all of this spells for the supplement industry is "opportunity." In fact, a vast opportunity to include turmeric in supplements, in food products, and to promote the education of the public about the health benefits of turmeric. Given the massive response on a global basis to the query "how to include turmeric in a latte" speaks volumes about how far consumers are willing to go to include turmeric and curcumin in their daily lives.
Add in the word Organic to the mix and you end up with search results that are nearly viral - Organic turmeric powder - up 200 percent. Organic turmeric Australia - rising quickly in search results.
Turmeric the Big Easy
Turmeric is so hot right now that it is golden - not just in color but in marketing. What is more important is that the love affair with turmeric seems genuine. Not many plant-based products can tout a long list of positive cancer effects that are backed by clinical studies.
The opportunity here goes beyond mere supplements and approaches significant medical breakthrough both in terms of a cancer treatment and as a preventative for a myriad of diseases and health conditions.
The question for supplement manufacturers is how can turmeric improve your supplement sales? Turmeric curcumin private label The results from Google Trends is so bright that finding an audience for your product should require little effort. The demand is high so is the competition among manufacturers. However, there are plenty of niche opportunities within a positive global market. Those include organics, teas, spices and blends that make it easy for the average consumer to add turmeric or curcumin to their daily routine. The demand is such that consumers are willing to "experiment" with curcumin-based products.
