Unleash the Golden Power: How Turmeric’s Bitter Taste Hides a Wealth of Health Benefits

South Korea is aging at the fastest rate in the world. Dementia is considered a representative degenerative brain disease that cannot be avoided.

As of the end of last year, there were 9.46 million people aged 65 and over, of which 10.4%, or about 1 million people, had dementia (Ministry of Health and Welfare Central Dementia Center). One in ten elderly people in Korea has dementia. The rate of dementia increases with age, with 19% of those aged 75 to 79, 27% of those aged 80 to 84, and 38% of those aged 85 and over diagnosed with dementia.

Dementia is no longer recognized as an individual problem but as a social and national problem.

Meanwhile, bitter “turmeric,” known as gold dust, is gaining attention for enhancing cognitive abilities. The effectiveness of turmeric, the main ingredient in curry, varies widely beyond its role as a spice.

Curcumin, a key ingredient in turmeric, contains brain damage-restoring properties. One study looked at the correlation between curry consumption and cognitive function in people in their 60s and found that older adults who consumed curry once a month were about half as likely to have cognitive impairment than those who consumed curry once every six months. That

Curcumin has been shown to be effective in treating metabolic syndrome, hypertension, heavy metal poisoning, depression, and cognitive impairment. In one study, the group that consumed curry had significantly lower levels of blood lead, mercury, and cadmium, while the group that consumed a lot of curry had lower levels of triglycerides, HbA1c, and blood sugar, while also reducing the risk of depression, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension. Curcumin also has a protective effect against 1,2-diacetylbenzene (DAB)-induced neuroinflammation at the cellular level by regulating various neuroinflammatory pathways, including TLR4/NF-κB.

Research findings have also been published showing that when curry and spices are consumed, the levels of inflammatory biomarkers such as C-reactive protein, TNF-α, and IL-6 are reduced due to their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Consuming turmeric and spices has also been found to be effective in reducing the risk of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and ulcerative colitis.

Additionally, turmeric may be an alternative to improve various sleep problems, including sleep disorders and insomnia. It has been shown that the administration of turmeric extract can significantly reduce sleep latency and increase the duration of non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREMS). This effect is caused by curcuminoids and is carried out by a mechanism that inhibits action potentials through H1R antagonism in hypothalamic neurons. Curcuminoids have been shown to help improve sleep quality, including increasing sleep duration.

Turmeric also detoxifies the liver. Curcumin not only removes cholesterol from the body, but also reduces the load on the liver by promoting the production of bile, which helps digest fats. It also helps strengthen liver cells, detoxify toxins and convert them into beneficial substances.

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Turmeric, the main ingredient in curry. Getty Images

The Rural Development Administration found through animal testing that turmeric is effective in suppressing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. As a result of isolating 10 kinds of functional substances from turmeric and conducting animal experiments using the most active substance, such as bisdemethoxycurcumin, the liver weight was reduced by about 37.5% in the milk thistle components compared to rats with fatty liver disease, and the turmeric ingredients decreased to about 62.5%, while in the group given milk thistle + turmeric ingredients it decreased to about 52.5%.

In liver function tests, ALT and AST, which increase when liver cells are damaged, were approximately 28.7% and 35.5% for the cardoon component, approximately 40.3% and approximately 62.0% for the turmeric and cardoon+ component compared to mice with fatty liver. In the group that received the turmeric ingredient, it decreased to approximately 33.2% and approximately 43.2%, respectively.

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Turmeric is taking a step towards becoming a “healthy person” with the recent emergence of curries made with rice powder instead of wheat flour. Ottogi’s gluten-free “non-wheat curry,” which is a leader in the curry market, is exactly that. Specifically, the turmeric content has increased by 44.1%, the fat content has been reduced by 30%, and the sugar content has been reduced by about 40%.

According to the “Global Gluten-Free Food Market Status Survey” released by Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corporation (aT) in 2022, the global gluten-free food market has been growing steadily at an average annual growth rate of 7.7% over the past five years from 2017 to 2021.

An Ottogi official said, “Since our founding product ‘Ottogi Powder Curry’ was first introduced in Korea in 1969, we have maintained a solid first place in the domestic curry market. We have built a diversified lineup through the improvement of raw materials,” and created a premium line that fits the health trend through secret curry. “It’s a strategy to strengthen,” he said.

[남연희 매경헬스 기자]