We’ve written before about the wonders that turmeric works for the brain.
To cite just a couple prominent examples: Ar-tumerone (a recently discovered turmeric alkaloid that doesn’t get as much attention) has been shown to regenerate brain cells, and curcumin (especially when administered in conjunction with other turmeric alkaloids) may help prevent or even ameliorate Alzheimer’s disease.
And last but not least, turmeric helps stop damage and neurodegeneration before it happens. Integrating it into your daily diet and supplement regimen helps keep your brain sharp, clear, and high-functioning, and protects it from the ravages of aging and environmental toxins.
Researchers also have good reason to believe that turmeric can benefit those suffering from Parkinson’s disease.
This debilitating condition is characterized by the death or dysfunction of vital neurons in the brain that control motor function throughout the body. Thus, those suffering from this degenerative disease experience progressively worsening symptoms of motor impairment, like tremors, stiffness, bradykinesia (slowness of movement), impaired balance and coordination, and more.
Mainstream medicine currently holds that Parkinson’s disease cannot be cured, and it’s said that even the causes are not fully understood. That being said, there are many reasons why experts believe turmeric could be immensely helpful (though it has not yet been specifically used to treat Parkinson’s disease in a clinical setting).
Let’s take a look at some of turmeric’s healing mechanisms that could make it a godsend for Parkinson’s patients.
Full-spectrum brain protection
While the neurodegeneration that leads to diseases like Parkinson’s does not have to be a normal part of aging, there are many environmental risk factors that put wear and tear on our brains.
The more ways in which you can protect your brain from such damage, the better chance you have of preventing or even halting Parkinson’s disease. Because turmeric alkaloids are readily able to cross the blood-brain barrier, it’s able to help in many ways. Here’s what researchers have uncovered so far.
Quells inflammation. Neurological inflammation is one of the primary drivers of brain degeneration. One study commented that turmeric’s potent anti-inflammatory activity is one mechanism that makes it a very promising therapeutic agent for Parkinson’s, and another showed that curcumin counteracts the inflammation often associated with dopamine depletion (a common marker of Parkinson’s).
Potent antioxidant activity. Because oxidative stress plays such a massive role in neuronal degeneration, turmeric’s potent antioxidant effects offer perfect brain support. As an antioxidant, turmeric inhibits the damaging free radical peroxynitrite and protects brain cell mitochondria against damage, protects against the death of neurons in the substantia nigra (an area of the brain strongly associated with Parkinson’s), and protects against homocysteine-induced neurotoxicity (high levels of homocysteine are often correlated with Parkinson’s). It even boosts levels of endogenous antioxidants, like glutathione and superoxide dismatuse, which offer powerful neuroprotection.
Keeps dopamine and acetylcholine levels normalized. As mentioned above, decreased levels of essential neurotransmitters (especially dopamine) are commonly associated with Parkinson’s disease. In addition to protecting dopaminergic neurons from damage (in the ways mentioned above), turmeric has also been shown to reverse dopamine depletion and inhibit neurotoxic monoamine oxidase (just like Parkinson’s medications, but without the side effects).
Detoxes heavy metals. The dysfunction of dopaminergic neurons associated with Parkinson’s has been closely correlated with the build-up of toxic iron and other heavy metals. Turmeric is exemplary at detoxing heavy metals from the body and brain; studies have demonstrated that turmeric’s iron-chelating mechanism protects neurons against degeneration.
Normalizes proteins that signal Parkinson’s. In addition to acting as a neuroprotectant in all the ways mentioned above, studies demonstrate that turmeric also works remarkably well for minimizing the biomarkers used to predict the onset of Parkinson’s disease. It prevents neuronal changes in the proteins that signal oxidative stress, inhibits the production of alpha synuclein, a brain cell protein that mutates and becomes dysfunctional during the onset of Parkinson’s, stops the further accumulation of these mutated proteins, and activates a protein called transcription factor EB, which reduces neurotoxicity through a variety of mechanisms.
And this is only a broad overview of the mechanisms that make turmeric such a promising treatment for Parkinson’s disease; researchers are still uncovering more ways in which this miracle root can come to the rescue of those battling this allegedly incurable condition.
Just make sure you’re using the right kind of turmeric
As you can see from the wealth of study data presented above, turmeric is the real deal. Even in ancient times, Ayurveda (the Indian system of holistic healing) recommended turmeric for brain disorders like Parkinson’s.
There’s just one problem with turmeric, though: it’s very difficult for the body to absorb in its natural form. You need to eat a huge amount of the raw root to ensure any therapeutic benefit, and most curcumin extracts are even worse.
If you’re using turmeric to support the healing of Parkinson’s or other acute conditions, it’s essential you use a product that’s specifically formulated for maximum bioavailability, like this one.
Liposomal delivery, full-spectrum extraction, and the addition of fulvic acid make this product unbeatable. Give it a try, and give your brain all the protection it deserves.