Benefits of Turmeric Curcumin for High-Stress Jobs like Nursing

Mood, anxiety disorders, and organic depression are among the most prevalent of all mental disorders, affecting approximately 18% of the population worldwide. Stressful life events put you at risk for developing such disorders; however, not everyone who undergoes stress will develop a mood or anxiety disorder. Scientific researchers have attempted to identify factors that may protect a person from the negative effects of stress.

A compound that has shown promising results during these research studies is curcumin. It has been observed that curcumin may be effective in treating diseases with an inflammatory component, including rheumatoid arthritis. A recent double-blind placebo-controlled study indicates that the effects of curcumin are particularly pronounced in people with atypical depression having high levels of inflammation. 

These preclinical studies show that curcumin, administered during exposure to chronic stress, reduces the development of depressive behavior and held prevent stress-induced changes in your brain component called the hippocampus.

Hence, if you are looking for a way to improve the symptoms that come with stress, turmeric is the answer. It has been used for thousands of years as a natural remedy for many different issues. Let’s understand more about how turmeric can help deal with high stress. 

What are Curcumin and Turmeric?

In Asian medicine, turmeric has been used as a treatment for various ailments for at least 5,000 years. It contains several curcuminoids, but researchers have found that curcumin is the most effective compound.

Turmeric is a spice derived from the root Curcuma longa, a member of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. In Ayurvedic medicine (Indian traditional medicine), turmeric has been used for its medicinal properties; it is also widely used in other Asian countries. The most active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin, which gives the spice its yellow color. Curcumin has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a powerful antioxidant.

How does Turmeric Help in High Stress-Level Jobs like Nursing? 

Nurses face a number of stresses at work, including long hours and heavy workloads. These factors can have negative effects on their health and quality of life. Job stress may also interfere with nurses' ability to provide care and limit certain behaviors, which may be one of several factors affecting patients' outcomes.

The American Institute of Stress states that stress is a major cause of 80% of all occupational injuries and 40% of the financial burden in the workplace. Stressful situations can lead to depression, causing cognitive symptoms such as lack of motivation and physical changes such as chronic melancholy. 

As per research, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) play a significant role in stress-related depression and inflammation. And curcumin has been shown to stimulate BDNF and inhibit COX-2, thus displaying antidepressant properties. 

In addition, curcumin is known for its neuroprotective properties as well. The polar structure of curcumin and its low molecular weight allow it to penetrate the blood-brain barrier. It promotes developmental and adult hippocampal neurogenesis, as well as a biological activity that enhances neural plasticity and repair. This simply means curcumin helps your brain adapt well to stress faced in day-to-day life.  

Thus, curcumin addresses the stress and depression commonly experienced by nurses and aides providing significant relief.

Other Benefits of Turmeric

1. Potential Natural Anti-Aging Compound

Indeed, oxidative stress is an essential hallmark of aging and is considered the primary cause of age-related diseases. Oxidative stress occurs when the body creates more free radicals than it can neutralize. Free radicals are unstable molecules that can damage your cells and tissues.

Using natural substances such as curcumin or derivatives with high antioxidant potential to counteract oxidative stress effectively reduces free radical-linked aging. Such an approach could be used as a preventive measure against aging and its associated illnesses.

2. Help Reduce Cognitive Decline

Curcumin consumption has been shown to reduce brain inflammation and protect the brain from neurodegeneration. A study of older adults found that those who consumed curcumin performed better on cognitive tests than those in the control group. 

Researchers also theorize that curcumin's antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties are linked to its reduced risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease.

Curcumin helps improve your mood and cognition and also the ability to learn better. 

3. Improves Cardiac Functions

Adding turmeric to the diet lowers cholesterol and triglyceride levels while increasing HDL cholesterol. More proof shows that it lessens renal lesions, blood glucose oxidation, and LDL oxidation in diabetes. Additionally, due to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, turmeric and curcumin have been shown to combat many conditions, including myocardial infarctions, atherosclerosis, stroke, and other cardiovascular complications.

Turmeric and curcumin may protect patients at risk of cardiovascular disease by improving serum lipid levels. Curcumin may be used as a well-tolerated dietary supplement in conjunction with conventional medications to prevent cardiovascular disease.

4. May Help Prevent Cancer

Curcumin is known to have anti-cancer effects in a variety of tumor cells. The action of curcumin depends on the cell type and the length of treatment, and it can cause cancer cells to undergo apoptosis. Curcumin also has the potential to inhibit cancer development and progression by targeting multiple steps in the process of tumorigenesis, including inhibiting malignant cell proliferation during promotion and advancement.

In addition to its role as a chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agent, curcumin has been shown to sensitize tumors to chemotherapy by inhibiting pathways that lead to treatment resistance.

Curcumin may be an effective agent against various cancers when used alone or in conjunction with current chemotherapeutic drugs.

5. May Reduce Pain in Osteoarthritis

Arthritis is a common disorder of the joints characterized by pain, stiffness, and swelling. Curcumin has been shown to alleviate the symptoms of arthritis, including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. While most treatments for arthritis focus on pain relief, curcumin improves your joint function by reducing inflammation. 

Standard treatment measures for arthritis include analgesics (painkillers) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), but these drugs have serious side effects. Turmeric extracts and curcumin can be cautiously recommended for alleviating the symptoms of arthritis, especially osteoarthritis.

Safety Concerns of Turmeric

While turmeric and curcumin are generally safe to consume, taking large doses of these substances can result in certain side effects, such as:

• A high intake of turmeric may result in hyperoxaluria, a significant risk factor for urolithiasis. This can increase the risk of kidney stone formation in susceptible individuals.
• Turmeric also has potential antidiabetic effects, which could be enhanced when used in combination with antidiabetic drugs or insulin.
• Curcumin has antithrombotic properties, so people with bleeding disorders should limit its use.
• People who take large amounts of turmeric may experience gastrointestinal side effects such as bloating, acid reflux, flatulence, and diarrhea.
• Sometimes turmeric and curcumin may interact with medications you are taking in ways that alter their effects.

How to Take Turmeric to Get the Most Benefit?

One of the major barriers to curcumin's efficacy is its poor absorption and bioavailability. Some ways to overcome this problem are;

1. Turmeric should be consumed with butter or ghee to aid in absorption, as it is lipid-soluble. This is also why turmeric is commonly mixed with warm milk. You can have turmeric with good fats like cow milk, coconut milk, or almond milk. 
2. Adding turmeric to quercetin-rich foods, like apples, citrus fruits, green tea, red grapes, and onions, can boost the amount of curcumin absorbed by your body.
3. Have turmeric with hot food. Heat increases the solubility of curcumin, which may also increase its bioavailability and efficacy in the body.