Athletes, bodybuilders, fans of a healthy diet and lifestyle pay close attention to their diet. There are many additives that are recommended for use by those who care about their own health. The substance has been subjected to many studies over several years. It has a healing potential and is able to heal the body. Curcumin helps to increase strength and increase muscle mass. The compound has many useful substances, but not everyone knows in what quantities and how to take it correctly.
To achieve significant results in sports, it is necessary to pay attention not only to training, but also to proper nutrition. An important role in the diet is played by various additives. The useful and valuable properties of curcumin, which is an active biological substance, have been tested not only for centuries, but also with modern research. Curcumin is a compound that everyone who seeks to enhance physical performance is required.
Content
- 1 What is curcumin "> 2 Useful properties
- 2.1 Prevention and treatment of diseases
- 2.2 Use of curcumin in sports and bodybuilding
- 3 How to take?
- 4 Contraindications and harm
What is curcumin?
The substance is a chemical compound of natural origin. It is contained in the root system of a plant that belongs to the Ginger family or Curcuma longa. Curcumin is not obtained from fresh, but from dried underground parts. The rhizome of the plant is dried and ground into a powder having an aroma and a bright yellow hue. It is a seasoning that gives the dish aroma, piquant spiciness, golden appetizing hue.
Since ancient times, turmeric has been highly regarded for its high healing properties. In eastern alternative medicine, it was often used to treat various ailments. A coloring pigment that contains a compound has previously been used to stain fabrics.
The specific shade that turmeric powder has is obtained thanks to a special compound such as curcumin. It has a crystalline structure and is included in the class of polyphenols, it is highly soluble by ethanol, but not ordinary water. It is obtained by extracting powder obtained from turmeric in several different stages, resulting in a bright yellow alcohol solution.
Natural dye, which is listed under the name E100, is actively used in the food industry. It gives the product a yellowish tint. It is used in the production of margarine, confectionery, cheeses, drinks. Initially, it was used as a dye, but with the discovery of useful properties, this compound began to be used as an active biological additive.
Beneficial features
The beneficial effects on the body have not been fully studied even today. Some of the healing properties of curcumin are still undergoing clinical research. Confirmed valuable properties are enough to confirm the high biological value of curcumin, therefore, it is recommended to include the supplement in your diet for everyone who monitors their own health and is actively involved in sports.
Disease Prevention and Treatment
Curcumin has high therapeutic properties. It is used for the prevention and treatment of numerous diseases:
- Reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer's. Numerous studies have been conducted at the University of California, during which it turned out that the compound is able to destroy amyloid beta, which are the main provocateurs of the development of the disease. This discovery explained that residents of India and surrounding countries, in whose diet curcumin is abundantly present, are less prone to Alzheimer's and other types of senile dementia.
- Increases the protective functions of the body. The additive has a high immunomodulatory property.
- Acts as an anti-inflammatory. The compound reduces the likelihood of developing inflammatory processes.
- Reduces the risk of developing depression and nervous disorders. The substance has the effect of an antidepressant.
- It is the prevention of colds. Curcumin has an antiviral and antibacterial effect.
- Suppresses the development of tumors. Studies show that pigment-coloring additives significantly reduce and destroy malignant cells, protecting healthy inviolable tissues. To date, there are a number of studies in which antitumor drugs are developed on the basis of this substance.
- Protects and protects the body from aging. Turmeric coloring pigment is a powerful antioxidant. A similar effect has been confirmed by various studies. This compound is able to destroy free radicals, which accelerate the aging process and protect the human body from oxidative stress.
Multilateral benefits make turmeric one of the most beneficial supplements.
The use of curcumin in sports and bodybuilding
Most of the beneficial properties of the supplement are of particular importance to bodybuilders and athletes in general. Curcumin serves as the basis for the creation of effective agents with the following positive effects:
- Antibacterial. The substance prevents the breakdown of protein in muscle tissue. It prevents the loss of dry muscle mass during drying, breaks in training, cachexia, which occurs in severe diseases.
- Anti-inflammatory . An increase in muscle volume is accompanied by the appearance of microcracks and inflammation. Curcumin prevents inflammation in muscle tissue and reduces strength. It protects the joints from heavy loads and prevents the development of inflammatory processes, reducing pain. Taking the substance on a regular basis is the prevention of arthrosis, arthritis.
- Enhances the effect of insulin. The cells of the body become more sensitive to the coloring pigment. The anabolic effect of this hormone increases many times.
- Increases testosterone in men. This effect of curcumin has no scientific evidence, but evidence exists for a decrease in estrogen, an antagonist of testosterone. There is another important action of curcumin - the protection of the testicles from adverse environmental factors, as well as from the harmful effects of alcohol.
Inhibition of catabolic processes, protecting joints from inflammation, enhancing the anabolic effect, increasing testosterone levels make the substance very useful for athletes.
How to take?
In Asian countries and India, turmeric is consumed in fairly large quantities. They do not think about the proper use of the supplement, they benefit without any effort, just using the substance as a flavoring seasoning to give the food a special taste.
Curcumin in India is eaten as a mixture and as part of such a famous spice as brownie. It contains black pepper, which increases the degree of assimilation of this compound. People who choose to follow this example should take turmeric along with black pepper. Due to this, the additive is absorbed 20 times better and stronger.
To get even more benefit from this compound, it is necessary to insist the powder not only with black pepper, but also in olive oil. Alternatively, you can use vegetable. The difficulty in consuming curcumin is in calculating optimal dosages. Its amount in the fresh rhizome of curcumin is about five percent.
The content of the substance in the dry powder increases. The optimal daily rate of this seasoning is one gram for every ten kilograms of its own weight. Peppers should be taken in much smaller quantities. Only true spicy food fans can eat this amount of seasoning. The rest is recommended to use curcumin in capsules. They are produced by many sports nutrition manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies, and may contain auxiliary components, black pepper or ginger extract, bromelain, vitamin D3.
The drug is recommended to be taken according to the instructions. The optimal dose is from one to three per day during meals. The duration of the course is thirty days. If the effect is minimal, you can take capsules on a regular basis.
Contraindications and harm
Curcumin capsules are safe and do not cause side effects, as well as addiction. They are contraindicated for children under 14 years of age, women during pregnancy and lactation, before and after surgery, people with an allergic reaction to some component.
On sale there are drugs without piperine. They are indicated for use in people with problems of the urinary organs, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as the gall bladder. The presence of black pepper in the composition of the additive can cause an exacerbation of diseases and irritation of the mucosa.
Preference for the piperine-free option should also be taken when taking aspirin and other anticoagulants, anti-inflammatory non-steroid drugs, theophylline, carbamepine, rifampicin, chlorzoxazone and so on.
It is recommended to take no more than 8 grams of curcumin per day. Overdose leads to:
- nausea
- headache;
- diarrhea
- rash
- yellowing of the chair.
If you adhere to the recommended dosages by taking this supplement, you can significantly improve your athletic performance, as well as strengthen your own health.
