Why Turmeric Is One of the Most Powerful Foods on the Planet
Did you know that the turmeric plant has a very long history of medicinal use, dating back nearly 4000 years?
Today science has begun to recognise turmerics importance – over 3000 publications dealing with turmeric have been produced within the last 25 years.
Happy to say our Fish ‘n’ Hips! treats contains turmeric
Our delicious semi-moist, natural fish treats contain 70% white fish with Devils Claw, Turmeric and Oleogrape to help support dogs’ joints.
Highly palatable and low in fat so Fish ‘n’ Hips! are the perfect treats for older and/overweight dogs. Air-dried for extra flavour and ideal as a reward.
Fish ‘n’ Hips also work as a super easy way of encourage your dog to take a tablet. Just squash it into the treat and watch your dog chomp it up!
Proven benefits of turmeric include:
Helps Protect Brain Cells
Helps Maintain a Healthy Inflammatory Response
Helps a healthy heart
It can support the heart by saving it from the damaging effects of chronic inflammation. Like us, our pets are susceptible to blood clots and excess cholesterol. You may have heard of LDL (bad cholesterol) and HDL (good cholesterol). Well turmeric has been found to lower LDL levels which support both heart and liver health.
In addition, turmeric helps to thin the blood, reducing the risk of deadly clots that can lead to strokes and heart attacks. It’s important not to thin your dog’s blood too much, but the right amount can be helpful.
Helps Maintain a Positive Attitude
Promotes Healthy Skin
Research shows that turmeric inhibits a key enzyme (elastase) that reduces the ability of elastin from forming. Elastin, along with collagen, is a protein needed for making skin smooth and pliable.
Enhances Detoxification
Turmeric stimulates the liver enhancing its ability to detoxify the body from metals, heavy metals and other toxins clogging up your system.
Our environment is becoming more and more toxic and that not only affects us, it impacts dogs as well. Dogs are susceptible to toxins in the environment and in their food.
The liver plays a significant role in removing toxins from the body. Think of the liver as the main industrial centre for the body. It’s involved in nearly every biochemical process required to run the body. The body’s abilities to clot blood, to breakdown harmful toxins, and to remove waste and store energy, are all affected by the liver. It is a major player in your pet’s digestion, storing vitamins and producing bile which is necessary to break down fat. It’s a pretty important piece of machinery for your dog’s overall health.
Curcumin in turmeric is believed to stimulate bile production necessary for the digestion of fat in the liver. Active dogs need at least 20% fat in their diet; therefore, bile production is critical for good health.
In short, turmeric boosts the liver’s ability to metabolise fat and remove waste from the body.
Anti-Cancer Properties
There are now reports coming out claiming that turmeric may help in the fight against cancer! This powerful antioxidant plays a significant role in preventative medicine.
Curcumin is the active ingredient of turmeric. In a study at UCLA, doctors found that curcumin seemed to block the cancer promoting enzyme that stimulates the growth of head and neck cancer. The Department of Small Animal Clinical Scientists has conducted studies that show that curcumin can inhibit tumour growth and may even shrink existing tumours. This has to do with the spice’s amazing ability to shut down blood vessels that feed tumours.
Antioxidant properties are also helpful in reducing the negative side effects of chemotherapy.
Other Uses
Here are a few more uses for turmeric:
- Aids in the treatment of epilepsy
- Helps relieve allergies
- Helps in preventing the formation of cataracts
- Used in treating depression (Yes, dogs can get depressed too)
- Kills parasites
- Heals stomach ailments, aids in digestive disorders, and reduces gas and bloating
- Acts as a binding agent and therefore great for treating diarrohea (Make sure you have lots of water available for your pet to drink!)
- Aids in fat metabolism and weight management
- High in fibre and rich in vitamins and mineral
Sources:
References:
Robert D. Milne, M.D., PC, Liposomal Encapsulation Technology (Henderson, NV): Life’s Fountain Books, 2004, 85.
Benzie IFF, Wachtel-Galor S, editors, Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects. 2nd edition, (Boca Raton FL): CRC Press/Taylor & Francis; 2011, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92752/.
Benzie IFF, Wachtel-Galor, Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects. 2nd edition.
Shrikant Mishra and Kalpana Palanivelu, The Effect of Turmeric on Alzheimer’s disease: An overview, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2781139/
Aggarwal BB. Curcumin-free tumeric exhibits anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities: Identification of novel components of tumeric. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2013; 57:1529-42.
Baum L, et al. Curcumin Effects on Blood Lipid Profile in a 6-month Human Study. Pharmacol Res. 2007;56:509-14.
Aggarwal BB. Curcumin-free tumeric exhibits anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities: Identification of novel components of tumeric. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2013; 57:1529-42.
Lopresti AL, Maes M. Turmeric for the Treatment of Major Depression: A Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo Controlled Study. J Affect Disord. 2014 Oct;167:368-75. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2014.06.001.
Chainani-Wu N. Safety and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Curcumin: A Component of Turmeric (Curcuma Longa). J Altern Complement Med. 2003 Feb;9(1):161-8.
Kang Q, Chen A. Curcumin inhibits srebp-2 expression in activated hepatic stellate cells in vitro by reducing the activity of specificity protein-1. Endocrinology. 2009
Robert D. Milne, M.D., PC, Liposomal Encapsulation Technology (Henderson, NV): Life’s Fountain Books, 2004, 85.
Bisht S, Maitra A. Systemic Delivery of Curcumin: 21st century Solutions for an Ancient Conundrum. Curr Drug Discov Technol. 2009;6:192–199. doi: 10.2174/157016309789054933.
Christman, R.F., & Gjessing, E.T. (1983). Fulvic and Enzymes. Aquatic and terrestrial humic materials. The Butterworth Grove, Kent, England: Ann Arbor Science.
Ashok K. Pandey, Shri Dhar Pandey, Virendra Misra1. Stability Constants of Metal–Humic Acid Complexes and Its Role in Environmental Detoxification. Ecotoxicology and Environmental SafetyVolume 47, Issue 2, October 2000, 195–200
Senesi, N., Chen, Y., & Schnitzer, M. (1977b). The role of humic acids in extracellular electron transport and chemical determination of pH in natural waters. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 9, 397-403.
Cornejo A1, Jiménez JM, Caballero L, Melo F, Maccioni RB, Fulvic acid inhibits aggregation and promotes disassembly of tau fibrils associated with Alzheimer’s disease, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21785188.
Fulvic and enzymes – Pardoe, H.L., Townshend, A., Clerc, J.T., VenderLinden (Eds.), 1990, May 1). Analytica Chimica Acts, Special Issue, Humic and Fulvic Compounds, 232 (1), 1-235. (Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier Science Publishers).
