The major phytochemical found in turmeric (Curcuma longa) is curcumin and is widely used as a spice and food coloring agent.
In addition, it contains a variety of biological activities that have been linked to health benefits including antioxidant status, inflammation, reduced cancer risk, and more.
A study was published in Food and Nutrition Research that tested curcumin for its health promoting properties after it was heated or boiled.
The purpose was to determine if boiling or heating curcumin will reduce its’s biological activity.
Here are more studies with curcumin including clinical trials.
Here are the study details
– Cells grown in the lab that were exposed to the pro-oxidant hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) that generates free radicals were used.
Here are the main results
– Curcumin does undergo degradation when boiled, however, it spears to be still active.
– Curcumin was degraded into ferulic acid vanillin and vanillic acid.
– These active ingredients (i.e. ferulic acid, vanillin and vanillic acid) were found to contribute to the antioxidant activity.
Here is what the authors had to say
In agreement with our present findings, many studies reported that ferulic acid and vanillin exhibited protective effects on oxidative damage
and
In combination with the present findings of the protective effects of the boiled curcumin.…we propose that boiled curcumin mixture also possessed multiple biological activities.
Here are more clinical trials that have tested plant extracts and phytochemicals for health benefits.
Take away message
If you have any concerns that heating or boiling turmeric will reduce its health promoting properties you can rest easy. The results of this study suggest that the benefits associated with curcumin, which is found in turmeric, remain even if heated or boiled.
The evidence suggests that curcumin will be converted to ferulic acid, vanillin and vanillic acid providing additional health promoting properties.
Reference
Shen L, et al. Is boiled food spice curcumin still biologically active? An experimental exploration. Food and Nutrition Research. 2018 Jun 20; Volume 62
His research on plant medicine has led to more than 45 publications and abstracts.This research has been presented at international meetings in the USA, France, Turkey, Peru, Israel, Austria, and Italy.
Categories: Ask the Pharmacist, Brain, Food, Plant Medicine