INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
pumps blood out to the rest of the body called reduced ejection fraction
mice with heart failure and healthy controls.Curcumin, a chemical that comes from the turmeric plant, has been used as a traditional Asian
medicine for centuries, primarily to treat gastrointestinal ailments and skin wounds.Researchers from the University of Nebraska in the US,
theorised that a reduction in the normal signalling of a protein Nrf2 may play a role in the impaired expression of antioxidant enzymes.The
antioxidant enzymes both prevent and repair damage from oxidative stress as well as improve exercise performance.Photo Credit: iStockThe
antioxidant enzymes both prevent and repair damage from oxidative stress as well as improve exercise performance.For the study, published in
the Journal of Applied Physiology, the team gave one group of mice with heart failure daily doses of curcumin -- which is known to promote
activation of Nrf2 -- for 12 weeks, while another group did not receive treatment.The results showed that the expression of Nrf2 increased
and levels of antioxidant enzymes improved in the animals with heart failure that were given curcumin.In addition, both groups that received
curcumin -- even the animals without heart failure -- had improved exercise capacity when compared with the untreated groups, suggesting the
effects of curcumin on skeletal muscle is not exclusive to heart failure."These data suggest that activation of Nrf2 in skeletal muscle may
represent a novel therapeutic strategy to improve quality of life" in people with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, the
researchers noted.Top 10 health benefits of turmeric:Turmeric is good for your brainTurmeric can help heal woundsTurmeric aids in
digestionTurmeric balances hormone levelsTurmeric can help in managing diabetesTurmeric can help relief joint painTurmeric helps boost
