Curcumin curry's secret agent: behind all great spices are powerful healing compounds. for the curry seasoning turmeric, that hidden gem is curcumin--a potent antioxidant that quells inflammation and keeps the mind sharp.(SHOP SMART: SUPPLEMENTS)

Curcumin is a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory with potentially far-reaching health benefits. Based on human, animal, and cell studies, it may be helpful in rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis, Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, diabetic retinopathy, and cancer. All of these diseases share underlying inflammation that curcumin can diminish.

ALIAS: If you have ever eaten curry or cooked with the spice turmeric (which gives curry its yellowish color), you've consumed curcumin. Curry uses turmeric, obtained from the roots of Curcuma longa. Curcumin, consisting of several curcuminoids, is the active constituent of turmeric. Biologically, turmeric is related to ginger.

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HOW IT WORKS: Curcumin works through several well-established mechanisms. An antioxidant in its own right, it also boosts levels of glutathione S-transferase, one of the body's principal antioxidants. It blocks the formation of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), a compound that promotes inflammation within the body.

To get technical for a moment: Curcumin also inhibits activity of "nuclear factor kappa beta," another substance involved in inflammation. In addition, it reduces the activity of cydooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX), two more inflammation-promoting enzymes. Finally, curcumin prevents mutations to DNA, in effect helping to maintain younger, healthier cells.

HEALTH BENEFITS: Supplemental curcumin can help with the following conditions and diseases:

* Rheumatoid arthritis. In a study conducted at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center in Tucson, researchers used a curcumin-rich turmeric extract to treat rheumatoid arthritis in laboratory animals. The extract blocked joint inflammation and the breakdown of joint cartilage and bone. It worked by inhibiting genes involved in inflammation.