Bengmark Stig
Institute of Hepatology, University College, London Medical School, London, United Kingdom.
JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 2006 Jan-Feb;30(1):45-51. doi: 10.1177/014860710603000145.
The world suffers a tsunami of chronic diseases, and a typhoon of acute illnesses, many of which are associated with the inappropriate or exaggerated activation of genes involved in inflammation. Finding therapeutic agents which can modulate the inflammatory reaction is the highest priority in medical research today. Drugs developed by the pharmaceutical industry have thus far been associated with toxicity and side effects, which is why natural substances are of increasing interest.
A literature search (PubMed) showed almost 1500 papers dealing with curcumin, most from recent years. All available abstracts were read. Approximately 300 full papers were reviewed.
Curcumin, a component of turmeric, has been shown to be non-toxic, to have antioxidant activity, and to inhibit such mediators of inflammation as NFkappaB, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), lipooxygenase (LOX), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Significant preventive and/or curative effects have been observed in experimental animal models of a number of diseases, including arteriosclerosis, cancer, diabetes, respiratory, hepatic, pancreatic, intestinal and gastric diseases, neurodegenerative and eye diseases.
Turmeric, an approved food additive, or its component curcumin, has shown surprisingly beneficial effects in experimental studies of acute and chronic diseases characterized by an exaggerated inflammatory reaction. There is ample evidence to support its clinical use, both as a prevention and a treatment. Several natural substances have greater antioxidant effects than conventional vitamins, including various polyphenols, flavonoids and curcumenoids. Natural substances are worth further exploration both experimentally and clinically.
全球正遭受着慢性疾病的海啸以及急性疾病的台风，其中许多疾病都与参与炎症反应的基因的不适当激活或过度激活有关。寻找能够调节炎症反应的治疗药物是当今医学研究的首要任务。制药行业研发的药物迄今为止都伴有毒性和副作用，这就是天然物质越来越受关注的原因。
一项文献检索（PubMed）显示，有近1500篇关于姜黄素的论文，大部分来自近年来。阅读了所有可得的摘要。对大约300篇全文进行了综述。
姜黄素是姜黄的一种成分，已被证明无毒，具有抗氧化活性，并能抑制诸如核因子κB、环氧化酶-2（COX-2）、脂氧合酶（LOX）和诱导型一氧化氮合酶（iNOS）等炎症介质。在多种疾病的实验动物模型中观察到了显著的预防和/或治疗效果，这些疾病包括动脉硬化、癌症、糖尿病、呼吸道疾病、肝脏疾病、胰腺疾病、肠道疾病、胃部疾病、神经退行性疾病和眼部疾病。
姜黄是一种已获批准的食品添加剂，其成分姜黄素在以炎症反应过度为特征的急性和慢性疾病的实验研究中显示出了惊人的有益效果。有充分的证据支持其在临床中的使用，无论是作为预防还是治疗。几种天然物质比传统维生素具有更强的抗氧化作用，包括各种多酚、黄酮类化合物和姜黄素类化合物。天然物质在实验和临床方面都值得进一步探索。
