Research Shows Compound in Turmeric May Boost Brain Stem Cells

March 13, 2023

Don't let health challenges prevent you from living the homesteading life of your dreams. After a car accident left me with a severe spinal cord injury (I still remember the emergency room doctor holding his forefinger and thumb together and telling me "you were this close to being quadriplegic"), I thought most of my dreams were over. While I was fortunate not to lose all function of my body, I still suffered partial paralysis, a breathing impairment, severe pain, among other issues as a result of my spinal cord being partially severed. Needless to say, I went in search of remedies that might help me deal with the pain as well as to help with the healing. I haven't fully recovered but I have been able to manage my health, write 25 books and over 2000 articles, and do many tasks around my homestead. (Check out my favorite pain remedy--Copaiba). My research led me to the power of turmerones and their potential ability to boost stem cells.

That's great news, but not just for me: brain diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease are rapidly rising. According to some estimates, 35.8% of people 85 or older have some form of moderate to severe memory impairment. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to protect your brain and memory, from exercising and mental exercises, to a healthy diet rich in brain foods like blueberries, walnuts, pomegranates, and more.

But, there is another way to boost your brain health—by increasing your brain's stem cells--those cells that can create more stem cells or become many other types of cells in the body. Research shows that compounds known as turmerones, found in turmeric, can help boost brain stem cells. Most of turmeric’s rave reviews go to its compound curcumin, while turmerones are barely known at all.

According to research in the medical journal Stem Cell Research and Therapy, one of the active compounds in turmeric, known as turmerones, can cause brain stem cells to start proliferating. Neural stem cells, as they are known, become activated after an injury or damage to the brain as a means to help regenerate the brain and nervous system and give the cells an opportunity to recover and return to normal function.

Other research published in the same journal found that turmerones caused an increase in the number of neurons (brain or nervous system cells) generated. The researchers anticipate that their study will offer hope to sufferers of Parkinson’s and stroke.

Turmerones are primarily found in the oily part of turmeric so you won’t find it in your curcumin supplements. Turmeric essential oil is one of the best sources of this natural healing compound. However, not all oils are suitable for ingestion. You should only use oils that clearly indicate their suitability for internal use. This is easily identifiable on the label, which would indicate “dose” or “dosage.”

I am particularly fond of a Dual Chamber Turmeric Supplement that includes both the oil (which contains turmerones) and curcumin for their many health benefits. You can also diffuse the Turmeric Essential Oil on a regular basis to reap the healing benefits of turmerones.

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