Curcumin Boosts Body’s Front Line Defence

Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, is a very effective antiinflammatory. It is one of the most promising anticancer agents and has shown potential in the fights against heart disease and AIDS. And now scientists have just published research that has discovered a new value to this already valuable herb. . . .

In laboratory studies, curcumin was found to nearly triple levels of CAMP in human cells. CAMP, or cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide, is a protein that helps the immune system to fight off infections by pathogens that the body has never been exposed to before. CAMP is active against a wide range of pathogens, including bacteria, viruses and fungi. It kills a broad spectrum of bacteria and protects against sepsis (Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry 2012).