Curcumin (E100)

Curcumin (E100) is a coloring food additive that gives colored foods an orange or bright yellow color, and is also used as a flavor enhancer. The letter “E” in the name means the word “Europe”, that is, the additive is allowed in Europe, and the number 1 indicates a group of dyes. It is actively used in the food industry, is part of the curry seasoning, which is often used in many countries. In Asia, turmeric has been used medicinally for centuries.

General characteristics

Dietary supplement E100 has another popular name – turmeric, which is essentially the crushed root of the tropical plant Curcuma longa Linn, a member of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), and curcumin is a biologically active polyphenolic compound found in turmeric.

Therefore, when talking about a food supplement, it is advisable to use the term “curcumin”, and when talking about spices – turmeric, or turmeric.

The bright yellow-orange color of turmeric is provided mainly by fat-soluble polyphenolic pigments known as curcuminoids. Curcumin, the main curcuminoid found in turmeric, is generally considered its most active constituent. Other curcuminoids found in turmeric include demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin.

Use of the additive

Due to the peculiarity of the food additive E100 – to dye the fibers of animal and vegetable origin in bright yellow or orange, it is used in the food industry as a natural and harmless dye, similar in its properties to artificial.

In Asian countries, curcumin is used as part of curry seasoning, due to its burning-bitter taste and camphor smell.

Curry is added to many dishes, including rice, meat and fish dishes, giving them a spicy flavor.

Also used in the textile industry to give an orange-yellow color to cotton, wool and silk.

In India and some Asian countries, curcumin’s curative effects have been known for a long time and have been actively used for centuries, while in European countries, in the past few years, they have begun to actively study its beneficial properties.

As a dye, curcumin is used in:

• margarine;
• dehydrated fats;
• mayonnaise;
• flavored processed cheeses;
• fault;
• boiled sausages, sausages, sausages and so on.

Useful Properties

More recently, evidence has emerged that curcumin may have anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities, rekindling scientific interest in its potential for disease prevention and treatment. But its use is limited due to low bioavailability, and preclinical studies are currently underway to increase absorption, bioavailability and delivery of the substance. Curcumin has been shown to inhibit mediators of the inflammatory response, including cytokines, chemokines, adhesion molecules, growth factors, and enzymes such as cyclooxygenase, lipoxygenase, etc. It has been found that this substance inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in tumor cells, and also reduces the metastatic potential of cells breast cancer. In general, curcumin exhibits its antitumor activity in many cancer cell lines, inhibiting their growth by various mechanisms.

It should be noted that some of the biological activities presented above have been observed in cultured cells and animal models exposed to curcumin at concentrations that are unlikely to be achieved in human cells given oral curcumin.

And so, despite promising results in animal studies, there is currently little evidence that high doses of curcumin will reduce the risk of cancer in humans. Several controlled clinical trials are currently underway to evaluate the effect of oral administration of curcumin on precancerous colorectal lesions.

A randomized controlled trial also reported that oral supplementation of curcumin (1,5 g/day) for six months improved endothelial function, insulin sensitivity, and metabolic markers associated with atherogenesis in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Also in a 40-month, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 2 patients with type 66,3 diabetic nephropathy (kidney disease), daily intake (XNUMX mg) significantly reduced urinary protein concentrations and markers of inflammation, suggesting that it may be useful in slowing progression of kidney damage and prevention of kidney failure.

Pregnancy and lactemia

While there is no evidence that dietary intake of turmeric as a spice adversely affects pregnancy or lactation, the safety of curcumin supplementation during pregnancy and lactation has not been established.

Interaction with other substances

If you use any medication regularly, you should consult your doctor before starting to use curcumin as a drug. It may interact with drugs such as aspirin, pain medications, statins, diabetes medications, antihypertensives, anticoagulants.

Curcumin is an indispensable nutritional supplement at present, it is absolutely safe and natural. Its beneficial properties have become the reason for numerous medical studies, which, in the near future, may show various positive effects of this substance on the human body.

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