With more people being diagnosed with autoimmune disorders every day, we are very fortunate to have access to exciting new research that shows us how we can help our patients manage their diseases more effectively. One new approach involves two natural substances: resveratrol and curcumin. They both have anti-inflammatory properties, but when taken together, they behave synergistically to make one powerful antioxidant that can really help to manage autoimmune and inflammatory disorders.
What Are Resveratrol And Curcumin?
Resveratrol is a substance derived from a plant called Japanese knotweed. Curcumin comes from turmeric, a spice often found in curry. Both substances are well known for containing antioxidants. However, when they are combined, they work together to amplify each other’s antioxidant properties, creating a powerful ally in your fight to control inflammation.
How Your Immune System Works
A healthy immune system consists of two parts. The first part, the pro-inflammatory side (or TH-1), reacts to an invader by surrounding it and cutting it off from the rest of the body. For example, when you get a splinter in your finger, the TH-1 system surrounds it with pus.
The anti-inflammatory side of your immune system, or TH-2, works by identifying invaders and producing antibodies. It also “tags” intruders so that it can recognize them if they ever show up again. This system works much more slowly than the TH-1 system but is more beneficial in the long term.
In a healthy body, these two systems are balanced and work together, not against each other. However, in patients with autoimmune disorders, the TH-1 system dominates, resulting in chronic inflammation. Nutritional therapy can help restore this balance, therefore reducing inflammation and pain in your body.
However, new research has turned up a new player called TH-17. While TH-17 is an important component of your immune system at the proper levels, when it gets out of balance it can lead to autoimmune disease, or chronic inflammatory disease. To manage flare-ups of these conditions, we know now to target TH-17.
Nutritional Therapy To Control Inflammation
This is where the combined powers of resveratrol and curcumin become important. When these two substances work in tandem, they can inhibit the activation of TH-17, protecting your body from further inflammation and damage.
One study on the combined powers of resveratrol and curcumin took obesity into account. One side effect of excess body fat is that it causes constant low-level inflammation, which aggravates autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. This is especially unfortunate for people with Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism, a condition that often causes weight gain. The study showed that resveratrol and curcumin taken together significantly reduced the inflammation that was caused by excess adipose tissue.
This intriguing new research gives all healthcare providers exciting new options to treat chronic inflammation. By going into your body to reduce inflammation at the source, we can give your tissues the chance to rest and heal. Simple nutritional therapies such as resveratrol and curcumin may be an excellent option to help you manage your autoimmune or inflammatory disease.