Ageing is a natural process that comes with getting older. While many people try to slow it down or even reverse it for aesthetic reasons, there are also some health benefits to staving off old age.
There is evidence, for example, that older, damaged cells are more likely to become cancerous. And ageing cells in the brain can lead to cognitive decline.
As a result, there is ongoing research into ways to help keep the body, and your cells, younger.
One expert took to social media platform TikTok to share one way to do so. Speaking to his two million followers, neuroscientist Robert Love recommended taking a supplement called curcumin.
Curcumin is a compound naturally found in the spice turmeric. However, it can also be taken in supplement form.
Robert said: “I’m here with Dr Shivani Gupta, who’s an expert in the benefits of curcumin for the brain and for the body.
“Dr Shivani, how does curcumin help slow down the ageing process?”
She explained: “So one big way is cellular senescence.
“That just means that our cells are ageing and creating these zombie cells.
“And those zombie cells infect our other cells and cause them to age.
“So curcumin goes in there and kills off those slower cells so we don’t have that infection, basically, of zombie cells ageing us, slowing us down, slowing down our brain, our body, our joints, and everything that we need to stay healthy and vibrant over the long haul.”
If you are interested in trying curcumin it can be bought in supplement form from Holland and Barrett for £18.99 a bottle, which works out as 63p a tablet.
Dr Shivani’s recommendation is backed by a study, published in Molecules journal in 2021.
It found that curcumin “is one of the best candidates” to slow the ageing process.
“The discovery of new strategies to contrast ageing and ageing-related diseases is an important goal of modern research,” the study said.
“In our view, curcumin is one of the best candidates to achieve this goal with its antiviral, antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, and anti-fatigue properties.”
The team added that curcumin is devoid of “any significant toxicity” meaning it is safe to consume.
“Few investigations have reported negative effects of curcumin,” the study said.
It also theorised the benefits of curcumin help manage the symptoms of Covid.
The study concluded: “Due to its important and healthy properties, we think that dietary supplementation with curcumin could be a suitable approach to prevent a large panel of diseases and improve the quality of life.”
If you currently take any medications you should speak to a healthcare professional before trying any new supplements.
