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Health Benefits Of Turmeric

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Turmeric or Curcuma longa is a herb belonging to the ginger family. It is used both as an ingredient and as a dye. Turmeric is most famous for its long list of medicinal properties and has been a part of traditional medicine for thousands of years. Find more about the health benefits of turmeric below.

Scientists have found curcumin, a compound abundant in turmeric, provides many great health benefits. Read on to find out everything you need to know about curcumin.

What Is Turmeric?

Turmeric is a spice mostly used in Asian cooking. It also gives a vivid yellow color when added to dishes, earning the name ‘Indian saffron’. Turmeric has been traditionally used for both its unique flavor and for its medicinal properties.

Health Benefits of Turmeric

Research has found these traditional claims to be true. Turmeric does indeed have medicinal properties and its regular consumption has a lot of health benefits.

Turmeric contains curcumin, a compound that is an antioxidant and contains anti-inflammatory properties. CBDfX Gummies with Turmeric is a great product with these properties. See our in-depth review here.


Benefits Of Turmeric

There are several health benefits to consuming turmeric. Here are a few research-based medical benefits of turmeric:

Anti-Inflammatory

Turmeric’s chief health benefit is its anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation is a very important function of our body. It fights foreign pathogens and helps restore damaged parts of the body.

Sometimes, our body’s inflammation process goes into overdrive and starts attacking healthy tissue. Research has found that unnecessary and long-term inflammation could contribute to health conditions like cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s.

Turmeric fights chronic inflammation and helps prevent these conditions. Regular intake of curcumin through food or supplements will protect you from inflammation.

Research shows that it might be more effective than certain anti-inflammatory medicines like Advil, but more research is needed on the subject.

Protects The Brain

We now know that neurons can continue to multiply and form new connections, even in adulthood. BDNF or brain-derived neurotrophic factor is largely responsible for this function.

It actually plays an important role in many important brain functions, like memory and processing new information. Studies in animals have found that curcumin, the main active ingredient in turmeric, can help boost BDNT in the brain.

We need more research to accurately determine its effects on the human brain, but there is enough evidence to believe that increasing your curcumin intake can help improve brain function and protect against degenerative diseases.

Protects Against Heart Disease

Heart diseases are one of the leading causes of death all over the world. There are various factors involved in the development of heart disease.

Health Benefits of Turmeric

Studies have found that curcumin in turmeric can help protect against and effectively treat cardiovascular diseases.

Studies show promising results that suggest that regular curcumin intake improves your overall heart health. A study even found that it can provide the same benefits as exercising in women past menopause.

Could Help Prevent Cancer

Put in simple words, cancer is a disease that causes the uncontrollable growth of cells in the human body. Several different forms of cancer have been found to be affected by curcumin intake.

More research is needed to know if high consumption of turmeric can help treat cancer. However, studies have found that it is helpful in preventing cancer in the human body, especially those developing in the digestive system.

Helps Treat Arthritis

As we’ve mentioned, turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties, which make it effective in treating the symptoms of arthritis.

Most types of arthritis cause pain in the joints, which are brought on by inflammation. Curcumin helps curb inflammation and provides relief from pain.

Patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis showed significant improvement after increasing their curcumin intake.

Helps Treat Alzheimers

Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most common degenerative diseases affecting seniors today. We are yet to find a cure for it, which makes prevention all the more important.

Regular intake of turmeric will help prevent several brain diseases including Alzheimer’s. Oxidative stress and inflammation also contribute to Alzheimer’s and curcumin helps reduce both factors.

Helps Fight Depression

Turmeric shows promising results in fighting depression. It can be an effective antidepressant.

Depression has also been known to lower BDNF levels in the brain. Turmeric helps reduce the damage by increasing them and improving overall brain function.

A study found that curcumin is as effective as the antidepressant Prozac in treating depression. Patients who took both turmeric and Prozac showed the most improvement.


Recommended Dose Of Turmeric

Health Benefits of Turmeric

It is recommended to take between 500 mg to 2,000 mg of curcumin every day. However, you will need to take a supplement to absorb this amount of curcumin as it is not as bioavailable in turmeric as a spice.

Bioavailability refers to the ability of the item to get absorbed into the bloodstream. While you can ingest turmeric every day, it is not bioavailable enough to give you the recommended dose of curcumin.

Alternatively, you can try having it with black pepper in food, as it contains a compound called piperine which makes it more bioavailable.


Side Effects Of Turmeric

Fortunately, there are no serious side effects associated with turmeric or curcumin. If you ingest curcumin in extremely high doses through supplements, you might experience mild side effects like headaches, bloating, digestive problems or rashes.

Pure turmeric has not been known to have any side effects. However, processed turmeric powder has additives or colorants which can be harmful to your body. Make sure that the turmeric you buy does not contain metanil yellow or silicon dioxide.

Ingesting too much turmeric could cause kidney stones in already vulnerable individuals as it has 2% oxalate.


Health Benefits Of Turmeric: Wrapping Up

Turmeric has a long history of being used to treat and prevent various health conditions. Natural turmeric is completely safe and doesn’t cause any serious side effects, making it a good ingredient for everyday meals.

If you are looking for targeted usage, you should consider curcumin supplements. They are easily absorbed by the body and you have greater control over the dosage too.

Taking turmeric or curcumin is a great idea as it is beneficial to your health. It prevents several age-related illnesses and improves brain function.

Lifestyle-related illnesses like heart disease can also be prevented and treated by turmeric. Make this wonder spice a part of your diet and see the changes for yourself.

Rosemary Richards