Benefits of Turmeric: How Turmeric Can Transform Your Health
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Photo Courtesy of New Falkanz Home Remedies (5)
Known as the ‘golden spice’ of Southeast Asia, the powerful health benefits of turmeric have recently captured the attention of health enthusiasts and the medical field worldwide.
This yellow ginger, popularly used in curry dishes, contains a healing chemical compound called curcumin. This compound is proven to have anti-inflammatory properties, contain very strong antioxidants, and even have anti-cancer qualities.
Proven Health and Beauty Benefits of Turmeric
Recent studies revealed that the health benefits of using turmeric are far more extensive than what was previously known. Aside from optimizing bodily functions and reversing diseases, turmeric can also improve your mental health and enhance the beauty of your hair and skin.
Anti-inflammatory Properties
Inflammation is an important body reaction in order to fight off bacteria that could easily enter our bodies; however, chronic or long-term inflammation can work against your body and allow bacteria to enter your body’s tissues. The curcumin in turmeric is a very strong anti-inflammatory agent that targets inflammation at a molecular level.
Antioxidant
Oxidative damage is one of the major causes of diseases and rapid aging. Curcumin is a potent antioxidant that helps neutralize free radicals and helps stimulate your body’s own production of antioxidants
Brain Disease Prevention
The Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) is an important hormone in your brain that helps with creating new connections between neurons. A decreased level BDNF could lead to brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Curcumin increases the levels of BDNF in the brain and helps fight brain degeneration.
Lowers Risk of Heart Disease
Curcumin is found to help optimize the function of endothelium, the lining in the blood vessel that is important for regulation of blood pressure and normal blood clotting.
Cancer Prevention
There are many different types of cancer, but recent studies have shown that the majority of cancers react positively to the properties found in turmeric. Curcumin has been shown to help delay the spread of cancer, prevent tumor growth, and even kill some cancerous cells.
Hair and Skin Benefits
Hair
Turmeric has been used for many years in beauty recipes to help prevent hair loss, stop dandruff, and slow the growth of facial hair.
Skin
Turmeric can be included in many skin improvement recipes to help improve your skin’s elasticity, lighten pigmentation, control oily skin, cure acne, lighten stretch marks, and heal cracked and dry skin.
Photo Courtesy of Healthy Food House (4)
Health Benefits of Turmeric for Weight Loss
Consuming turmeric supplements alone is not a sure guarantee for weight loss. Turmeric supplements should be complemented with proper diet and exercise.
Turmeric, as we learned above, is effective at reducing inflammatory messaging in your body’s cells. This in turn can help improve:
Metabolism
Management of blood sugar levels
Control cholesterol levels
Insulin resistance
All of these factors are closely associated with obesity.
How to Take your Turmeric
In order for you to get the full health benefits of turmeric, health experts recommend taking it with black pepper. The combination enhances the body’s absorption of the curcumin in turmeric by 2,000 percent, as published in a 1998 PubMed article in the US National Library of Medicine.
You can buy your turmeric in its original ginger form, in powdered form, or in capsules as a supplement. You can take your turmeric by cooking a lot of curry dishes such as:
Chicken Curry
Lamb Tagine
Mediterranean stew
Curried Winter Soup
It can be included in almost any meat and vegetable dish, or you can simply sprinkle it in your fried rice and add fine ground pepper. Others prefer to take it as a supplement in capsule form, but be sure to ingest a few whole peppercorns together with it for maximum benefit.
Special Considerations when Consuming Turmeric during Pregnancy
The health benefits of turmeric are also available for pregnant women. Turmeric is generally safe to be consumed when used as a spice in food, and the mother can still gain its full health benefits.
However, doctors do not advise taking turmeric as a supplement during pregnancy. Excessive intake of turmeric can stimulate the fetus, leading to premature childbirth or miscarriage.
The Key Takeaway: Turmeric can be a Great & Healthy Addition to your Diet
As you have read above, turmeric can have a plethora of health benefits. I suggest you follow the guidelines here for consumption, and consult a doctor if you have special circumstances (i.e. you are pregnant).
If you want to check out new healthy additions that you can make to your daily life, be sure to sign up for the Rebounder Zone newsletter here!
About the Author
photo via rebounderzone.come
Leonard Parker is a health blogger and owner of the eCommerce store, Rebounder Zone. Through Rebounder Zone, Leonard’s team specializes in rebounder trampolines, health equipment, and useful health information for mature adults.
Leonard is a graduate of Stanford University and has worked in various roles as a digital marketing specialist and technology consultant. Rebounder Zone was started because Leonard saw first hand how health living with regular exercise can change lives, and he wants to help others experience this incredible feeling, too. For any questions about rebounding or information mentioned in this article, please contact Leonard at leonard@rebounderzone.com.
Sources:
1. Ying Xu, et. al. (2006, November 29) Curcumin reduces the effects of chronic stress in behavior, the HPA axis, BDNF expression and phosphorylation of CREB. Retreived from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006899306027144
2. Ravindran J., et. al. (2009 September) Curcumin and Cancer Cells: How Many Ways Can Curry Kill Tumor Cells Selectively? Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2758121/
3. Shoba G, et. al. (1998 May) Influence of piperine on the pharmacokinetics of curcumin in animals and human volunteers. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9619120
4. Turmeric - Spice With Amazing Health Benefits. (2013). Retrieved August 16, 2016, from http://www.healthyfoodhouse.com/turmeric-spice-with-amazing-health-benefits/
5. Home Remedies. (n.d.). Retrieved August 16, 2016, from https://nawfalkanz.blogspot.com/2014/08/benefits-of-turmeric-for-beauty-skin.html
6. K., V. (2015, October 25). 8 Health Benefits of Turmeric. Retrieved August 16, 2016, from http://www.urbanmali.com/8-health-benefits-of-turmeric/
