Health Benefits of Turmeric

Turmeric is considered to be one of the healthiest spices to exist. Its bright yellow hue is an example of its own, and the taste it adds to the foods speaks of a great taste. People have been using turmeric for thousands of years. It is claimed that turmeric comes with different medicinal compounds that exhibit healing properties, curcumin being the most famous one. It is considered to be the active ingredient in turmeric, which makes the spice a superfood for all the right reasons. In this article, we will see the different benefits of turmeric on health.

It Has Biomedical Properties

Turmeric comes with different medicinal benefits because of its bioactive compounds. Curcumin present in turmeric is moderate in its amount, which doesn’t make the spice toxic in its form. So, you can’t expect toxicity from turmeric if you use it regularly. However, if you want to gain the maximum benefits of turmeric from its active compound, then it is better to choose curcumin supplements.

Turmeric is best in its bioavailability when it is mixed with black pepper as it contains piperine. This substance helps in enhancing the overall absorption of the active ingredient by a percentage of 2,000%. Curcumin is also considered to be soluble in fat. So, it is better to add turmeric to foods that have fats in them.

All in all, curcumin is considered to be high in its anti-oxidant as well as anti-inflammatory compounds in it.

High in Anti-Inflammatory Properties

You might not know but inflammation is the root cause of many diseases. The best thing to calm down symptoms and improve the prognosis of the disease is to target inflammation. The best way to treat inflammation is to treat it naturally, or it will lead to side effects. Low levels of inflammation that remain chronic have a role in different health conditions, which includes cardiovascular diseases, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and the list goes on.

In that essence, turmeric comes as a promising ingredient of choice. Not only it fights inflammation with its anti-oxidant properties but it is also natural with no adverse effects. However, you may need to have really high doses in order to get the medicinal results you require.

Improved Antioxidant Capacity

One of the major enemies of health includes oxidative damage, which disturbs the different mechanisms of the body. Many highly reactive compounds known as free radicals cause this damage to the body. The free radicals react with a number of different body substances, including genetic material.

One of the main reasons why antioxidants are considered to be helpful is that they help in fighting those free radicals, saving you from oxidative damage. The active ingredient known as curcumin targets these free radicals because of its properties. That is why it is also hypothesized that curcumin is preventative against cancer. What’s more, the studies show that curcumin might get in the way of free radicals and it might also activate the other antioxidants present in the diet. However, there need to be more studies on humans for confirming these benefits.

Lowered Risk of Heart Disease

There are multiple factors behind cardiovascular diseases, most of which are modifiable. While heart diseases are common in the modern world, it is pretty much possible to prevent these diseases. Diet plays a key role in preventing and even reversing conditions. Curcumin is a natural antioxidant and one of the main advantages of using curcumin in terms of heart disease is the overall improved function of blood vessel lining. It makes decreased the chances of hypertension and heart attack. One of the advantages of curcumin is also an overall improvement in heart health. A study found it to be effective just like exercise is considered effective in women after menopause. What’s more, curcumin may also help in reducing oxidation as well as inflammation in the body.

A group of researchers assigned patients after bypass surgery of coronary artery with curcumin each day. There was a 65% decrease in the overall risk of developing a heart attack in the control group as compared to the placebo group. Its antioxidant properties make it perfect for decreasing inflammation in the heart.

Help in Cancer Prevention

It is also thought that turmeric may prove to be beneficial in terms of cancer prevention. It is shown that cancer is helpful against cancer in different ways including its contribution towards killing tumors. Also, it helps in reducing the angiogenesis of vessels on tumor cells. It also helps in decreasing the metastasis of cancer. Whether the curcumin taken in high doses may help in treating cancer in people is subjected to further testing.

However, it is known to improve prevention against cancer, especially those related to the gut system such as colorectal cancer and stomach cancer. A study a month showed that curcumin helped reduce lesions in cancer by up to 40%.

May Prevent Memory Loss

Memory loss conditions such as Alzheimer’s Disease are getting more prevalent in the modern world. However, there are preventative treatments that help to stop the disease from developing in at-risk individuals. Turmeric is one of these preventive treatments. It is shown that the active ingredient crosses the BBB or the blood-brain barrier.

What’s more, it is shown that oxidative damage and inflammation play a helpful role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. In that case, curcumin has advantageous effects on both conditions. One of the key factors of Alzheimer’s disease is an accumulation of amyloid plaques in the brain, which are made of protein. Curcumin might help in clearing such plaques from the brain.

It can also help decrease Alzheimer’s Disease progression in patients.

Improved Arthritis Symptoms

Arthritis is inflammation in the joints. For that, it is important to take anti-inflammatory agents. While there are different types of arthritis, the most common is the one that is related to joints. Most clinical trials show a significant association between curcumin’s anti-inflammatory role with lowering arthritis pain and inflammation. We see massive improvements in the reduction of joint swelling with curcumin taken in doses of up to 4 grams per day. What’s more, it is even considered to be more effective than non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Improves Depression Symptoms

Curcumin is also shown to be helpful against many psychiatric conditions. Now we know that inflammation in the brain cells is behind a lot of psychological conditions. Clinical trials suggest showed that people taking curcumin only showed improved results that were similar to antidepressants such as Prozac. However, curcumin when taken as an additional supplement with the medicine shows the best results. What’s more, we know that depression is associated with low BDNF levels in the body, and a hippocampus that is shrunk in size. These changes can be potentially reversed by taking turmeric regularly.

There is also proof that curcumin helps in boosting the neurotransmitters of the brain including dopamine and serotonin. Curcumin is also proven to be effective in decreasing associated symptoms of depression such as lethargy.

Decreases Aging Process

All the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of turmeric make it an excellent candidate for slowing the aging process. With aging, there comes wrinkles, less energy, stiff muscles, sore gums, and more. The anti-inflammatory properties help with decreasing this rapid oxidation in the body. For example, the UV rays from the sun affect the person’s skin, making it more prone to fine lines and wrinkles due to oxidative damage. Luckily, this damage can be slowed down and even reversed with the help of turmeric. Turmeric with its natural power helps to fight inflammation, making it easier for the skin cells to regenerate and fight the oxidative damage from UV rays. In a similar fashion, the active ingredient curcumin in turmeric helps in fighting other symptoms related to aging.

As a result, there is better longevity and resistance to associated conditions that come with aging.

Final Words

Now we know that turmeric with its active compound helps in improving overall health, decreasing inflammation, and fighting oxidative damage. As these processes are crucial for the development of a disease. Turmeric is found to be useful in a variety of conditions due to its mechanism of action.

However, there needs to be more research on curcumin in different conditions to check the validity and dose required for the patient. Also, there needs to be a consideration of its bioavailability in the body as it is crucial for the advantages expected. Its combined role with pepper also needs to be taken into consideration. Although all these points need to be studied extensively, curcumin plays a vital role in the prevention and slowing down of the progression of the disease. Up to this point, we know it is safe and effective to use it in our diets. The best way to use it is through dietary sources.