Turmeric is a popular powder supplement. It is often used in protein shakes and other energy shots. It is just as popular in cooking as it brings amazing flavors to any dish.
Turns out, not only is turmeric great for cooking, it may also have great health benefits. And so does curcumin, its main active ingredient.
The spice is noticeable by its yellow hue. It is bright and brings color to any dish. Plus, the flavor filled spice has a long history of use in traditional medicine.
Did you know? It is curcumin that gives turmeric its powerful biological properties.
Turmeric is today well known to treat conditions such as chronic pain, irritation and inflammation. Even today, traditional medicine uses it as a pain reliever and healing agent. It may have any other benefits.
What are they though? And what does science have to say about them?
Turmeric reduces inflammation
This is one of the most well-known properties of turmeric. The bulk of the spice’s inflammation fighting powers comes from curcumin. The latter may even be more efficient than ibuprofen and aspirin according to a past study.
Did you know? Chronic inflammation contributes to many chronic diseases. Those include irritable bowel disease, pancreatitis and arthritis. Thus, turmeric could even play a role in preventing those conditions.
It boost skin health
Turmeric can help fight microbes, irritation and oxidants. Thus, it may be effective against some skin conditions. Those include acne, eczema, photo-aging and psoriasis. However, science needs more research to fully back that up.
Some studies suggest that a topical curcumin treatment can help with skin disorders. The spice is relatively safe even at high doses.
However, it has a bright yellow color. Plus, it does not mix well with water. Thus, it may not be an ideal solution to all skin conditions.
It helps protect the body from free radicals
Turmeric is full of anti oxidants, which can help protect the body against free radicals. Those are generated by the body as well as environmental pollutants.
High exposure to free radicals can mess with the fats, proteins and even DNA in your body. That can lead to common disease and health conditions. Thus, turmeric can play a role in protecting you from free radical damage and therefore help you stay healthy.
Turmeric works as an anti-aging supplement
As of now, it is actually difficult to confirm whether turmeric does indeed influence longevity. However, its ability to fight inflammation and free radicals may help delay brain decline and other age related diseases.
This is why past research suggests that it may be an effective anti-aging supplement. Studies also suggest that the spice is mostly safe. Side effects do exist, mostly when doses range from 500 to 12,000mg.
It is good for your heart
Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the world. Various things may contribute to it. However, it turns out curcumin may help reverse many steps in the heart disease process. Indeed, it improve the health of the thin membrane that covers the inside of heart and blood vessels.
The risk of heart disease increases when that membrane worsens. Thus, turmeric may contribute to reducing the likelihood of developing heart diseases. More research needs to be done however. This will confirm curcumin is a safe and effective long-term treatment strategy for people with heart disease.
It helps prevent diabetes
Past reviews suggest that curcumin can help treat and prevent diabetes. However, those studies were conducted on animals, not humans. Thus, you should take it with a pinch of salt.
Experiments were conducted on rats with type 2 diabetes for 45 days. Feeding the rats with the main substance in turmeric for 45 days let to a significant decrease in blood sugar. It also led to an increase in plasma insulin.
In short, turmeric improves many factors that contribute to diabetes, including insulin resistance and high blood sugar. Thus, it may help prevent diabetes. However, confirmation of this theory will require more human studies.
Turmeric can help treat depression
Depression is associated with lower levels of BDNF. Some studies suggest that turmeric may be a good treatment for depression. Indeed, it has the ability to boost levels of BDNF.
However, scientists don’t fully understand the role of turmeric in treating depression. Thus, the field needs more research to confirm whether it is a safe and effective treatment.
It improves liver function
We know that turmeric has anti oxidant abilities. The spice has been getting a lot of attention lately for that very reason. What we found out recently, is that it actually could be a very powerful ability.
One so strong that it may even stop your liver from being toxin damage. People with diabetes and other health conditions take drugs that may hurt their liver. Turmeric may thus help prevent liver failure.
It helps with pain relief
Recent studies support turmeric for pain relief. Indeed, we mentioned earlier than is may work as well as ibuprofen. Encouraging results show that turmeric supplements help relieve pain in people with arthritis in their knees.
Dosing recommendations will vary from one person to another. However, participants in the study took 800 mg of turmeric each day. They also found out that the effects of turmeric were stronger than an anti-inflammatory drug.
Turmeric eases digestion
We already covered the anti inflammatory properties of turmeric. As a spice, it brings flavor to food. This explains its presence in curry powder. However, it may also play an important role in digesting that food.
Indeed, it can help with gut inflammation and permeability. Those are two measures of digestive efficiency. Lately, turmeric often becomes part of treatment for irritable bowel syndrome.
Turmeric is a very versatile spice. It has many uses. In the kitchen, as part of a fitness routine, and as a health booster. It can indeed relive pain, ease digestion, delay brain decline and make you a healthy human being altogether.
At Açai Creations, we offer organic shots with turmeric that will sure boost your immune system and health. Plus, they taste delicious.