Amazing Health Benefits of Turmeric, the Magical Spice
There are so many amazing health benefits of Turmeric. In it’s most basic form, turmeric is a plant. It is grown in warmer climates, it’s root is the plant of the plant that is consumed. Turmeric is widely consumed in India, it is a component of almost every meal! This post will discuss the positive benefits of turmeric as well as provide a guideline on how to best consume it. Turmeric has been associated with the following positive benefits:
Decrease Inflammation
Yes, the kind of inflammation that causes joint and muscle pain. But also the kind of inflammation that serves as a fertile breeding within the body for the contraction of physical ailments and disease. Inflammation within the body leads to a state where disease can spread. The good news is that we can reduce inflammation naturally by exercising, decreasing stress, and by what we eat. Turmeric, more specifically the curcumin found within turmeric, is a critical agent in wading off inflammation.
Those suffering from arthritis and less severe joint pain have found relief (in many cases even more relief than their pharmaceutical drugs) from regular doses of turmeric.
Brain Health
Alzeimer’s is the most prevalent neurological brain disease in the US. It has no known cure. Researchers believe that Alzeimer’s can be caused by a buildup by certain proteins called Amyloid plaques. Studies show that curcumin can help clear and break up these plaques. Evidence is not conclusive but initial studies are promising.
Many of our readers have also shared that turmeric boosts their long and short term memories, helps them feel more alert and lucid. That’s a good thing 🙂
Ward off Depression
Turmeric has been proven to boost serotonin and dopamine, important nuerotransmitters linked to positive energy and happiness.
A recent study (albeit small) on a group of 6o patients who were diagnosed with depressions showed that those who were given a tablespoon of turmeric each day reported as much improvement as those who were given Prozac. This is an encouraging development because the Western World has become too dependent on medication in the last two decades.
Natural Cancer Prevention
Turmeric is a strong antioxidant but it’s more than that. It’s anti inflammatory as well, this is what makes it such a special plant. Comprehensive studies are currently being conducted to determine the efficacy of turmeric consumption in preventing cancer but most scientists will agree that decreasing inflammation and increasing oxidation is wise.
Natural Cancer Treatment
here is some evidence that it may help prevent cancer from occurring in the first place, especially cancers of the digestive system (like colorectal cancer).
In one study in 44 men with lesions in the colon that sometimes turn cancerous, 4 grams of curcumin per day for 30 days reduced the number of lesions by 40%
Curcumin boosts levels of the brain hormone BDNF, which increases the growth of new neurons and fights various degenerative processes in the brain.In countries where turmeric is widely consumed, Alzeimer’s and many other diseases are not nearly as prevalent in countries where it is not consumed. Correlation or causation? Most studies say causation.
Best Ways to Consume Turmeric:
There are two schools of thought here. One is to buy the root and the powder and ingest turmeric as God and nature intended: as food. The other school of thought is that eating turmeric powder and turmeric root is unlikely to give you significant doses of cur cumin, thus you must consume the extract. Personally, I do both. My body and joints have been through a lot as years of weight lifting and 15 years of playing a strange sport where large man in helmets and shoulder pads have massive collisions on each play. 😉
Food or capsule, which is “better” or which is “correct”? We’re not sure yet. There haven’t been enough studies on the long term effects of consuming mass dosages (this is exactly what the capsules are) for extended periods of time.
- With Food (link to Joe)
You can buy the whole root at most natural grocery stores (i.e. Whole Foods, Fresh Market, etc.) or you can buy the ground powder at most grocery stores. If you’re going with the powder form, make sure to purchase a trusted brand as turmeric can lose its efficacy. General rule of thumb is that the longer it has been out of the ground, the less effective. That’s why I prefer buying the herb myself as opposed to the powder.
- Capsule Form
Be careful here. Above all, turmeric is food. Use it as such. As a society, we have a tendency to try to take the easy way out. If we can extract the healthy components of a food, put it in a pill and be done with it, we usually do. I do not recommend this. Use supplements as supplements — not as replacements. Eat. Real. Food. But if you go the capsule root…. Buy quality.
Buying poor quality turmeric capsules is like purchasing bulk discount brand Fish Oil at Costco — a complete waste of time and money. I take these capsules made by Gaiam. Turmeric’s bioavailability is increased by consuming it with black pepper. Black Pepper contains a compound called peprine which significantly enhances our ability to receive the benefits of curcumin. I also add ground turmeric to many of my meals. I recommend purchasing or growing the root. It is very inexpensive and has a shelf like of three months (use it as soon as possible as fresher is always better!).
I take one capsule in the morning with breakfast and one at night with dinner. Also, throughout some of my meals, I include turmeric powder and black pepper and I will
- Turmeric Tea
Grate it or slice it, then steep it in hot water with ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, squeezed lemon, and honey (real honey, be careful here) if you’d like it to taste sweeter.
You can slice the turmeric and it in hot water to make tea.
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