Turmeric has appeared in many unexpected places, from popcorn and crackers to Instagram-worthy golden milk lattes, as a popular healthy spice. When it comes to health benefits, how effective is turmeric?
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It has anti-inflammatory properties.
In Ayurvedic and Eastern Asian medicine, turmeric powder has been used to be anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic for ages. In the same way that over-the-counter pain relievers work, turmeric can also prevent your body from creating the molecules that cause inflammation in the first place.
While the body’s inflammatory reaction is intended to keep us safe from damage, it may occasionally go into overdrive and do more harm than good. Excessive or chronic inflammation can be reduced by curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric. According to a preliminary study, curcumin appears to alleviate inflammatory disorders such as stomach pain, arthritis, and pancreatitis.
It helps with digestion.
The health advantages of turmeric powder are well-known, and one of those benefits is that it aids digestion. Due to its anti-inflammatory characteristics, the chemical is particularly useful in treating digestive diseases such as gas, bloating, and inflammatory bowel disease.
In addition, it possesses anti-cancer characteristics;
For breast, bowel, stomach and skin cancer, turmeric has been shown to have anti-cancerous effects. Laboratory research in this field is limited, but standard cancer therapy cannot be replaced by it. In the absence of regular screening procedures like mammograms, paps, and colonoscopies, herbal supplements may not cure cancer.
Additionally, it aids in blood sugar regulation.
The critical element in turmeric, curcumin, has been demonstrated to reduce blood sugar, which may help cure or prevent Type 2 diabetes. Turmeric may help prevent diabetes in prediabetes, but further study on human subjects is needed. It has been shown that a healthy BMI (20-25), 30 minutes of moderate activity most days of the week, and a diet low in carbs all help prevent diabetes.
It enhances cardiovascular health.
Both high cholesterol and high blood pressure are helped by turmeric. Turmeric can enhance overall heart health and minimise the risk of cardiovascular disease or even heart attacks by decreasing cholesterol and blood pressure. Before starting a turmeric regimen, those on blood pressure drugs should talk to their doctor about the possibility of bleeding. Continue to monitor cholesterol and blood pressure with regular blood tests and measurements.
It helps keep viruses at bay.
Curcumin can boost the body’s ability to fight against infections at low levels. In terms of boosting the immune system, curcumin appears to have a lot of promise. According to a preliminary study, curcumin’s anti-inflammatory qualities may even help ease some of the symptoms of COVID-19.
There is a possibility that it can help prevent Alzheimer’s illness.
If turmeric can help prevent Alzheimer’s or at least delay its progression, it’s worth a try. The low incidence of Alzheimer’s disease in India may be linked to the country’s average daily curcumin consumption of 125 mg. Turmeric may also be used to treat Alzheimer’s disease as a neuroprotective. This decline in Alzheimer’s disease might be explained by their diet, which is drastically different from ours in processed foods and meat consumption.
Arthritis pain is lessened as a result of its use.
Rheumatoid arthritis, joint pain, and osteoarthritis have all been shown to benefit from turmeric’s anti-inflammatory qualities. Initial investigations suggest that curcumin supplements may have the same effect on arthritis as NSAIDs, but further research is needed to confirm this.
Depression can be alleviated by it.
According to specific animal research, serotonin and dopamine are two brain chemicals that influence mood. It may also improve your ability to cope with sudden pressure. While additional study is needed, the antidepressant benefits of turmeric may give a helpful boost as a complementary therapy to counselling or pharmaceutical therapy with a stress-reduction strategy and medical expert advice.
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It’s beneficial to the liver’s function.
Using turmeric in moderation may help the liver detoxify the body and lessen the severity of hepatic problems. Iron overdose, cirrhosis, alcoholism, and carbon tetrachloride have all been demonstrated to cause liver damage, and curcumin has been shown to protect the liver from this. According to the growing body of research, turmeric may reduce liver enzyme levels, a sign of liver damage.
It may be helpful in the treatment of ED.
Erectile dysfunction may be improved with the use of turmeric. Inflammation-related erectile dysfunction may benefit from turmeric’s powerful anti-inflammatory properties. However, given the limited study on the issue and the availability of effective drugs for erectile dysfunction, turmeric as the primary treatment would not make sense for the majority of people.. *
It enhances the health of the skin.
Turmeric’s skin advantages include the relief of eczema, ulcers, psoriasis, and wounds when applied topically. Skincare products commonly include it because of its ability to brighten or level out skin tone, as well as its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory qualities.
It aids in the process of losing weight.
The research found that curcumin consumption reduced BMI, weight, waist circumference, and leptin levels this year. There is some evidence to suggest that the antioxidant curcumin may help manage the condition known as metabolic syndrome, which afflicts around 20% of the global population as of 2017.
