10 Proved Benefits of Turmeric for Health
Turmeric, also known as Curcuma or Indian saffron, is native to India and Southeast Asia. It has been used in India and Indonesia for at least 4000 years. It was the Arabs that spread turmeric around the globe. Nowadays, it’s used all around the world as a versatile spice. Turmeric is not only that, though. It’s a powerful ally for a healthier life.
Turmeric has been used as a big part of oriental medicine for thousands of years. It’s very recommended to include turmeric in your diet. Here are ten reasons why to do that:
1. Weight loss
Turmeric can increase the amount of serotonin in our brain. Serotonin is a hormone and it’s directly linked to appetite. Turmeric can help you control your appetite and consequently, eat less.
It has other benefits for weight loss, too. Turmeric inhibits the lipogenesis, which is the production of fat by your body. Besides, its anti-inflammatory properties are useful for treating and preventing inflammatory diseases related to obesity. Insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, and high cholesterol are among those diseases.
2. Depression
This bright yellow spice can be a strong, natural ally against depression. As said before, turmeric increases serotonin levels. That hormone is also linked with happiness. By having more serotonin running around your head, you can feel less of the symptoms of depression and anxiety. It’s scientifically proven that turmeric helps with achieving an overall feeling of well-being.
3. Reduces body inflammation
Turmeric has strong anti-inflammatory properties. Studies show that this spice can increase cell resistance to oxidation as well as reduce inflammatory processes in the body. It’s also good for inhibiting bacteria, parasite and fungus growth, preventing several kinds of diseases.
Turmeric anti-inflammatory properties are comparable to that of potent chemical substances used on powerful anti-inflammatory drugs, as confirmed by research. It also is not toxic and doesn’t have any of the dangerous collateral effects of those drugs.
4. Heart conditions
Turmeric helps to avoid the accumulation of bad cholesterol in your blood. That is essential for avoiding heart attacks and strokes. Besides, science shows that ingesting turmeric lowers the risk of heart failure. It’s a natural and cheap way of prolonging your life.
5. Cancer
Research is still in the early stages, but all results point towards turmeric being able to prevent cancer. It has some substances in its composition that are capable of inhibiting the growth of tumor cells. They are great especially against colon, liver and ovarian cancer.
Turmeric has a very powerful antioxidant action. That can help to prevent the appearance of several types of cancer as well as destroy loose cancer cells, avoiding metastasis.
6. Diabetes
Yes, it’s good for preventing another major disease: diabetes. It’s especially effective with prediabetes. That is the stage right before diabetes when the person starts to have the symptoms but is still not affected by the disease. Prediabetes can be reversed, but if not treated, it ultimately leads to diabetes type 2.
Scientific studies show that people with prediabetes that consume turmeric regularly have very low chances of evolving to diabetes type 2. For people that don’t consume it, the risk is very high if not treated immediately.
7. Arthritis
Due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties turmeric is an effective way to fight arthritis. That disease, more common in older people, is caused by an inflammation of the joints.
The free radicals present in our blood can cause, given time, a degeneration of the cartilages of our bodies. That can cause a chronic inflammation that is the main cause of arthritis.
Turmeric antioxidant action can fight the effect of the free radicals at the same time that it controls the inflammation.
8. Brain
Turmeric is considered a powerful ally to the brain. Recent studies found out that turmeric help repairing brain damage and also treat neurodegenerative diseases.
Researches have discovered that turmeric can stop the formation of destructive substances that are present in brains affected by Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease. Turmeric also decreases the chance of ever having Alzheimer, because of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
9. Skin
Turmeric is an effective treatment for acne. It’s antiseptic and antibacterial, good for eliminating pimples and oily skin. It gives the skin a healthy glow. It’s also a natural defoliant, helping remove dead skin cells.
When mixed together with milk, it can help with clearing the skin or removing pigments.
10. Bones and muscles
Turmeric has a high concentration of magnesium, an essential mineral for our body. Magnesium is very important for bone growth and development. It also has a big part in muscle growth and contraction, among other cellular functions on our body.
The yellow spice is also rich in calcium, another mineral that we need to ingest correctly to keep our bones healthy.
Conclusion:
The ten benefits listed above are some of the most important that comes from turmeric, but not the only ones. Besides being delicious, turmeric can have a very positive impact on our health.
Including it in our diets or using it topically for your skin is very recommended by many experts of the medical area. Every day, new research discovers other benefits of turmeric and that recommendation only gets stronger. It’s tasty and not expensive, so everyone should think about including turmeric in their lives.
