Turmeric is not just a spice.
Its adds several other health benefits to your feed apart from giving a bright attractive yellow color to your dishes. Turmeric is used with Asians for more than 4000 year now.
The health benefits of turmeric was very well know by our ancestors who have always had made sure to add turmeric to all the food preparations.
All the benefits of turmeric is are directly related to the presence of cur-cuminoids, of which the most important is cur-cumin.
This cur-cumin is the most active ingredient of turmeric. It has very strong anti-inflammatory effect and is a very powerful anti-oxidant. It is one of the best medicinal herb. cur-cumin content in turmeric is very low.
It would be just around 3% and unfortunately absorption is very less via bloodstream. Absorption of curcumin can be increased if intake of turmeric is accompanied by black pepper powder or black pepper seeds.
Pepper contains pepperine which enhances absorption of cur-cumin in blood stream.
Benefits of Turmeric:
Anti- Inflammatory compound: Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory food. It is now believed that chronic, low-level inflammation plays a major role in almost every chronic disease.
This includes heart disease, cancer, metabolic syndrome, Alzheimer’s and various degenerative conditions.Therefore, anything that can help fight chronic inflammation is of potential importance in preventing and even treating these diseases.
Curcumin may provide an inexpensive, well-tolerated, and effective treatment for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) such as Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis. NF-kB plays a major role in many of the chronic diseases.
Curcumin blocks this NF-kB, a molecule which turns on the gene which is related to inflammation in the body.
The major health benefit of curcumin is that it is a bioactive substance that fights inflammation at the molecular level. In several studies, its potency has compared favorably to anti-inflammatory pharmaceutical drugs like hydrocortisone and phenylbutazone as well as over-the-counter anti-inflammatory agents such as Motrin.
Drugs are usually associated with significant toxic effects like decreased WBC count, Intestinal bleeding and ulcers. Curcumin has none of these toxic side effects.
Boosting Immunity – Curcumin has a huge therapeutic value and boosting immunity is one of the most important properties of curcumin.
Protects Against Liver Diseases. It is evident from various studies conducted on rats. For example, a Mexican study showed that curcumin prevents acute liver damage by at least two mechanisms: acting as an antioxidant and by inhibiting NF-kappaB activation and thus production of proinflammatory cytokines. Another study published in the Fundamental & Clinical Pharmacology journal revealed that curcumin was effective in preventing and reversing cirrhosis, probably by its ability of reducing TGF-beta expression. These data suggest that curcumin might be an effective antifibrotic and fibrolytic drug in the treatment of chronic hepatic diseases.
Prevents the Development of Type 2 Diabetes in people who have prediabetes. Turmeric lessens insulin resistance and prevents type2 diabetes. Curcumin, however, is not readily bioavailable; it makes sense to regularly add turmeric powder to the food even for people who are not prediabetic.
Curcumin Helps Promote weight loss and reduce the incidence of obesity-related diseases. The inflammation associated with obesity is due in part to the presence of immune cells called macrophages in fat tissues throughout the body. These cells produce cytokines that can cause inflammation in organs such as the heart, and islets of the pancreas, while also increasing insulin resistance in muscle and liver. Scientists believe that turmeric suppresses the number and activity of these cells, and help reduce some of the adverse consequences of Obesity.
Prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease: Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive cognitive deterioration together with declining activities of daily living and behavioral changes. Various effects of curcumin, such as decreased Beta-amyloid plaques, delayed degradation of neurons, metal-chelation, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant property, improve overall memory in Alzheimer’s patients.
Turmeric Powder Uses
- Apart from therapeutic uses, turmeric is also used as an important spice, in beauty products and in spiritual ceremonies.
- In India, turmeric is used in almost all curries and gravy dishes. It gives a rich color and a unique flavor to the food.
- Turmeric is a well-known preservative. Scientists from Gujarat found that adding turmeric to paneer(cottage cheese) extends the shelf life of paneer up to 12 days.
- Turmeric is a great pesticide. Sprinkle turmeric (powder) water near all the entry points of your house to ward of insects, ants, and termites.
- Women in India use turmeric in skin productssuch as creams and body scrubs to boost the glow factor.
- Turmeric has an important place in Indian weddings. Turmeric paste is applied to the bride and the groom as part of the haldiceremony just before the wedding to give them fresh glowing skins and to ward off the evil eye.
- Turmeric is considered a symbol of purity, prosperity, and fertility.
- Turmeric water is poured / offered to the gods in the temples as a part of Hindu ritual.
- The color yellow is considered sacred and auspicious in India. The cloths dyed in turmeric are considered pure.
Side Effects of Turmeric
- Turmeric is safe and without side effects when used optimally. People with turmeric sensitivity can have mild stomach upset or diarrhea.
- Turmeric can make gall bladder problems and GERD (Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disorder) worse.
- Turmeric can slow blood clottingand might cause extra bleeding during and after surgery.
Curcumin capsules are also used to get all the above benefits. You can go to Click Here and buy now and order you curcumin capsules now.
RD Neha Kava
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Turmeric with honey good for stomach, too