Cart
0
If you’ve ever whipped up an Indian-inspired dish, then chances are you’ve used some turmeric. Turmeric is a staple in Indian cooking. However, it isn’t just a delectable spice. For centuries, turmeric has also been a key medicinal herb, and this is all thanks to curcumin, the compound that gives turmeric its yellow color. It is the curcumin that makes turmeric a beneficial health supplement.
Science has shown that turmeric can help to combat inflammation, fight free radicals, boost brain health, and even lower the risk of heart disease. There is some evidence that turmeric can help to keep certain cancers at bay too.
On this page, we’ll discuss the many health benefits of turmeric and curcumin. This should help you to see why you’ll want to get some turmeric-containing supplements into your diet, or at least pack more of your dishes with this wonder herb.
What is Turmeric?
Turmeric is a flowering part found throughout India and Southeast Asia. It is part of the ginger family.
Turmeric, as you know, is often used to flavor Indian-style dishes, e.g. curry. Turmeric powder is obtained when the rhizomes (which are the roots of the plant) are boiled, dried out, and then ground down. This creates a bright, yellow powder that can be used in a whole host of dishes, and even for dyeing.
The orange color of the ground-up turmeric comes from a compound known as curcumin, which leads us very neatly to the next section.
What is Curcumin?
We’ve been mentioning curcumin a lot, but what is it?
Well, curcumin is the active compound in turmeric. It is curcumin which gives turmeric that wonderful yellow color, and that delicious spicy flavor.
While some of the health benefits of turmeric will come from the other compounds in the herb, almost all of them come from curcumin, which is why we’re talking about turmeric and curcumin together. This is because almost every turmeric-containing supplement that you’ll stumble across will make it a point to show that curcumin is in the supplement, as that is the ‘special’ part of turmeric.
The Health Benefits of Turmeric and Curcumin
In this section, we want to look at the health benefits of turmeric and curcumin. Remember – the health benefits of turmeric come from the curcumin compound, so anything that contains curcumin will have the same benefits we list here. It is just that turmeric is the best way to get loads of curcumin into your system.
We’re only talking about benefits that have been scientifically proven here. If you take curcumin supplements (or just eat some turmeric), you will see the benefits.
Do note that we will be using the word ‘may’ a lot here. While all these health benefits of turmeric and curcumin have undergone scientific study (i.e., there are peer-reviewed studies that indicate the benefits), further research does need to be carried out to be sure. However, based on the research out so far, turmeric and curcumin have a wealth of proven health benefits.
Combats Inflammation
Turmeric and curcumin have been proven to boost your body’s ability to fight inflammation. One study has suggested that these two have the power to combat inflammation far better than some medications.
We’ll talk about one or two diseases that are linked to inflammation shortly. All you need to know right now is that there are plenty of diseases that involve inflammation, including tooth & gum disease, certain bowel conditions, and arthritis, to name but a few.
May Prevent Certain Cancers
While research into this is still ongoing, there is some evidence that turmeric may have a benefit against the following cancers:
- Gastrointestinal
- Prostate
- Breast
- Colorectal
How this works is currently being studied. However, preliminary research suggests that curcumin either prevents cancerous cells from forming in the first place or helps to kill off the ones that have formed. Now, curcumin is not being used in any official cancer treatments, but studies have suggested that it may be wise to get some into your diet.
Could Slow the Progress of Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s Disease is a complex disease, and one that is, currently, irreversible. Some medications can slow the progress of Alzheimer’s Disease, but once brain degradation happens, it is impossible to reverse. Hopefully, this is something that will be fixed by medicine in the future.
A lot is going on with Alzheimer’s Disease, but one core component is the loss of a brain protein known as brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF for short. The less of this protein in the brain, the worse the symptoms of Alzheimer’s become.
There is some suggestion that curcumin can increase the amount of BDNF in the brain. This can help to delay Alzheimer’s Disease. It is not a replacement for the medications on the market but can be used in tangent with them. Every little helps, after all.
Lowers the Risk of Heart Disease
There is evidence that curcumin can help to reduce blood pressure. It does this by helping give strength to a thin membrane in the heart and blood vessels. This can lead to a reduction in the chance of heart disease.
Multiple studies have demonstrated that those who took curcumin supplements regularly had a healthier heart.
May Help with Arthritis
Remember what we said earlier about how curcumin can help to relieve inflammation? Well, it is especially potent when tackling arthritis.
As you may know, arthritis pain is caused by inflammation in the joints. Multiple studies have suggested that arthritis can help to relieve this inflammation. This can reduce pain and increase mobility in the impacted joint.
Some studies even suggest that arthritis sufferers have far fewer painful flareups when they are taking turmeric and curcumin supplements regularly. So, if you suffer from arthritis, then it may be wise to consider a supplement or two unless you want to face having turmeric added to every dish you eat.
Can Help to Fight Free Radicals
Free radicals are responsible for all sorts of damage in the body. They can lead to certain cancers, heart disease, and even Alzheimer’s.
Your body uses antioxidants to combat free radicals (which are all around us, plus in some of the foods that we eat).
Your body can always use more antioxidants to fight the devastating damage that free radicals can cause to the system, and turmeric can help with this. In fact, turmeric is absolutely loaded with antioxidants.
So, take turmeric and curcumin, and your body will have an easier time combatting a lot of diseases.
Combat the Effects of Ageing on the Skin
Unfortunately, turmeric and curcumin won’t stop the aging process dead in its tracks, but they can help to make your skin appear younger. This is, once again, thanks to the free radical combat boost that these two give you.
Regular intake of curcumin has been shown to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, remove fine lines, reduce the oiliness of the skin, and even help the skin to retain moisture. You’ll look fantastic with far smoother-looking skin!
Remember – these two compounds will also really help to combat inflammation, so turmeric and curcumin can help to reduce the impact of skin conditions like acne and psoriasis. No, they won’t cure them completely, but regular intake of curcumin should help to keep the worst of it at bay.
Can Help with Depression & Anxiety
Remember what we said about how turmeric and curcumin can help combat some of the reasons behind Alzheimer’s Disease? Well, there is also evidence that they can help to combat depression and anxiety. Turmeric and curcumin are, all around, fantastic for brain health.
We’re not going to say that turmeric and curcumin will completely eradicate the symptoms of depression and anxiety. You would need proper medication for that. However, they have been scientifically proven to clear up some of the lighter symptoms of the conditions, which can make life a little bit easier for you.
Even if you are not suffering from depression or anxiety, you may be pleased to know that turmeric can boost your overall mood. It can help you to feel a little bit perkier or put an extra spring in your step. You won’t know it is happening, but we promise you that you will feel slightly better on a mental health level.
You don’t even need to get much into your diet at all. Just a small supplement each day can work wonders when tackling depression and anxiety.
May Help Keep Blood Sugar Levels Stable in Diabetes Sufferers
Diabetes sufferers (or those who are pre-diabetic) may be especially interested in turmeric. Studies have shown that those who consume turmeric will see a noticeable decrease in blood sugar levels. This means that regular supplementation for turmeric (and curcumin) could make it far, far easier to control blood sugar levels when you suffer from diabetes. Of course, this can help to keep all sorts of other conditions at bay, e.g. certain types of cancer, high blood pressure, eye degeneration, etc.
May Improve Brain Power
Some studies have suggested that turmeric and curcumin can help to improve memory and may have an impact on overall mind clarity. Those who consume turmeric regularly often indicate that they have less mental tiredness. This may make it easier to focus on tasks, particularly tasks that require a lot of thinking e.g. studying for exams, etc.
Can Keep Glaucoma at Bay
Finally – turmeric and curcumin may help to combat glaucoma. While studies have yet to be carried out on humans, studies involving rats seem to suggest that consuming curcumin can slow down, or even stop, ocular degeneration.
While they cannot reverse glaucoma, the fact that they can help to reduce the degeneration of retinal cells does indicate that regularly consuming curcumin can reduce the chances of a person getting glaucoma in the first place. Glaucoma is, of course, the leading cause of blindness in people over the age of 60.
What Is the Easiest Way to Get Turmeric into Your Diet?
While eating turmeric is fine, chances are you don’t want every dish laden with this Indian spice. Life would become boring like that. So, if you want to get turmeric into your diet, we highly recommend that you investigate turmeric and curcumin-containing supplements.
One of the best on the market is the HARMONIFY Turmeric and Curcumin supplement. It contains enough of the curcumin to get you through 2 months, plus there are a few other beneficial ingredients to help you out a little more.
It is worth noting that whatever route you go down, it is essential that you consume turmeric each day if you want the benefits of it. This is because the body has absolutely no way to store curcumin. So, if you don’t get curcumin into your diet one day, then you’ll not get the benefits at all. It is something that you need to consume daily. This is why we heavily suggest going down the route of a supplement. It is much easier to use. Just take it once per day, and then eat whatever else you want without the worry that you aren’t getting enough curcumin into your diet.
While most people think of turmeric as a rather delicious spice for South Asian curries, there is so much more to it. This is all thanks to the compound, curcumin, which can be found in turmeric. Not only does curcumin give turmeric that bright yellow color, but it is also a wonderful compound for dealing with all sorts of ailments. Study after study has shown that curcumin can help keep Alzheimer’s Disease at bay, boost brain health, reduce inflammation in the body, and even combat heart disease and certain forms of cancer.
It isn’t even difficult to get curcumin into your diet. You don’t need to constantly be feasting on turmeric-containing foods. Instead, pick up a good supplement (we recommend HARMONIFY Turmeric and Curcumin supplement.) and you will notice a benefit to your body. You may not notice it right away but, trust us, consuming turmeric-containing supplements regularly (at least once per day) will see a major improvement in your health in the future.
