7 Amazing Effects of Turmeric on Your Body
- May 9, 2021
- 9:06 pm
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Turmeric is the spice that gives curry its yellow color. It has been used in India for thousands of years as a spice and medicinal herb. Recently, science has started to back up what Indians have known for a long time — it really does contain compounds with medicinal properties .These compounds are called curcuminoids, the most important of which is curcumin.
Curcumin is the main active ingredient in turmeric. It has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a very strong antioxidant but also have other effects that we will disclose bellow.
Inflammation is a defense mechanism that is critically important when you have an injury or infection. It helps the body to isolate affected areas and fight foreign invaders. Without inflammation, dangerous pathogens would have a clear path to take over your body entirely. However, inflammation is a somewhat blunt tool and can sometimes become chronic for no good reason. When that happens, you are put at risk for all sorts of diseases, including cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s.
Turmeric has such powerful anti-inflammatory properties that it rivals some medicines designed specifically to relieve inflammation, but without dangerous side effects. Turmeric is known to block the NF-kB molecule that travels into the nuclei of cells and activates inflammation. So when you eat turmeric or take a curcumin supplement, you are reducing inflammation at the cellular level.
Good to know: Chronic inflammation contributes to many common Western diseases. Turmeric can suppress many molecules known to play major roles in inflammation.
Heart disease kills more people worldwide than anything else. It is a complicated disease with many contributing factors, but curcumin may be able to protect against it. As we’ve already discussed, curcumin is a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compound. Both of those functions can improve heart health.
More than that, curcumin seems to benefit the endothelium, or the lining of the blood vessels. Problems with the endothelium lead to issues with blood pressure regulation, blood clotting, and other heart regulation factors. One study determined that curcumin is as effective as exercise in improving heart health, while another contends that it works as well as the heart medication Atorvastatin.
Good to know: Turmeric has beneficial effects on several factors known to play a role in heart disease. It improves the function of the endothelium and is a potent anti-inflammatory agent and antioxidant.
Cancer is one of the deadliest diseases faced by human and animal-kind. It occurs when the growth of certain cells becomes rapid and uncontrolled. Unchecked cancer cells then grow tumors and spread to other parts of the body. There are many different forms of cancer, but some of them may be vulnerable to curcumin. Studies have shown that it can slow the growth and spread of cancerous cells, as well as even cause their death in some circumstances.
More studies are needed to determine exactly what role curcumin may play in cancer treatment, but there is already convincing evidence that it can help prevent the development of cancer in the first place. This is true especially when it comes to digestive cancers like stomach or colorectal cancer.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common neurodegenerative disease in the world and a leading cause of dementia.
Unfortunately, no good treatment is available for Alzheimer’s yet.
Therefore, preventing it from occurring in the first place is of utmost importance.
There may be good news on the horizon because curcumin has been shown to cross the blood-brain barrier
It’s known that inflammation and oxidative damage play a role in Alzheimer’s disease, and curcumin has beneficial effects on both.
In addition, a key feature of Alzheimer’s disease is a buildup of protein tangles called amyloid plaques. Studies show that curcumin can help clear these plaques .
Whether curcumin can really slow down or even reverse the progression of Alzheimer’s disease in people is currently unknown and needs to be studied properly.
Antioxidants are able to block oxidative damage, which is one of the mechanisms behind aging and disease. Free radicals are highly reactive molecules with unpaired electrons – these can bounce around your body and react with fatty acids, protein, or DNA. The effects of this process show externally on your skin in the form of premature aging, or internally in the form of disease, especially cancer.
Antioxidants like curcumin bind with free radicals and neutralize them before they do damage. But that’s not all that curcumin can do. It also seems to stimulate a body’s own antioxidant enzymes to work harder. In this way you get double protection from eating turmeric.
Many of the so-called “pain relievers” that you can buy over the counter aren’t really targeting pain but rather inflammation. Ibuprofen is a prime example. As it turns out, curcumin is at least as effective as these chemical anti-inflammatory medicines.
Studies have shown it to be particularly effective in reducing pain experienced by arthritis sufferers. In fact, curcumin was found to be even more effective than an anti-inflammatory drug for people with the rheumatoid type of arthritis. Curcumin can also be helpful for people with injuries or post-exercise soreness.
Good to know: In a study in people with rheumatoid arthritis, curcumin was even more effective than an anti-inflammatory drug
If you want to have naturally glowing skin, go for turmeric. The spice holds a special place of honor in traditions around the world, including Indian weddings, especially during the Haldi ceremony, which involves applying a paste of turmeric to the bride and groom. Because of the shine it leaves on brides. “This is due to the powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory active agents called curcumin.
Good to know: The important benefits of turmeric, improve skin tone and rejuvenate dull skin. That is another property of Turmeric that will improve your beauty routine.Be sure to consult your dermatologist to be sure you do not have skin allergic to Curcumin.
