Health Benefits of Turmeric

Posted on: February 8th, 2020

Turmeric is considered a member from ginger clan. The vibrant yellow-orange spice is very popular in Indian, Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian cooking. Turmeric not only adds colour and taste to the dishes but also offers several health benefits. According to recent researches, turmeric helps fight against cardiovascular disease, cancer, arthritis and even depression. Go through the blog to know what turmeric can do and cannot.

Cancer

According to experiments on animal models, turmeric is able to stop the growth of malignant cells and help in detoxifying enzymes. However, more intensive studies are needed to make sure that turmeric will produce similar effect on human body. Another serious concern is turmeric may come in the way of chemotherapy drugs.

Cardiovascular Problem

Researches on whether turmeric can prevent cardiovascular disease offer mixed results. As per some studies, turmeric can lower bad cholesterol (LDL) whereas other reveals that the spice has no role in this regard. Scientists are doing research to find out if turmeric offers any heat-protective benefits. According to one small study, the spice benefits people who have undergone bypass surgery.

Type 2 Diabetes

Turmeric helps fight inflammation and thus, maintain blood sugar level. The spice is very useful in preventing type 2 diabetes. A recent study has shown that taking a turmeric supplement for 9 months can lower the chance of developing diabetes.

Viral Infections

Sipping turmeric tea will help you fight viral infection. Curcumin, which is 3% in turmeric, is a good agent to fight different types of viruses including flu and herpes. However, human body cannot absorb curcumin properly and therefore, taking a cup of turmeric tea occasionally will not offer much of help.

Arthritis

Turmeric has been found beneficial to relieve joint pain, inflammation and stiffness. However, more research is needed to find its promising result on patients suffering from arthritis. If you want to give it a try for your joint inflammation and pain, eat the spice with black pepper to allow your body to absorb curcumin.
Write for us if you know other health benefits of turmeric.

Irritable Bowel Syndromee

A pilot study conducted on 207 adults and another lab experiment done on mouse have found that turmeric is very helpful in improving abdominal pain and other IBS symptoms. Research is also going on to find if the spice is effective in diseases like ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s.

Alzheimer’s Disease

People with Alzheimer’s suffer chronic inflammation. Researches have shown that turmeric has anti-inflammatory property. However, more scientific evidences are required to claim that the spice is effective to fight the disease.

Premenstrual Syndrome

A recent study done on a small cohort of women for three consecutive menstrual cycles has found the turmeric supplements help relieve premenstrual syndrome.

Acne

Some people claim that eating turmeric or applying a turmeric mask helps in fighting acne problems. This may be because of turmeric’s anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Unfortunately, no hard science is available to support the claim!

Depression

Several elements in turmeric are good for your mental health. Curcumin, the most well-known compound in turmeric, is believed to have potentials to cure depression. However, researches offer mixed results.