Kerin Jones
Chief Writer: Nutrition & Diet
10 Health Benefits of Turmeric
Turmeric is much more than a flavor-boosting spice. It has very real, significant, scientifically proven benefits.
Not surprisingly, it has been generating considerable buzz in the last several years as one of the most effective supplements.
There has been extensive research on its powerful healing properties.
Giving evidence-based results for this wonder spice. In fact, there are over 11,000 peer-reviewed articles published on the benefits of turmeric. Making it one of the most frequently mentioned healing herbs in the world.
Among its numerous benefits are its abilities to fight inflammation. It also acts as a powerful antioxidant, improves cognitive functions, and helps combat depression.
Improved digestion and gallbladder function along with better joint health are some of the benefits too.
1. It has potent anti-inflammatory properties
Inflammation is an important process in the body’s natural repair system. It’s when the immune system sends white blood cells to protect us against injuries and infections from foreign organisms.
While acute or short-term inflammation is normal, chronic inflammation can damage the body’s healthy cells. In fact, prolonged inflammation is a major contributor to many chronic diseases such as Alzheimer’s, cancer, and heart disease.
Keeping it in check can help reduce the risk of developing these diseases.
Arguably, the most notable benefit of turmeric is its anti-inflammatory aspect. It targets around thirty enzymes, inhibiting their activity caused by inflammation.
This reduces the body’s risk of chronic inflammation. This helps decrease the chances of developing cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases.
2. It activates DNA repair
Studies also show that turmeric has the ability to protect and help regenerate cells.
It safeguards you from DNA damage, which can occur due to exposure to external toxins or over time, when there are errors in the replication process.
When this happens, the damaged cells go through a repair process. This isn’t always effective, eventually contributing to aging. When damaged cells are reproduced, it can lead to mutation and cancer. In short, the two results of DNA damage are aging and cancer.
Turmeric has a dual effect on cells. In case of cancerous cells, it actually causes DNA damage and prevents those mutated cells from replicating.
In case of healthy cells, turmeric acts as a protecting agent, preventing cell death that is caused by cell membranes being destroyed.
3. It can help you prevent heart failures
Among its numerous benefits, curcumin is also known to protect the heart. It does so on many different levels.
According to a study published on the effects of curcumin on myocardial infarction, its anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, and anti-thrombotic qualities are all vital in protecting the heart and systems that affect heart health.
Moreover, it is beneficial to people recovering from a heart attack, because it facilitates cardiac repair.
Curcumin also helps support blood pressure helping prevent the narrowing of blood vessels. Besides, it is considered to be a natural blood thinner, due to vasorelaxation, during which blood vessels release tension.
These antihypertensive effects result in a lower risk for heart conditions caused by high blood pressure.
Evidence shows turmeric’s has a cardioprotective nature. In fact it helps reduce the buildup of plaque in the arteries, which often causes strokes and heart attacks.
4. It supports joint and bone health
Worrying about bones and joints is not on most people’s priority list until they break a hip or start experiencing chronic pain. In fact, most do not become aware of joint pain until they grow older.
Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, turmeric helps support joint and bone health. It is an excellent agent against arthritis, characterized by pain, joint inflammation, and swelling.
The two common forms of arthritis are rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.
People develop rheumatoid arthritis when their own immune system attacks the joints. Osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, occurs when the cartilage at the end of the bones wears down over time. It then becomes inflamed, and the friction of the bones becomes painful.
In rheumatoid arthritis, when the body’s tissues are attacked by its own immune system, they get inflamed and, as a result, start degenerating. Curcumin regulates and prevents the death of the inflamed cells.
Inflammation is also the common cause of osteoarthritis. Turmeric helps lower the production of inflammatory cytokines. These agents increase inflammatory reactions in the body.
It curbs the production of inflammatory agents like interleukin-1 beta and slows the activity of protein nuclear factor-kappa B.
This helps prevent the development and progression of osteoarthritis. Moreover, curcumin is a chondroprotective agent – it prevents cartilage from degrading and promotes bone health. Foods that contain omega 3 fatty acids may also help in this area too.
5. It relieves pain better than many painkillers
Turmeric has a wide range of analgesic properties that help relieve pain without downing harsh chemicals.
It contains high levels of natural COX-2 inhibitors, which target enzyme that is responsible for pain and inflammation.
It also decreases the body’s histamine levels and triggers the adrenal glands to produce more cortisol – a steroid hormone that is the body’s natural painkiller.
In addition, curcumin helps treat neuropathic, or nerve pain. Neuropathic pain is a result of infection or injury to the nerves to the point where they are not able to communicate correctly with the brain.
This damage of the nerve tissues causes feelings of acute pain. When the nervous system becomes dysfunctional because of damaged nerve fibers, this can lead to numbness.
As it battles inflammation, turmeric helps reduce the damage of the nerve fibers and tissues.
By enhancing correct air circulation in the body, it rids the nerve cells from harmful gases.
Next time you need pain relief and feel skeptical and guilty over taking conventional painkillers containing chemicals and pro-inflammatory content.
Think about the natural alternative to those meds. It will alleviate your pain without exposing you to the slew of side-effects listed on the insert of those drugs.
6. It is an antioxidant powerhouse
One of the key attributes of turmeric is its antioxidant capacity. First, let’s go over the meaning and effects of antioxidants.
During the metabolic process, our bodies produce energy from the oxygen that we breathe. However, this oxygen also gives rise to free radicals, which actually damage and kill our cells.
If free radicals overwhelm the body’s natural ability to fight them, it experiences oxidative stress. They are also associated with many diseases, including cancer, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease.
They have a strong link to ageing, which is an accumulation of free-radical damage.
Antioxidants keep free radicals in check by cleaning them up and stopping their chain reaction. Although our bodies produce antioxidants on their own, they often are not enough to stop major damage.
Turmeric is a great source of antioxidants and, hence, a great support to our bodies in the battle against free radicals. Not only is it an antioxidant on its own.
It also enhances the effectiveness of other antioxidants present in the body, such as glutathione. This is one of our most important antioxidants. What’s more, it has an indirect antioxidant function because it inhibits the activity of inflammatory enzymes.
7. It helps battle depression and balance our mood
Depression is an all-too-common condition that negatively affects how people feel, think, and act. It is, however, treatable, and turmeric is an amazing solution to this illness.
Curcumin simultaneously fights on multiple battle fronts when it comes to attacking depression. It curbs the activity of the enzyme called monoamine oxidase, high levels of which are linked to depression.
Among other things, it also reduces inflammation in the brain, regulates neurotransmitters and vital protein levels that contribute to brain health.
It is no wonder, then, that turmeric is being compared to Prozac when dealing with depression. A study was conducted recently to measure its benefits against the famous antidepressant, otherwise known as fluoxetine. In the study, 60 patients were divided into 3 groups of 20.
Each group was respectively given fluoxetine, curcumin, and a combination of fluoxetine and curcumin. Progress and improvements were recorded in all three groups. And although the group which took both fared a little better than the first two, there were no significant differences in the three groups.
This study serves as proof that curcumin is as effective as the most popular antidepressant on the market today.
8. It improves brain health, memory, and attention
Curcumin protects and nourishes the brain in many different ways. As a potent antioxidant, it protects brain cells from free radical damage. Owing to its anti-inflammatory qualities, it helps reduce inflammation in the brain.
Additionally, curcumin enhances the bioavailability of DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid. This is essential to maintaining brain health. Some studies have even shown that turmeric not only increases the bioavailability of DHA, but also boosts its levels, helping neural connections thrive.
People with health neural connections typically have lower levels of anxiety and mental fatigue. They are also able to think more quickly on their feet, learn new things, and remember minute details.
With more people developing Alzheimer’s, curcumin supplements will not only help prevent loss of memory, but also help to improve it.
Studies now show that taking curcumin improves people’s capacities when it comes to remembering things.
These results are also evident in their PET scans. In India, where the turmeric spice is a regular staple of their cuisine, elderly people are at a lower risk of Alzheimer’s and are better cognitively.
9. It improves digestive and stomach health
A healthy digestive system not only contributes to our physical well-being, but also improves our mental and emotional health.
Many studies have shown that turmeric is great in aiding digestion.
Since it is anti-inflammatory in nature, it is extremely effective in treating inflammatory bowel diseases, which cause chronic inflammation in the digestive tract.
It also increases the secretion of stomach mucus, which protects the stomach from the negative impacts of gastric acids and prevents ulcers and perforations.
Studies have also shown that by encouraging the production of good bacteria, turmeric also helps the colon function better.
It reduces the levels of bad bacteria and strengthens the intestines’ ability to absorb healthy nutrients. By calming the digestive system, it has also been shown to relieve gas and bloating.
10. It promotes gallbladder and liver health
The gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ under the liver which stores bile produced by the liver. It releases it into the small intestine in order to help digest fat. Issues with gallbladder arise when it gets inflamed.
This condition is called cholecystitis and is usually caused by gallstones blocking the tube that leads out of the gallbladder, which results in bile buildup.
The gallbladder has to contract in order to release the bile and prevent gallstone formation.
Turmeric is known to aid gallbladder contraction by reducing its volume, thereby preventing gallstones.
Owing to its anti-inflammatory and detoxifying properties, turmeric has also been shown to reduce the risk of fatty liver disease.
It destroys liver cells that cause scarring and eventually lead to liver cirrhosis. In case of existing conditions, turmeric helps liver cells regenerate and repair.
