11 Amazing Benefits of Turmeric and Curcumin

Turmeric health benefits includes fighting inflammation, neutralizing free radicals, stopping blood from clotting, boosting heart health, supporting healthy skin, reducing the risk of cancer and fighting Alzheimer’s diseases. Other benefits includes treating arthritis,  improving digestion, supporting liver health and fighting fungi and viruses.

What is Turmeric?

Turmeric is a widely used spice in Indian cuisine and Ayurvedic medicine. Its bright yellow hue gives many Indian dishes their signature color. However, it isn’t only just used to make foods more vibrant, but it has many health benefits as well. Its many health benefits are due to its medicinal properties.

These eleven compelling benefits of turmeric and curcumin are just the tip of the iceberg. In fact, using it for these advantages will create a domino effect as it eases other health problems as well. The spice can be used in many ways by adding it to your food or making a tonic to use as medicine. Using it in milk is an old method of getting the benefits of turmeric, cucurmin and milk combined.

11 Amazing Benefits of Turmeric and Curcumin

1. Anti-inflammatory

A substance called curcumin in turmeric is from where most benefits are derived. Curcumin has a beneficial anti-inflammatory effect by stopping the inflammation process at the basic levels in the system. This will help those who suffer from chronic inflammation where the body’s defense system turns against itself and starts harming internal tissues. The anti-inflammatory effect that curcumin provides can fairly compete with synthetic anti-inflammatory drugs. They have the added advantage of not having any side effects whereas synthetic drugs will harm the body over time.

2. Antioxidant

Our bodies undergo a natural oxidation process by which our organs grow older, but this is worsened by free radicals that cause damage by being highly reactive. The curcumin in turmeric is highly beneficial in such a situation as it neutralizes the effect of free radicals and maintains the balance in our bodies. Curcumin delivers the extra advantage of powering the body’s antioxidants, which further helps in fighting off harmful effects of free radicals cell, which are cancerous.

3. Anticoagulant

People with aggravated health issues need medicines described as anticoagulants that stop the blood from clotting. These can be blood-thinning medications such as ibuprofen and aspirin. These medications are known to cause drastic side effects such as excessive bleeding and stomach ulcers. The curcumin in turmeric has the benefits provided by most anticoagulants and serves as a better alternative since there are no side effects. Its anticoagulant properties can also help treat bruises. An intake of turmeric will help increase the blood flow and ease it as well. This can treat the bruise much quicker without the use of aspirin, which has problematic side effects. Meanwhile, this property can also help in curing a headache and relaxing the body’s muscles.

4. Boosts Heart Health

Improve your heart health by using turmeric in your foods and as a medicine if you are at risk of heart disease. Studies have shown that the curcumin can be used as effective treatment for people suffering with vascular thrombosis. This takes us back to the blood thinning effect of curcumin, as it can help prevent high blood pressure. Research also shows that it has a significant effect on lowering cholesterol. This can further help in reducing the risk of dangerous heart diseases.

5. Antidepressant

Despite the lack of much research on the effect of curcumin on the psychological mood disorder, there are still some compelling benefits that were observed. A study conducted on people with depressive mood disorders was conducted in which the subjects were divided and made to take curcumin and Prozac. The study proved that not only did the subjects respond to the curcumin, but they also responded comparatively well compared to the Prozac.

6. Healthy Skin

Turmeric is highly beneficial for the skin due to curcumin’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It rejuvenates antioxidants to make your skin look younger and supple. The anti-inflammatory help reduces the redness and soreness on the face. Turmeric is also known for being helpful in treating acne and other skin problems like scarring and scabs.

7. Reduce Risk of Cancer

Cancer is a terrible disease that can be prevented with the right measures. Cancer is the unhealthy growth of cells, and using a curcumin supplement found in turmeric will help as it can affect the rapid growth of free radical cells by stopping it at a molecular level.

8. Help with Alzheimer’s

Alzheimer’s is characterized by deterioration of the lobes of the brain, causing the victim to forget things. There is no cure for this disease and no vaccine to prevent it. However, curcumin can have a benefit in terms of the way that Alzheimer’s is caused. Studies show that inflammation and damage caused by the radicals during oxidation are what causes Alzheimer’s. Luckily, the beneficial properties of curcumin can help with its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant boosting effect. Curcumin can increase the level of Brain-Derived Neurotropic Factor, which can improve brain functions. It also helps to slow down the development of brain-related diseases, which can be caused by age-related reasons.

9. Helpful For Arthritis Patients

Arthritis is a disease characterized by pain and inflammation in the joints, which are caused by the thinning of the fluid between the joints. The curcumin in turmeric can help patients manage their symptoms and pain. This is proven by a study where arthritis patients were given either diclofenac or curcumin. The results were in favor of curcumin as they showed it has the most positive effects on patients with different kinds of arthritis.

10. Improves Digestion and Liver Health

Turmeric was being used as an herbal medicine long before scientists had discovered its medicinal properties. In ancient times, it was used to help people who suffered from digestive disorders. A recent study on this effect showed that turmeric also stimulated the gallbladder to release more bile through the bile duct to aid in fat digestion. This is due to the natural substances present in turmeric, which make it easily digestible. It also helps to improve the liver due to its detoxifying properties. Our livers work very hard trying to break down substances such as alcohol. This makes them accumulate a lot of toxins that are harmful to the body. Turmeric is a natural way to detoxify your liver as it flushes toxins and bacteria out and helps the liver perform optimally.

11. Other Benefits

Turmeric can act as a natural disinfectant that destroys harmful bacteria, fungi, and viruses. It can help prevent infections like candida, which is to be difficult to cure. Turmeric can also help with reducing the risk of gum diseases. Studies show that using a turmeric-based mouthwash can improve the health of gums and reduce the risk of bleeding gums and bacteria levels for those who suffer from gingivitis.