Turmeric (curcumin) Health Benefits
Turmeric (haldi) root powder originates from the Curcuma longa plant, a species of ginger native to India and Southeast Asia. The curcuminoids within it have potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity with a wide variety of uses and benefits and very few side effects.
The best turmeric supplements have a combination of curcumin and black pepper (piperine) to enhance absorption and maximize efficacy. But what are the health benefits of turmeric and curcumin?
One tablespoon (tbsp) of turmeric powder contains:
29 calories
0.91 grams (g) of protein
0.31 g of fat
6.31 g of carbohydrates
2.1 g of fiber
0.3 g of sugar
That same 1-tbsp serving provides:
26 percent of daily manganese needs
16 percent of daily iron
5 percent of daily potassium
3 percent of daily vitamin C
Curcumin Is a Natural Anti-Inflammatory Compound
Helps Arthritis & Joint Pain
Arthritis Patients Respond Very Well to Curcumin Supplements
Arthritis is a common problem in Asian countries.
There are several different types, most of which involve inflammation in the joints.
Given that curcumin is a potent anti-inflammatory compound, it makes sense that it may help with arthritis.
One of the most common uses for turmeric is combating the discomfort from joint pain and arthritis. Severe arthritic symptoms include limited range of motion, joint stiffness, excessive swelling, and lack of mobility. These symptoms can get worse over time, causing permanent damage if left untreated.
Turmeric consistently reduces arthritis symptomology and may serve as an excellent complementary treatment for joint pain.
Curcumin is a potent antioxidant
Turmeric Increases the Antioxidant Capacity of the Body Oxidative damage which is one of the mechanisms behind aging and many diseases.
Free radicals tend to react with important organic substances, such as fatty acids, proteins or DNA.
The main reason antioxidants are so beneficial is that they protect your body from free radicals.
Curcumin is a potent antioxidant that can neutralize free radicals due to its chemical structure.
In addition, curcumin boosts the activity of your body's own antioxidant enzymes
In that way, curcumin delivers a one-two punch against free radicals. It blocks them directly, then stimulates your body's own antioxidant defenses.
Turmeric Improves Skin Health
The anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties in turmeric may be an effective treatment for a variety of skin conditions, including acne, eczema (atopic dermatitis), photoaging, and psoriasis.
Our skin is the all-important, outermost protective layer of our body. Skin keeps us safe from harmful microbes and regulates our internal body temperature. At times, unwanted skin conditions may arise that require treatment such as chronic acne, eczema, and psoriasis.
Many DIYers use turmeric to create face masks, pastes, and other topical solutions to heal the skin. Researchers have confirmed that curcumin reduces oxidative stress associated with inflammatory skin conditions. Turmeric also enhances collagen synthesis and significantly speeds up tissue repair.
Curcumin has the ability to fight inflammation, protect your body against free radicals, and potentially delay brain degeneration and other age-related diseases, turmeric and curcumin may be effective anti-aging supplements.
Aids Weight Loss
Obesity can lead to several different health issues, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and others. If you’re an otherwise healthy individual, weight loss can be pretty straight forward.
Several trials have shown that curcumin benefits metabolic disorders by helping stabilize metabolism and managing weight. Turmeric increases insulin sensitivity, regulates lipid metabolism, and targets fat by suppressing multiple processes responsible for the growth of adipose tissue.
Curcumin Linked to Improved Brain Function and a Lower Risk of Brain Diseases
Neurons are capable of forming new connections, but in certain areas of the brain they can also multiply and increase in number.
One of the main drivers of this process is brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is a type of growth hormone that functions in your brain.
Many common brain disorders have been linked to decreased levels of this hormone, including depression and Alzheimer's disease.
Interestingly, curcumin can increase brain levels of BDNF (23, 24).
By doing this, it may be effective in delaying or even reversing many brain diseases and age-related decreases in brain function
Curcumin Should Lower Your Risk of Heart Disease
Curcumin may help reverse many steps in the heart disease process.
Perhaps the main benefit of curcumin when it comes to heart disease is improving the function of the endothelium, which is the lining of your blood vessels.
It’s well known that endothelial dysfunction is a major driver of heart disease and involves an inability of your endothelium to regulate blood pressure, blood clotting and various other factors.
Several studies suggest that curcumin leads to improvements in endothelial function. One study found that it’s as effective as exercise while another shows that it works as well as the drug Atorvastatin.
In addition, curcumin reduces inflammation and oxidation (as discussed above), which play a role in heart disease as well.
The curcumin group had a 65% decreased risk of experiencing a heart attack.
Natural Blood Thinner
Blood clots occur when blood cells called platelets, move to a damage site to plug the wounded area. This occurrence is a normal bodily function. Without clotting, small papercuts would become catastrophic. At times, certain health conditions arise that require blood thinning to prevent blockages.
Curcumin supplements have shown potential as an anticoagulant (blood thinner) under certain conditions. Turmeric impacts several stages of the coagulation process, including thrombosis (local blood clotting), and hemostasis (stopping blood flow). However, more human trials should be done to confirm efficacy.
Stabilizing blood pressure and preventing hypertension is one of the most common uses of turmeric. It won’t be able to overcome poor lifestyle choices that lead to high blood pressure. However, curcumin has shown an ability to improve vascular endothelial function, a modulator of blood pressure that declines with age.
Turmeric Can Help Prevent Cancer
Cancer is a terrible disease, characterized by uncontrolled cell growth.
There are many different forms of cancer, which still have several things in common. Some of them appear to be affected by curcumin supplements.
Curcumin has been studied as a beneficial herb in cancer treatment and been found to affect cancer growth, development and spread at the molecular level.
Multiple studies indicate that curcumin can reduce the growth of cancerous cells in the laboratory and inhibit the growth of tumors in test animals.
Whether high-dose curcumin (preferably with an absorption enhancer like piperine) can help treat cancer in humans has yet to be studied properly.
However, there is evidence that it may prevent cancer from occurring in the first place, especially cancers of the digestive system like colorectal cancer.
Curcumin May Be Useful in Preventing and Treating Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease is the most common neuro degenerative 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.
Curcumin Has Incredible Benefits Against Depression
Curcumin has shown some promise in treating depression.
curcumin is as effective as an antidepressant.
Depression is also linked to reduced levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and a shrinking hippocampus, a brain area with a role in learning and memory.
Curcumin boosts BDNF levels, potentially reversing some of these changes.
There is also some evidence that curcumin can boost the brain neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine.
Curcumin May Help to Prevent and control Diabetes
curcumin may help treat and prevent diabetes, as well as associated disorders like diabetic nephropathy, which affects people with type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes.
One study found that feeding 80 mg of tetrahydrocurcumin (one of the main substances of curcumin) per kg body weight to rats with type 2 diabetes for 45 days led to a significant decrease in blood sugar, as well as an increase in plasma insulin.
A study in obese mice with type 2 diabetes published in the July 2019 issue of Nutrition & Metabolism reveals that curcumin supplements helped lower blood insulin levels after 16 weeks.
curcumin may help prevent diabetes through its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and improve many of the factors that contribute to diabetes, including insulin resistance, high blood sugar, and hyperlipidemia. one type of hyperlipidemia is characterized by high levels of LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol).
Improves Allergies & Asthma
An allergy transpires when the immune system mistakenly identifies a foreign substance as harmful to the body and overreacts to it. During an allergic reaction, we produce antibodies that respond to these allergens, ultimately leading to an unwanted collection of symptoms (coughing, sneezing, itching, etc.).
The anti-inflammatory activity of turmeric can help fight off many allergy-related symptoms and decrease the likelihood of asthma attacks. Current research suggests a curcumin supplement can reduce signs of sneezing, nasal congestion, and runny nose linked to restricted nasal airflow and hay fever.
Aids in Liver Detoxification
A liver detox, also known as a cleanse, involves the removal of toxins from the blood and the metabolizing of nutrients to ensure our body gets what it needs. Think of the liver as the body’s central filtration system. A healthy liver is paramount to optimal physical and mental health.
Several trials have demonstrated curcumin’s ability to limit the damage done to the liver from harmful substances by interrupting inflammatory pathways. Turmeric also stimulates bile production and release from the gallbladder, helping eliminate unwanted waste from the body.
Helps Headaches & Migraines
Headaches and migraines are tremendously difficult to handle. The immense pain and discomfort can arise from many factors including stress, fatigue, insufficient sleep, inflammation, poor posture, neck tension, and several other causes.
The benefits of curcumin that have shown the most potential in treating headaches and migraines are its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The exact mechanisms are unknown, but it appears that turmeric can reduce pain linked to inflammation, and directly inhibit oxidative stress in the body.
How much turmeric (haldi) per day should you consume?
It is usually recommended to have about a half teaspoon a day which is considered to be safe. Anything in excess may trigger certain reactions. “Although consuming turmeric or haldi in its natural form promotes health, but excess of it can cause an upset stomach, nausea and dizziness. Especially, if you take turmeric capsules or supplements in high amounts, it can prove to be detrimental to your health. I would recommend take turmeric in its natural form in a moderate quantities to attain its health benefits.”
Here are five side effects of turmeric worth knowing.
1. Upset stomach
Turmeric or haldi is known to heat your body and cause inflammation in your stomach that may lead to abdominal pain and cramps.
2. Risk of developing kidney stones
Turmeric contains oxalates that may increase the risk of developing kidney stones. These oxalates bind the calcium to form insoluble calcium oxalate that is a primary cause of kidney stones.
turmeric milk 625
Turmeric contains oxalates that may increase the risk of developing kidney stones
3. May cause nausea and diarrhea
Curcumin, the active compound found in turmeric, has a tendency to trouble the gastrointestinal tract, which causes diarrhea and nausea with excess consumption.
4. May cause an allergic reaction
You may be allergic to certain compounds present in turmeric which can cause rashes, outbreaks and even shortness of breath. Allergic reactions can occur from both ingestion and skin contact.
You may be allergic to certain compounds present in turmeric which can cause rashes
5. Iron deficiency
Excess turmeric consumption may inhibit the absorption of iron. Therefore, people with iron deficiency should be careful not add too much turmeric in their daily meals, as it could decrease the body’s ability to absorb iron.
