What are the top health benefits to taking Turmeric?
Turmeric certainly seems to be the spice of the moment; it is commonly used in Asian cooking such as curries and stir fries, but its popularity is actually ancient. As well as being in your favourite takeaway, this yellow/orange spice has been used in Indian and Chinese natural medicine for centuries for its anti-inflammatory properties… Now the West is catching on. A plant native to Southern Asia, it is a member of the ginger family. The active ingredient in the spice is curcumin which gives it its distinctive colour and is thought it can ease a wide range of health problems including Arthritis, Depression, Insomnia and Migraines. Turmeric Powder Here are the top 6 health benefits associated with Turmeric:
1. Arthritis Arthritis is a disorder of the joints involving inflammation that leads sufferers to experience many uncomfortable and often painful symptoms that can affect their everyday life; such as pain and stiffness, redness, swelling, and decreased range of motion. Studies suggest that turmeric supplementation can reduce these symptoms.
2. Circulation Turmeric can boost blood flow to the heart and the brain. Better blood flow to the head can help boost concentration as well as cognitive function and even mood. More blood flow to the skin can help decrease congestion in the body by helping to deliver nutrients and remove toxins, so it can also be beneficial to managing skin conditions such as acne, eczema and psoriasis.
3. Period Pain Known to stimulate blood flow, turmeric is used in natural remedies for menstrual cramps.
4. Digestion Studies have been conducted to assess the effectiveness of Turmeric in alleviating digestive issues with extremely positive results. Due to the anti-inflammatory properties found in Turmeric, it can help to reduce inflammation within sufferers of conditions such as IBS and ease symptoms such as gas and bloating.
5. Antioxidant Effects Curcumin is a potent antioxidant, and studies have shown that curcuminoids are very effective in scavenging free radicals and neutralizing them. Free radicals are unstable molecules produced by the body. A build-up of these can lead to diseases and cell damage. Modern living factors such as pollution, stress or an unhealthy lifestyle can increase the level of free radicals and so our bodies have to work harder to try and protect our cells. Turmeric can increase the antioxidant capacity of the body to help keep us healthy.
6. Low Mood Studies are showing mounting evidence that suggests turmeric can be used as a natural remedy to help treat mood swings, anxiety and depression. As a powerful and natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant turmeric can provide great help to alleviate symptoms because sufferers tend to have a greater levels of inflammation and oxidative stress, which can affect all major organs in the body, including the brain.
Turmeric has shown much promise in this area with clinical studies underway. So, how can you take advantage of the benefits that turmeric has to offer? Well, one popular method of taking turmeric as a supplement and incorporating it into your daily life is by making up a batch of golden paste; made by combining Turmeric Powder with Black Pepper and coconut or extra virgin olive oil. The oil along with the black pepper helps the body to absorb the health giving benefits of turmeric (The addition of black pepper is said to enhance the body's absorption of curcumin by slowing the speed at which the liver removes curcumin from the blood). This paste can then be whisked into a cup of warm soya milk to make a pleasantly tasting drink, keeping you bang on-trend with the latest craze to hit the health community… the Turmeric Latte! For those who don’t like the taste or want added convenience, you can still harness all the goodness turmeric has to offer by taking our convenient Turmeric with Black Pepper Extract Capsules.
Thanks to the use of Turmeric by ancient healers, further research and promising clinical trials can get underway, so it seems this increasingly popular health food is here to stay! Turmeric Latte anyone?
