Seven Excellent Health Benefits of Turmeric

India is a land of spices. Spices have always been one of the country’s most important export. While these species are mostly known for their excellent flavors, they also provide invaluable health benefits. They have always enjoyed a prestigious place in the indigenous Ayurvedic medication system. One such spice is turmeric. It is a household name for many, while others may not have heard about it. In either case, its health benefits are too fantastic to give a miss. This article will discuss all you need to know about the health benefits of this yellow spice.

7 Health Benefits of Turmeric:

The reader may not know it, but turmeric is what gives mustard and curry their color, and it generally brings such a golden hue to whatever food items one may add. One of its most invaluable ingredients is curcumin, which gives the spice its yellow color.

1. Can lessen inflammation

The first and one of turmeric’s most essential health benefits is that it can help fight inflammation. Turmeric has been used for centuries in Indian home remedies to fight internal and external inflammation for this very reason and to empower a body that is healing from wounds and injuries. This precious health benefit of turmeric has to do with its magical ingredient, curcumin which has several valuable antioxidants, and these antioxidants help fight and reduce inflammation. Turmeric is generally an excellent addition to a diet if one suffers from a health condition involving chronic inflammation like arthritis.

2. Fights radicals

Another valuable benefit to the antioxidants in turmeric is that they help fight free radicals. Not only do they neutralize these radicals, but they can also act as catalysts empowering the action of other antioxidants.

3. Good for brains

The yellow spice has also been proven beneficial for brains in several ways. Though One must do more research before saying anything, existing research suggests that it increases cognition and strengthens memory performance.

4. Lesser risk of heart disease

The magical health benefits of turmeric also extend to heart patients. Turmeric is known to play a valuable role in enhancing the body’s management of blood pressure and reducing certain kinds of cholesterols. Both these advantages make it incredibly valuable to heart patients. Another way it can help reduce the chance of heart disease is by acting as a suitable replacement for salt as a flavoring.

5. Helps fight mood disorders

If one has some problem like depression, the protein known as a brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) might reduce in one’s body, and the hippocampus can shrink. Now turmeric can provide a booster to BDNF proteins and undo these changes. It can also help increase the desired hormones, which can help reduce depression or other mood problems.

6. Prevent diseases

Turmeric can also help one avoid several diseases, including certain cancers, heart diseases, etc. Turmeric’s potent antioxidants and curcumin are responsible for this.

7. Good for skin

The health benefits of turmeric are not about eating it only either. For ages, turmeric has provided one with younger-looking and fresher skin. It is also used as one of the ingredients in many cosmetics products for skin care.

8. Anti-ageing

One of the most significant advantages of turmeric arises from its anti-aging properties. The antioxidants present in them can slow down the signs of aging. Thus, you will look younger for a more extended period.

The above list of benefits is not exhaustive, but it should be enough to convince everyone to include more of this spice into their diet. Also, check out our article on the health benefits of coffee in detail here!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

There are several questions people ask that relate to turmeric. The following are some of the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) on this subject:

Question: What are some of the things to know while using turmeric?

Answer: The following are some of the things to remember when using turmeric:

• It stains relatively quickly, and one should be careful while using it or consuming one of the food items prepared.
• Though there are no known harmful effects apart from rare cases of bloating of the yellow spice, one would do well to consult a health expert if one has some health condition or is on medication. That particularly applies if you are taking blood-clotting disease or have gallbladder disease.
• The discussion in this article is for general purpose only and may not apply to the individual case of the reader.
• Women who are breastfeeding or are pregnant may also want to consult their healthcare provider before making any significant changes in their diet.

Question: How to take turmeric?

Answer: Turmeric is best taken as a part of one’s regular diet – as a spicy ingredient to food items. Though it is available as a supplement, that may not be the best way to take it in most cases. However, it can be more effective for delivering some benefits as curcumin will be available in an extracted form in supplements. It can be used as an ingredient in smoothies, mil (turmeric will turn into golden color), soups, rice, veggies, muffins, etc.

Question: What is the nutritional value of turmeric?

Answer: The nutritional value of 10 grams of turmeric is as follows:

• About 3.54 calories contain no cholesterol.
• 3 percent of daily Vitamin C requirements are needed to grow and maintain the body’s tissues.
• Twenty-three percent of daily iron requirements which is needed for making RBCs.
• Nine percent of daily Vitamin B6 requirements – Vitamin B6 is needed by the body to produce antibodies.
• 4 percent of daily dietary fiber requirements.
• 2 percent of daily potassium requirements.
• 8 percent of daily magnesium requirements.
• 8 percent of daily calcium requirements.
• Curcumin content – about 5 percent, and other antioxidants.

If the reader has any other questions, they should feel free to ask them in the comments below.

The Bottom Line

One can quickly wrap up the above discussion by concluding that turmeric might be a ‘yellow, yellow dirty fellow’ kind of stainy spice. Still, its incredible health benefits make it an irresistible addition to our diets.