Turmeric can boost your immunity against common infections and even slow down aging. It also contains curcumin, which can help to neutralize oxidative damage to the body and prevent disease.
Test tube and animal studies suggest that turmeric can fight cancer, but more research is needed before it is proven effective in humans.
20 Benefits of Turmeric and Ginger
Turmeric is a spice that grows in Southeast Asia and India and has been used as a food dye and medicinally for thousands of years. The deep yellowish-orange root contains a powerful substance called curcumin, which is responsible for its many health benefits.
The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of turmeric help boost your immune system and prevent diseases like heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Research has shown that curcumin can decrease the oxidation and inflammation of your blood vessels, which could lower your cholesterol.
The antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric can also reduce your risk for diabetes and may even reverse insulin resistance. Adding ginger to your diet can help increase your absorption of curcumin. The rhizome of the ginger plant has also been found to help fight cancer and promote cardiovascular health.
1 – Anti-inflammatory
Turmeric has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. It’s used to help treat arthritis, eye conditions, indigestion, and even skin problems like acne and eczema. It is a natural pain reliever for many chronic inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and ulcerative colitis.
It can also help lower cholesterol and blood pressure. However, it’s important to note that turmeric powder can increase the risk of bleeding in people taking blood thinners or drugs that affect clotting.
The main chemical in turmeric that has these effects is curcumin. It scavenges free radicals and boosts antioxidant enzymes in the body. This helps prevent oxidative stress, which is linked to many diseases and aging. It might also help protect against diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. It may also improve several factors that cause diabetes, such as insulin resistance and high blood sugar levels.
2 – Antioxidant
Turmeric contains a polyphenol called curcumin, which has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It also helps boost brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) to help protect against common degenerative brain diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Although inflammation is a necessary body process to fight harmful bacteria, viruses, and germs, long-term inflammation can contribute to chronic conditions, including heart disease, arthritis, and cancer. Curcumin can naturally reduce inflammation in the body by blocking pro-inflammatory molecules.
But, it’s important to eat turmeric in its whole food form rather than taking supplements or consuming turmeric powder in pills. Brown adds that mixing turmeric with black pepper can significantly increase the bioavailability of curcumin, making it more easily absorbed by the body. This is why turmeric milk is the perfect way to reap the benefits of this super spice! It contains ginger, turmeric, and honey to boost your immune system.
3 – Anti-cancer
The primary ingredient in turmeric is curcumin, which some laboratory studies have shown may help prevent cancer cells from developing or spreading. However, more research is needed to confirm this effect.
It’s been suggested that the anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric help with conditions like arthritis and ulcerative colitis. Also, some clinical trials show that turmeric may lower triglycerides and cholesterol levels and improve heart disease risk factors like blood pressure.
Curcumin is a powerful scavenger of free radicals, the chemical compounds that damage our cells. It is also known to stimulate and increase the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a protein that helps protect against age-related mental decline. However, it’s important to consult your doctor before adding turmeric to your diet or using it as a supplement, especially if you take medications to treat a health condition.
4 – Anti-aging
The anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric can help reduce wrinkles and prevent sagging skin. It is also an antioxidant that helps fight the free radicals that cause aging. In addition, it has been shown to help speed up the skin’s healing process after sun exposure and other environmental irritants.
Curcumin scavenges these free radicals, neutralizes them, and inhibits certain enzymes that create specific types of free radicals. A diet rich in foods that contain antioxidants may reduce the risk of certain diseases, including heart disease and cancer.
Turmeric is a root that has been used for centuries and is widely available as a dietary supplement. Eating turmeric naturally rather than taking a pill or a tincture is best. Combining it with black pepper increases its bioavailability so the body can absorb it more easily.
5 – Anti-diabetes
Research suggests that turmeric may help treat diabetes and prevent prediabetes. This is likely due to curcumin’s ability to reduce chronic inflammation in the body, which is linked to insulin resistance and diabetes.
In one study, people with prediabetes who took curcumin supplements were less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than the placebo group. This is because inflammation contributes to insulin resistance by increasing blood sugar levels and causing excess body fat.
Try adding turmeric to a smoothie or drinking warm turmeric tea. It’s also a delicious addition to root vegetables or eggs at brunch. It’s best to start with a teaspoon of powder, and then add more if you want it to taste stronger.
6 – Antibacterial
Turmeric powder’s anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and anti-aging properties are due to its curcumin content. It may also help prevent Alzheimer’s disease by raising brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels, which boosts brain cell health and improves communication between nerve cells.
In addition, curcumin can protect your liver and reduce hepatic inflammation and is a natural detoxifier. It can limit hepatic damage from iron overdose, cirrhosis, and alcoholic liver disease and help treat hepatitis C by improving liver function, according to research.
However, be aware that turmeric can stain skin and clothing, so if you’re making a face mask at home, do a patch test first. You can also try consuming turmeric in capsule form or adding it to your favorite face oil to get the benefits without the mess. Piperine, a compound in black pepper, increases the bioavailability of curcumin, so it’s a good idea to add it whenever you use this spice or take a turmeric supplement.
7 – Anti-aging
Unlike the new “superfood” crazes like noni juice and goji berries, turmeric has existed for centuries. It is one of the most legitimate anti-aging foods available, and it has a lot of evidence to support its benefits.
It is rich in antioxidants, which act as free-radical scavengers and help slow aging. It also prevents the breakdown of collagen and elastin, both essential for healthy skin.
Try adding a teaspoon of turmeric powder to your smoothies or add it to your coffee. You can also grate turmeric into roasted vegetables or mix it with olive oil and apply it to your skin for a healthy, glowing complexion. Turmeric supplements are generally safe, although one guy who took very high doses of the spice (more than 1500 mg twice daily) experienced a dangerous irregular heart rhythm.
8 – Anti-fungal
Turmeric is a member of the ginger family and is used as a spice and medicine in South Asia. It is a vibrant yellow color found in Indian and Southeast Asian cuisine. It also helps to boost the immune system and protect the liver.
Curcumin, a component in turmeric, has been shown to have anti-fungal properties. It kills fungus and prevents them from growing in the body, which helps keep yeast infections and candida at bay.
It also has heart-protecting effects, reducing blood cholesterol levels and preventing platelets from clumping together to form clots. However, more research is needed to confirm these findings. When taking turmeric, it’s recommended to take it with black pepper, which increases its bioavailability. This means that it is more easily absorbed in the body. You can add it to your meals or take a turmeric supplement with black pepper.
9 – Antibacterial
Turmeric is a spice from the roots (rhizomes) of a plant native to India and Southeast Asia. The herb has been used for centuries as a food and a medicinal plant. Modern science is starting to back up some traditional claims that turmeric and its active ingredient, curcumin, have potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Studies are underway to investigate whether the compounds in turmeric can help reduce inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and hay fever and lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Some research also suggests that spice can prevent gallstones, protect the liver, and heal wounds. Turmeric can be found in the produce section of grocery stores or as a supplement in capsule form. Adding black pepper to turmeric increases its absorption by 2000%. This makes it easier to get the beneficial nutrients into your system.
