Explore with the Eggerts

13 Benefits of Turmeric - Sorry its long but I didn't want to miss anything.

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#1  Turmeric is Anti-Inflammatory:

 

The active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin, a potent anti-inflammatory that helps maintain healthy inflammation responses.

The typical western diet (think lots of processed foods, sugar, and alcohol) leads to what is called “chronic inflammation” in the body. Doctors believe this inflammation is a silent killer, because it sets the body up to be the perfect host for diseases like heart disease (1), cancer (2), Alzheimer’s, and even obesity (3). 

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That’s why you want to do everything you can to bring down inflammation, including eating more unprocessed whole vegetables and fruit along with specific spices (like turmeric) and herbs known to fight inflammatory responses. 

One of the main anti-inflammatory components of turmeric is called curcumin (4), which one scientific study found to be as effective as some over-the-counter drugs (5) in bringing down inflammation in the body. The researchers actually found that aspirin and ibuprofen (active ingredient in Advil) were the LEAST effective out of all of the anti-inflammatory compounds they studied.

 

 #2 Turmeric Supports Healthy Joints:

Beneficial in promoting overall joint health and mobility.

 

As the curcumin in turmeric is an anti-inflammatory, it can benefit the joints and help keep them from getting inflamed and swollen. This was demonstrated in a scientific study (6) on rheumatoid arthritis patients. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disorder that causes painful swelling in the joints. Researchers found that 500 mg. of daily curcumin was more effective than the prescription drug Diclofenac when given to RA patients. 

When it comes to taking turmeric for your joints, it was shown most effective when taken before symptoms kick in (7), as a preventative measure to keep your joints healthy, pain-free, and mobile. But some studies have demonstrated it can help treat osteoarthritis (8) (a degenerative disease of the joint) as well.

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#3  Turmeric Promotes Heart Health:

The properties support the overall health of the cardiovascular system.

There are several lifestyle factors and conditions in the body that can lead the heart disease – which is the #1 cause of death in the world. As discussed earlier, chronic inflammation plays a major role in heart disease, so taking turmeric as an anti-inflammatory can help prevent heart disease (9) and heart attacks (10).

One of the most interesting benefits of curcumin is how it can improve the lining of blood vessels (known as the endothelium). When the endothelium isn’t working properly, it can’t properly regulate blood pressure and clotting, which can lead to heart disease (11). 

We’ve all heard that exercise is good for the heart, right? One study showed that taking curcumin is as effective as aerobic exercise (12) at improving vascular endothelial function.

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#4 Turmeric Encourages Healthy Cholesterol Levels.

One study found curcumin comparable to prescription drug Lipitor (14) on endothelial dysfunction in reducing in inflammation and markers of oxidative stress. An earlier animal study (15) showed similar results on the body. 

One study of human volunteers found that taking 500 mg. of daily curcumin dropped their total cholesterol by 11.63% (16), while their HDL (the “good” cholesterol) went up 29% in just 7 days.

 

#5Turmeric Boosts Stress Tolerance:

As an adaptogen, it helps counteract the adverse effects of everyday stress on the body.

If you feel stressed, adaptogens should be your new best friend! In herbal medicine, some botanicals are termed “adaptogens”, which means they have the ability to modulate the release of stress hormones from the adrenal glands. This can help you adapt better to physical and emotional stress and be more resilient to anything that comes your way. They also help to keep your hormones balanced. 

The curcumin in turmeric is a known adaptogen that has the ability to decrease the secretion of stress hormones in the body (17). In 2011, researchers in India found that turmeric had several adaptogenic properties that help with body weight, memory, blood sugar, and moreover that it helps the body maintain healthy stress hormone levels (18).

 

#6 Turmeric Supports Weight Loss:

Curcumin can positively influence weight management in overweight people.

Elevated stress can cause sudden weight gain. When stress hormones (cortisol) get out of whack, fat accumulates near the stomach (19) because the cells in the stomach are more sensitive to cortisol, and very effective at storing energy. As turmeric can help you balance your stress hormones, it can help stop that extra spare tire from forming around your waist.

The anti-inflammatory properties in curcumin are able to fight obesity too. One study actually found that taking curcumin can reduce the growth of fat cells (20)!

 

#7 Turmeric Supports Healthy Metabolism:

Aids in maintaining normal blood sugar levels.

Turmeric has been used to treat diabetes (21) in Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine for years. A 2013 review of scientific studies (22) found that curcumin stabilizes glucose levels in the blood and also helped with complications related to diabetes. In one study, 100 overweight people with type 2 diabetes took either 300 mg. of curcumin or a placebo for 12 weeks. The researchers found that those taking curcumin had significantly lower fasting blood glucose (23). 

There is promising research suggesting curcumin may reduce the risk of developing diabetes in high risk people too. In a 2012 study, all participants who took curcumin extract for 9 months didn’t develop diabetes (24), although they were prediabetic. While 16% of the prediabetic participants who took a placebo did develop diabetes after the 9 months.

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#8 Turmeric Optimizes Vitality:

Its powerful antioxidant properties fight excess free radicals in the body that can damage cells and diminish health.

Antioxidants zap free radicals in the body that can lead to cancer, neurodegenerative disease and other disorders. With all of the processed “dead” foods that creep their way into our diets… we can all use more of antioxidants in our life! The curcumin in turmeric is a powerful antioxidant (25). Even better, curcumin is special in that it’s been shown to boost the antioxidant enzymes (26) in your body, giving you even more benefit (27)!

 

#9 Turmeric Supports Brain Health:

Helps maintain healthy cognitive function and working memory.

Curcumin has the amazing ability to boost a protein in the brain called BDNF (28). This important protein – brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) (29) – is responsible for helping the brain grow. It’s been shown to increase neurons and form new connections in the brain – two things we really need as we get older. BDNF builds up the “roadway” in your brain so that neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine can travel more easily where they need to go. Which is why high BDNF levels are linked to better memory (30) and mood… And, when BDNF levels are low, the risk of Alzheimer’s (31) and depression (32) goes up.

 

#10 Turmeric Promotes Radiant Skin:

By providing proper nourishment, it helps your body produce more radiant and healthy-looking skin.

Turmeric is an anti-aging powerhouse (33). Given that it’s an antioxidant – it can fight oxidative damage and boost the overall look of the skin. It’s anti-inflammatory properties help fight the appearance of aging skin (34) as well. A scientific review of studies in 2016 found that turmeric has the ability to improve numerous skin conditions (35) when it’s either ingested or applied directly on the skin.

 

#11 Turmeric Improves Mood:

Curcumin helps to reduces symptoms of mild mood changes.

As the curcumin in turmeric boosts the brain-builder protein BDNF, it may help prevent depression (36). Curcumin can also give a boost to serotonin and dopamine (37) – two “happy” chemicals in the brain. It shows promise for helping people who already have depression too. In one study, 60 people diagnosed with depression were given either Prozac, curcumin, or a combo of the two. Those who took just the curcumin had improvements in their mood on par with Prozac (38) – while those who took both had the best results during the 6 week study.

 

#12 Soothes Digestion:

Reduces symptoms of bloating and gas related to occasional indigestion.

Turmeric has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine (39) to improve digestion and heal gut inflammation – likely due to its nature as an anti-inflammatory. Also the curcumin in turmeric stimulates the gallbladder (40), helping your body produce bile to break down food and improve digestion. One study found that turmeric has the ability to reduce bloating and gas symptoms (41) in people who have indigestion. Some research shows curcumin can help people with ulcerative colitis (42) too – an inflammatory bowel disease that causes sores in the digestive tract.

 

#13 Reduces Risk of Cancer:

Curcumin’s anti-cancer properties may inhibit the growth of tumors and reduce the spread of cancer.

The curcumin in turmeric may be able to slow the development and growth of cancer in the body. Animal research indicates that cucurmin has the ability to actually kill tumor cells (43) and inhibit tumor growth (44). This may prevent cancerous cells from growing (45) in the body. 

 

When it comes to preventing cancer before it starts, one human research study found that taking 4 grams of daily curcumin reduced the number of precancerous lesions (46) in the colon by 40%. The research suggests that curcumin is most beneficial in breast, bowel, stomach, and skin cancer (47). 

 

Curcumin has been shown to enhance chemotherapy (48) treatments for colon cancer. Another 2017 study found that curcumin enhanced tumor sensitivity to chemotherapy (49) in pancreatic cancer, indicating that it is useful in combating chemo-resistance