What Are The Health Benefits Of Turmeric

Turmeric is a powerful herb. It can be used as a spice and has been used to treat so many ailments for many years now. This tall plant grows mainly in Asia and Central America. Turmeric has been referred to as the “Indian Saffron” because of its beautiful colour. The health benefits of turmeric are amazingly broad and have been thoroughly researched. Turmeric is widely known and recognized for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory abilities.

Turmeric has been produced extensively as capsules, teas, powders, and extracts which are available commercially. What are the health benefits of turmeric? And how can you get healthy with turmeric? This beneficial article answers those questions.

What Are The Health Benefits Of Turmeric?

Turmeric has been shown to contain an active ingredient called curcumin, which has potent healing properties. Curcumin makes up about 3% of turmeric; this compound has been studied extensively and proven to have numerous health benefits. The health benefits of this fantastic herb are below:

1. It has strong anti-inflammatory abilities.

Inflammation in the body is not good. It can lead to so many health conditions like metabolic syndrome, cancer and cardiovascular diseases. However, turmeric is a powerful herb that fights inflammation.

The Arthritis Foundation has cited that turmeric can be used to reduce the pain that people with arthritis feel in their joints, due to inflammation.

2. It detoxifies the body

Every day, our bodies are exposed to toxins, gotten through our environment or through our diet. These toxins are known as
xenobiotics. Even though, these toxins are not generally present in the human body and are often associated with increased risk of inflammation and a higher risk of cancer.
The good news, however, is that turmeric can detoxify your body, thereby getting rid of these toxins. Curcumin helps the liver to detoxify the body effectively.

3. It improves digestion

Turmeric also boosts the body’s gastrointestinal system. This powerful herb has been used for years in Ayurvedic medicine to treat digestive issues.
Turmeric contributes to healthy digestion, which is why it is added to curry.

4. It boosts your immune system

Because of curcumin’s anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties, it is a sure-fire immune booster. Turmeric should be taken to improve the body’s immune mechanism.

5. It gives you a healthy skin

The many strong properties of turmeric I have continually mentioned in this article has shown that turmeric can also give you a healthy skin. It can be used for healing injuries, decreasing acne and acne scarring and regulating psoriasis flares.

Side Effects of Turmeric

Turmeric can pose a health risk when taken by certain individuals with specific conditions and when taken excessively. Some of the common side effects of turmeric are given below:

• It can cause stomach irritation and upsets when taken in large amounts. While it is great for digestive function, it can also be of detrimental effect to the digestive system when taken excessively.
• Some studies have shown that turmeric can stimulate uterine contractions in pregnant women. Hence it is not advisable for turmeric to be taken during pregnancy.
• Turmeric can also make you bleed easily. It thins the blood, thereby making you bleed more. This occurrence might be because of its ability to lower blood pressure. If you are on blood-thinning medications like warfarin (Coumadin), you should avoid consuming large doses of turmeric.
• Turmeric may also interfere with the action of drugs that reduce stomach acid. Hence, increasing the production of stomach acid. Drugs like Cimetidine (Tagamet) and Famotidine (Pepcid) should not be taken along with turmeric.
• Turmeric has been said to cause nausea, diarrhoea and hypo-tension when taken in large doses.

Healthiest Ways To Consume Turmeric

Turmeric should be taken in the right way to maximize it’s health benefits. Below are some healthiest ways to eat turmeric for a healthy life;

Take turmeric supplements

You can choose to take turmeric supplements. They are healthy and can give you the health benefits of turmeric. You need to regulate the dosage of the supplementation.
There are so many reputable online stores to buy turmeric.

Consume turmeric as tea

Turmeric can also be taken as a tea. To do this, boil two to three cups of water. Add one teaspoon of ground turmeric for 10 to 15 minutes. Strain the tea through a fine sieve into a cup. You can choose to add honey and lemon to improve the taste.

Use turmeric as a spice in your food

Turmeric has been used as a spice in many meals all over the world. You can add turmeric as a spice to your food too and get the health benefits of turmeric too.

How much turmeric can you take a day?

Daily intake of turmeric depends on some essential factors. If you want to benefit from the anti-inflammatory effect of turmeric, then you should aim for 500 to 1000 milligrams of curcumin. However, an average person can take 200 to 300 milligrams of turmeric a day.

Conclusion

If you wanted to know, what the health benefits of turmeric are? You have now known that they can relieve inflammation, pain, boost the immune system and improve digestive function.

Turmeric also has some side effects, so it is essential to use caution when using turmeric. I will advise you talk to your doctor before commencing usage.