Turmeric Health Benefits
Turmeric (Curcuma longa), also known as Indian saffron or the golden spice, is a spice and also a healing kitchen herb. The active ingredient of this healing herb is curcumin. Curcumin is responsible for most of the potential health benefits of turmeric.
Nutritional Value
One tablespoon of ground turmeric powder contains 29 calories, 2 grams of fiber, 1 gram of fat, 6 grams of carbohydrate, and 0.91 gm protein. It further contains approximately 16% of your daily iron needs and 26% of your daily manganese needs. Turmeric also contains calcium, iron, copper, zinc, potassium and magnesium.
Potential health benefits of Turmeric…
1/6. Prevents cancer
1. Curcumin, the active ingredient of turmeric, arrests the formation, spread, and progression of numerous types of cancers. It may also prevent the blood supply to tumours and tumour growths.
2. Curcumin disturbs the formation of the cancerous cells at various stages in the cell cycle. It obstructs with the cell signalling pathways, and even causing the death of those cancerous cells.
3. Curcumin can help treat and prevent a variety of cancers namely, prostate; colorectal; breast; pancreatic and gastric cancers.
4. Turmeric decreases pain and inflammation arising due to chemotherapy.
2/6. Protects from heart disease
1. The active ingredient of turmeric, curcumin enhances the vascular endothelial function thus, plays a major role in regulating blood pressure.
2. Ageing and increased risk of heart disease are linked with lower endothelial function thus, curcumin also prevents age-related heart diseases and also decreases the chances of developing heart disease.
3. Curcumin is effective in reversing several steps in the heart disease process.
4. The anti-inflammatory property of curcumin lowers the cholesterol and triglycerides levels.
3/6. Beneficial in treating arthritis
1. The potent anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin help in inhibiting the mediators of inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and osteoarthritis development. It also serves as a beneficial, safe, and long-term complementary treatment for joint pain and arthritis.
2. Turmeric is effective in treating arthritis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis.
4/6. Helpful in controlling diabetes
1. Curcumin content of turmeric enhances the function of beta cells in the pancreas, which produces the body’s natural insulin thus, controlling blood sugar levels.
2. Curcumin hampers insulin resistance and progression of high blood sugar which leads to diabetes, therefore, preventing the onset of type 2 diabetes.
5/6. Prevents liver diseases
1. Curcumin interrupts the inflammatory pathways, limiting liver damage from harmful substances thus, aids in liver detoxification.
2. Turmeric eliminates unwanted waste from the body by stimulating the production of bile thus improving liver health.
3. Curcumin aids in the oxidation processes in liver disorders. It is helpful in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, liver toxicity, cirrhosis, alcoholic liver disease and liver fibrosis.
6/6. Other related benefits…
Turmeric also has few other health benefits such as, improves brain function and decreases the risk of brain diseases, prevents and treats Alzheimer’s disease, treats depression, delays ageing and fights age-related chronic diseases, improve skin health, prevents eye degeneration, helps in weight loss, improves allergies & asthma, helps in liver detoxification, helps in headaches & migraines and beneficial in wound healing.
Turmeric is a potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti ageing kitchen herb.
How to consume turmeric?
There are many ways by which turmeric can be consumed. Some of the ways are as follows…
- As a tea.
- As a spice.
- Add it in rice.
- Add it in milk.
- Add it in soups.
- As a supplement.
- Add it to scrambled eggs.
- Toss it with roasted vegetables.
How to make Turmeric Milk?
Boil a cup of milk, add a pinch of haldi and some sugar/ jaggery for taste. Stir it. Drink it hot or warm.