Turmeric the most powerful spice

This spice is often overlooked. However, many health professionals can agree that just adding one teaspoon of turmeric to your diet every day can help you lose weight like never before, with many other positive health benefits. Read on to learn more about the super health benefits of turmeric… Turmeric is a spice with a beautiful yellowish tinge. It has been used for centuries to add color to foods and as a medicinal spice used for its anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, turmeric contains a little-known secret ingredient called curcumin, which has all the therapeutic effects.

As it turns out that curcumin is a potent superfood that is chocked full of brain, body, metabolism, and immunity-boosting antioxidants. Let’s take a moment and face the music, and we know that inflammation is extremely dangerous to our health. With inflammation comes many diseases like one of the most serious; heart disease.

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Curcumin is a powerful defense against this inflammation as it naturally can help lower this condition and restore the body to functioning optimally and fighting these such diseases. Free radicals are responsible for the negative aspects of aging and cognitive decline; luckily, turmeric antioxidative qualities can help ensure that your body is building a defense against them.

How can turmeric help your fight for weight loss?

We face an obesity epidemic of epic proportions; a high-fat Western diet is to blame. That cheap and delicious fast food is of no help whatsoever, it’s far too easy to overeat, and if you are an emotional eater, it’s like a one-two-punch. This lifestyle is working against us, literally everywhere we go!

This bright yellow-orange spice is a relative of ginger and is widely used in Indian, Southeast Asian, and Middle Eastern cuisine. It has also been used for centuries in countries like India to treat problems like respiratory problems. In recent times, turmeric has been touted as a superfood to fight cancer, alleviate depression, and more. Find out what turmeric can do for your health – and what it can’t.

Depression
Several compounds in turmeric can support your health. The best known of these is curcumin. Scientists are excited about curcumin’s potential to relieve depression and improve antidepressants. So far, however, research results have been mixed.

Type 2 diabetes
Because curcumin can assist in fighting inflammation and keep blood sugar levels steady, it could be a helpful tool for preventing or treating type 2 diabetes. For example, one study followed 240 adults with prediabetes and found that taking a curcumin supplement for nine months lowered their likelihood of developing diabetes. Research is ongoing, but many studies so far have been done on animals, not humans.

Viral infections
The next time you are out in bad weather, you may want to drink some turmeric tea. Curcumin can help you fight off various viruses, including herpes and flu. (But most of the research on this has been done in a lab, not on humans). Remember that turmeric only contains about 3% curcumin, and your body doesn’t absorb curcumin well, so the occasional cup of tea may not be a cure-all.

Premenstrual syndrome
A study that recently followed women for three menstrual cycles in a row found that curcumin supplements helped relieve PMS symptoms. In addition, a study on muscles from guinea pigs and rats suggests that turmeric may also provide relief from menstrual cramps.

High cholesterol
Research on turmeric’s ability to protect your heart has been mixed. Many studies have found that turmeric can lower “bad” LDL cholesterol, while others have concluded that the spice has no effect. In addition, scientists continue to investigate turmeric’s heart-protective capabilities. One small study found that turmeric can ward off heart attacks in people who have undergone bypass surgery.

Alzheimer’s disease
People with Alzheimer’s disease have chronic inflammation, and turmeric appears to have a natural anti-inflammatory effect. So does turmeric fight Alzheimer’s disease? Unfortunately, there is no clear scientific evidence yet that taking turmeric is an effective way to prevent the disease.

Related: Is red meat as bad for us as we’re let to believe? Find out more 

Arthritis
Turmeric has shown promise to relieve joint pain, stiffness, and inflammation. Although, we need more data before turmeric is a go-to arthritis treatment. If you would like to try it for your joint pain, help your body absorb natural curcumin by eating turmeric along with black pepper.

Cancer
In laboratory and animal studies, turmeric has stopped the growth of tumor cells, helped detoxifying enzymes work better, and more. However, these studies can’t tell us what happens in the human body when a person eats turmeric. There is also the possibility that turmeric may interfere with some chemotherapy drugs.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Early research, including a pilot study with 207 adults and another with rats, has found that turmeric may help improve IBS symptoms such as abdominal pain. But, as with many things we’ve covered here, more research is needed. Turmeric is also being studied to treat conditions such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Headache
Since ginger is a well-known natural headache remedy, it’s no surprise that turmeric is also recommended as a headache treatment – especially for migraines. Unfortunately, although people sing its praises online, there is little scientific evidence that turmeric can treat or prevent headaches. However, one study suggests it may be part of a new approach.

Acne
Some people claim that applying a turmeric mask to their skin or eating turmeric helps fight acne – perhaps because of the spice’s reported antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. But unfortunately, there is no hard science to back this up.

Luckily there’s a solution in turmeric. That’s because obesity frequently leads to inflammation, and luckily turmeric helps fight against that, in turn helping you fight against weight loss.