Hey, nice to meet you!

This blog is a space where I explore my passions of self development, productivity, nutrition, fitness and travel.

Have a fun time browsing around :)

““Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving””
— Albert Einstein
Turmeric - All The Reasons Why It’s Good For You

Turmeric - All The Reasons Why It’s Good For You

Taya Bregant
Nutriton

We often hear turmeric powder or turmeric supplements being promoted as a superfood and claiming to help with lowering levels of inflammation and combating a verity of other health conditions.

Because marketing does not always promote products which are genuinely beneficial, I wanted to take a look into what the science had to say about the health effects of turmeric and wether it actually works the way it’s said to. Apart from its effects and what about it actually makes it effective, we will also be discussing ways of including more turmeric naturally through our diet (instead of through supplements) and the appropriate amounts.

Wishing you happy reading ahead ☀️

ABOUT TURMERIC


  • You have most likely encountered turmeric already in your life or in your diet, since it is the substance that gives foods like curry its traditional deep golden color.

  • Turmeric has originated from Asia and most likely India, where it grows as an underground root/ rhizome of a plant. Through out its history, turmeric has for centuries been used in traditional Chinese and Indian medicine, as well as aryuveda and general cooking.

  • The reason why turmeric is of such high interest to the science and health community is because of a class of compounds that is found within the turmeric root which are called curcuminoids. The main active curcuminoid compound that scientists praise within turmeric is curcumin which has been shown to have very powerful anti inflammatory effects within the body while also being a potent antioxidant (You can read more about the power of antioxidants here).

  • By reducing inflammation and being of help with combating oxidative stress, turmeric and curcumin more specifically are believed to help prevent a myriad of health conditions and diseases which can arise from chronically high inflammation levels. We will be exploring these in the next upcoming section.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF CONSUMING TURMERIC


Currently research has show that consuming turmeric could have a positive impact on the following conditions, although more research is needed to properly confirm the effects:

  • Reducing inflammation in the body

  • Helping with degenerative eye conditions

  • Lowering anxiety

  • Reducing the growth of cancer cells

  • Type 2 diabetes

  • Improvements in memory

  • Lowering pain

  • Helping with acne and skin conditions

  • Muscle soreness after exercise

  • Lowering chances of heart disease and lowering blood cholesterol levels

  • Having anti viral properties that protect from viral infections

A NOTE ABOUT TURMERIC SUPPLEMENTS


  • Nowadays you can commonly find turmeric not only being sold as a raw spice but also in the form of supplements and other forms of medical prescriptions. While supplements do contribute to an element of convenience and appropriate dosage, it is important to know a couple of things:

    • Curcumin is actually significantly more well absorbed when it is eaten in the presence of black pepper which provides a compound known as piperine. In this way, if the supplement does not contain any black pepper extract along side it, cucrucmin is going to be largely unusable by your body.

    • Additionally, eating more turmeric and more cucurcmin may not be necessarily better as too much can be risky and has even been shown to promote the development of kidney stones when eaten in large quantities, which is sometimes the case of high dosage supplements.

    • We are also unsure as to how moderate or high doses of turmeric interfere with certain medications or drugs that people may be taking for a certain condition, so always double check this with your doctor.

    • Lastly, in either case, it is most effective and also most affordable to obtain curcumin from its natural form through your diet where turmeric or curcumin alone can not substitute for a balanced and healthy diet nor can it act as a form of medicine alone to treat all types of ailments. But it can certainly be a tasty and healthy addition to your weekly diet.

NOTES ABOUT CONSUMING TURMERIC


DOSAGE FOR TURMERIC

  • It is considered safe to take up to 8g of turmeric per day, however most doctors recommend to consume about 500 to 1000 milligrams per day, since more isn't always better. For children, that dosage should be considerably lower.

  • If you find that you are experiencing any irritations or abnormal reactions to turmeric, stop consuming it.


BIO-AVAILABILITY

  • Bioavailability is the the ability of a drug or some other substance to be absorbed and used by the body, where the bioavailability of curcumin is pretty low when consumed by itself but when consumed with pepper which contains peperine, the bioavailability of curcumin greatly increases which is great - In some studies it has been shown to increase by as much as 2000%. This increased bioavailability means that our body can actually absorb this curcumin and genuinely derive benefits from it.

  • Additionally, because curcumin is fat soluble, it is also best to consume it together with a source of fat such as nuts, oil, avocado etc.


SIDE EFFECTS

  • Eating turmeric is generally not related to any major side effects, however side effects are usually most commonly reported among people who take turmeric in the form of supplements, which is due to the high dosage of curcumin found in those supplements.

  • Otherwise consuming turmeric within normal amounts is considered safe and beneficial, unless you are allergic or have a negative response to it.


RECIPES

Below are some ways in which you can add turmeric into your diet through a variety of delicious recipes:

  • Curries (of course)

  • Smoothies

  • Soups

  • Golden milk (milk warmed with cinnamon and turmeric)

  • Mixing it into spreads

  • Mixing it in with rice and various pasta dishes

  • Marinating meat, fish, tofu etc.

  • Turmeric tea with honey and lemon

  • Mixing it into baked goods

  • Adding a sprinkling into your oatmeal

🔑 KEY TERMS

  • Curcumin: It is a bright yellow chemical that is found within turmeric. Turmeric contains many different types of curcuminoids where curcumin is the main one and gives turmeric its acclaimed health benefits

🧠 KEY IDEAS

  • Turmeric is a root based spice that has for centuries been used as part of asian alternative medicine and healing practices. Curcumin - The star active ingredient found within turmeric - has shown to have a wide spread of possible effects and benefits on human wellbeing, ranging from mental to physical improvements. We also looked into the ways we can maximize the benefits of turmeric and how consume it in enjoyable ways.

✏️ REFERENCES

Developing Core Life Skills

Developing Core Life Skills
Time Spent In Nature Is Healing - Here’s Why It’s Important

Time Spent In Nature Is Healing - Here’s Why It’s Important

Related Posts