Humans have known about the health benefits of turmeric for thousands of years.
In India, turmeric has been used for over 2,500 years where it was first used as a clothing dye, but it also found its way into traditional medicine such as the ancient Ayurvedic healing art of India.
The benefits are mainly derived from curcumin, the active ingredient. Recent studies are throwing light on the extensive health benefits of turmeric. Let’s take a look at 10 of those benefits.
- One of the most talked about health benefits of turmeric is that it has natural antiseptic and antibacterial properties which make it useful when you need to disinfect cuts and burns.
- Turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory and often works as well as any anti-inflammatory drug, only without the side effects.
- Turmeric is powerful in preventing cancer. Curcumin (the active ingredient) provides large amounts of antioxidants that fight disease and clean up damage done by toxins that we are exposed to on a daily basis.
- Studies show that one of the health benefits of turmeric is that it’s very effective at promoting good liver health. For people who have damaged their liver with alcohol, turmeric can provide a simple way to enhance the healing process.
- Turmeric has antiplatelet activity and reduces the ability to form blood clots. This leads to increased cardiovascular health, including improved circulation and lowered risk of heart-related problems, such as heart disease, heart attacks and stroke.
- One great health benefit of turmeric is that it stimulates bile low, leading to improved digestion. This is one of the reasons it has been used traditionally as a digestive aid. Juicing fruits and vegetables aids digestion and is a great way to enhance the benefits of turmeric even further.
- Many people report that turmeric has a positive effect on arthritis and shows a powerful ability to minimize joint pain and arthritis-caused inflammation.
- Recently, studies have found that turmeric may increase metabolic action and promote weight loss in men and women.
- Turmeric has shown a marked ability to speed up the healing process of wounds as well as assisting in the rebuilding of damaged skin.
- Turmeric has gained popularity in the treatment of psioriasis and other skin-related disorders.
The health benefits of turmeric can easily be enjoyed by anyone, not just people from India. There are a number of ways to consume turmeric, but the simplest and easiest is to use it when you cook meals! If you’d rather not use it in cooking, you can also get capsules from most health food stores.