Dietary and nutritional content reviewed by Jasmin Gorostiza, DT, DM, DSS, CFPP.️
Turmeric is an Asian spice that’s been getting a lot of attention lately. This bright yellow spice has long been used for medicinal purposes and food flavoring for centuries.
Turmeric powder is considered to be one of the healthiest spices. Well known for its inflammation-fighting properties, turmeric is derived from the Curcuma longa plant, which consists of a powerful healing component called curcumin.
Curcumin is a potent plant chemical that has been proven to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Health and wellness resource Globalhealingcenter.com cites the thousands of studies that prove how powerful this ginger-related spice is.
Curcuminoids are the main phytochemicals that give turmeric its most impressive and wide-ranging health benefits. Amazingly, over 9,000 medical and clinical research studies have evaluated turmeric and curcumin and yielded a wealth of positive information.
So if there’s one spice to take seriously, it’s turmeric. This yellow spice can brighten up our diet.
Take a look at the 10 health benefits of incorporating turmeric into our diet.
10. Promotes bone and joint health; Proven to be a natural form of pain reliever.
Many people, including doctors, cite their own anecdotal experience with turmeric as a pain reliever. The spice is reputed to relieve arthritis pain as well. Studies seem to support turmeric for pain relief, with one noting that it seemed to work as well as ibuprofen (Advil) in people with arthritis in their knees. Though dosing recommendations seem to vary, those who participated in the study took 800 mg of turmeric in capsule form each day. (1)
9. One of the most effective anti-inflammatory properties.
The journal Oncogenepublished the results of a study that evaluated several anti-inflammatory compounds and found that aspirin and ibuprofen are least effective, while curcumin is among the most effective anti-inflammatory compounds in the world. This news should have reached every household in the world after the study was conducted because inflammation puts people at risk for almost every disease process known to man. (2)
8. Good for the brain’s cognitive function.
Aromatic turmerone or ar-turmerone is not as well-studied as curcumin, but it also likely plays a part in the turmeric puzzle. In a recent study, researchers found ar-turmerone promotes repair to stems cells in the brain. The study examined the effects of the compound in rats on a type of stem cell that is also found in adult brains. These stem cells are involved in recovery from neurodegenerative diseases like stroke and Alzheimer’s. The compound could potentially be used in the treatment of these diseases in the future, the findings suggest. (3)
7. Lowers risks of heart disease.
Several studies suggest that curcumin leads to improvements in endothelial function. One study shows that is as effective as exercise, another shows that it works as well as the drug Atorvastatin But curcumin also reduces inflammation and oxidation (as discussed above), which are also important in heart disease. In one study, 121 patients who were undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery were randomized to either placebo or 4 grams of curcumin per day, a few days before and after the surgery. The curcumin group had a 65% decreased risk of experiencing a heart attack in the hospital. (4)
6. Helps lower LDL and cholesterol levels.
Lowering LDL (or “bad”) cholesterol can help reduce your risk of developing some serious conditions, including heart disease and stroke. There is evidence that turmeric is effective at doing just that. For example, a 2008 study that found that a low dose of curcumin was associated with reduced LDL and total cholesterol levels. (5)
5. Helps fight against liver damage or onset of cirrhosis.
Researchers in Austria and the US in 2010 suggested that curcumin may help in the fight against liver damage. It seems to delay the onset of cirrhosis. They say their work builds on previous research which has indicated that it has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties which may be helpful in combating disease. (6)
4. Remarkable range of anti-cancer properties.
The vast majority of studies on turmeric and cancer risk have been conducted on rats and mice. In addition, the research interventions have involved curcumin rather than turmeric. Normally, we would not try to draw any conclusions about food and our health from animal studies on isolated food constituents! But in this case, we feel justified in making an exception due to the large number of animal studies, the consistency of the findings, and the diverse number of mechanisms that allow curcumin to lower cancer risk in rats and mice. These mechanisms include: antioxidant mechanisms, anti-inflammatory mechanisms, immuno-regulatory mechanisms, enzyme-related mechanisms, cell signaling mechanisms, and cell cycle mechanisms. As we can surmise, we’re talking about a remarkable range of potential anti-cancer impacts with respect to curcumin intake. (7)
3. Prevents prediabetes from progressing to Type 2 diabetes.
Repeated studies show diabetes impairs the body’s ability to continue to burn fat after a modest amount of weight reduction. Weight loss efforts can reach a plateau without further calorie restriction. More calorie restriction leads to more hunger, which causes many people with diabetes to regain lost weight. The cycle can seem never ending for some. A 2012 study showed curcumin in turmeric boosted insulin sensitivity in mice by blocking signaling pathways that lead to weight gain and obesity. The finding was published in the journal PLOS ONE. Curcumin could also prevent prediabetes from progressing to type 2 diabetes. Another study, conducted in rats, showed the turmeric compound helped regenerate pancreas cells in type 1 diabetes. (8)
2. Enhances metabolism for weight loss.
Clinical trials have shown daily intake curcumin for 12 weeks or more radically lowers the weight and lipid content in people with metabolic syndromes. A daily intake of 1-2g per day has a lipid lowering effect. It reduces the bad cholesterol and good cholesterol ratio. Oxidative stress plays a key role in metabolic syndrome (MetS). The anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory property of curcumin aids in ameliorating metabolic syndrome parameters. (9)
1. Prevents fat accumulation and hastens fat loss.
The turmeric constituent, curcumin can prevent fat accumulation in the adipose tissues. In a study, it has been shown to modulate the metabolic activities in the white adipose tissues that prevent angiogenesis. This in turn results in decreased fat accumulation. Curcumin has also been found to decrease the size of adipose tissues, i.e. lower fat accumulation in over-weight patients. The body measurements of these patients showed significant reduction of fat. Moreover, it has been observed that turmeric along with sulphur can prevent fat deposition and improve the lipid profile of blood and liver in over-weight individuals. (10)
Turmeric is one spice that we just can’t ignore. The benefits are astounding as we get to lose and get to maintain our weight with it as well.
Summary: Turmeric contains curcumin, a potent plant chemical with known anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The many suggested benefits of turmeric are supported by evidence from the scientific research findings presented above.
How Much Turmeric Should We Consume?
Now before rushing to the grocery store to load up on turmeric, it is important to know how much turmeric we really need to get the health benefits associated with consuming turmeric and curcumin.
As a spice, we may still be able to have the health benefits of consuming turmeric on a daily basis. The question is, can we really spice up our food with turmeric on a daily basis and not get tired of it. Not unless we are East Indian and love having curry everyday, chances are that we won’t last that long.
Most people who are achieving the health benefits of turmeric and curcumin simply take these as supplements.
How much turmeric should we consume then? Research have shown that turmeric doses of 500-2,000 mg per day may be effective.
Regardless of whether we take turmeric as a supplement or use it to spice up our meals, keep it up as this spice is definitely a power-packed superfood worth taking.