8 Impressive Health Benefits Of Turmeric And Curcumin!

Turmeric also known as curcuma longa  may well be the most impressive herb in the world.

This herb has been the subject of many studies, and no wonder when you learn of the numerous health benefits it has.  This antioxidant rich, potent anti-inflammatory, culinary spice is top dog when you come right down to it. It’s potential to prevent and reverse disease is very intriguing to say the least.  There are over 6,000 peer reviewed articles published showing proof of the healing power of turmeric and curcumin.  There have been over 9,000 medical research studies looking at the wide range of health benefits and their therapeutic role in our health as well. Most of the studies done on this herb are on the supplements containing standardized amounts of curcumin.   Closely related to the ginger family, this bright orange powdered root has a pepper like taste that compliments a wide array of culinary dishes. Let’s take a good look at this wonder root and find out why it is so popular in the world of health gurus.

 

8 Health Benefits Of Turmeric And Curcumin

The main health promoting constituent of this orange spice called turmeric is curcumin.  Curcumin is just one of several curcuminoids found in this health enhancing root.  Turmeric contains approximately 2-5 percent curcumin by weight.  Many supplements are available with standardized amounts of curcumin making it easier to obtain higher amounts of this potent antioxidant.  Turmeric has poor absorption in the gastrointestinal tract but there are ways to get around that and techniques to make the turmeric more absorbable and bioavailable.  I will explain later in this article how to do this.

 

1. Anti-inflammatory –  Inflammation  is a major disease risk.  Turmerics ability to help negate disease is largely due to its anti-inflammatory action coming from the chief curcuminoid, curcumin.  See my article on what inflammation does to the body if left unchecked.
2. Cancer – There have been a number of studies done on cancer cells and how curcumin has strong anti-cancer effects on these cells. These studies have shown how curcumin interferes with the developement of cancer, how it spreads and how it grows.  It has been said to be especially helpful at preventing colon, breast, stomach, liver, and lung cancer.  See studies here, and here.
3.  Gastrointestinal issues – Turmeric has been known to soothe the stomach and ease cramping and ward off irritable bowel syndrome.  Because turmeric is such a strong anti-inflammatory it has been used to prevent stomach ulcers.
4.  Anti-oxidant – another precursor to disease besides inflammation is oxidative damage.  Oxidative damage causes acceleration of aging to the body.  Anti-oxidants help protect us from cancer causing free radicals.  Curcumin neutralizes free radicals.
5.  Heart disease – Heart disease is a huge killer.  Curcumin help improve the function of the lining of the blood vessels called the endothelium.  When the endothelial is not functioning properly it plays a major role in heart disease.  The endothelium helps when it comes to regulating blood clotting and blood pressure.
6.  Chloresterol – Curcumin can eliminate extra LDL (bad chloresterol) from your arteries and blood vessels.  Curcumin works to stop oxidative damage to arteries and vessels which in turn will help strengthen them and as it ALSO helps to eliminate the bad chloresterol . This provides a one two punch in the fight against heart disease!
7. Alzheimers – Curcumin can cross the blood brain barrier, this is good news in the fight against alzheimers since it is an inflammatory disease.   One part of alzheimer disease is an amyloid plaque buildup and there have been studies showing that curcumin helps to clear away these plaques.
8. Depression – Studies have shown curcumins ability to have effects on hormone balance. Some studies have also shown how curcumin has similar effects as the anti-depressant drug Prozac on depression and anxiety.  Curcumin also doesn’t have the dangerous side effects of these pharmaceutical drugs either.

 

So……..What is the best way to get all the benefits from this wonder root?!

 

I take turmeric and curcumin every single day.   My husband is a contractor who is quite often doing roof work and carrying large bundles of shingles up and down ladders all day long.  He puts a lot of wear and tear on his body.  He wouldn’t think of not taking curcumin after enjoying the benefits he has seen on his own body.  He can instantly tell the difference if he misses a few days .  Anyone, and I mean anyone who has pain and inflammation or wants to prevent cancer and heart disease should consider taking turmeric and curcumin.  Why not, its ability to be anti-cancer and a powerful anti-oxidant were reason enough for me, but it does so much more than even that.  One of the supplements I take daily is this curcumin supplement.   I have taken it for at least 3 years and this is the one I widely recommend to anyone wanting a high quality curcumin supplement that is proven to work.

 

So how do I put this powerful herb to use?!

 

I also take turmeric in the form of golden paste every day, twice.  As I said before that turmeric is hard to absorb in the GI tract.  Good news, there is a way to fix that and make it up to 2000 times more absorbable!  You read that right, 2000 times MORE ABSORBABLE!

 

Here’s how to make golden paste:

1/2 cup organic turmeric powder

1 cup filtered water  ( plus 1/3 cup more water in reserve if needed)

1/3 cup unprocessed, unrefined, virgin coconut oil 

2-3 teaspoons organic black pepper corns FRESHLY GROUND for optimal piperine.  When freshly ground the essential oils are more available.

 

1. Place turmeric and water in saucepan and stir over gentle heat.  You want to cook for 10 minutes but you don’t want to boil it.  Stir constantly to avoid scorching.
2. You want a paste like consistency but not to thick, you can add more water if it is to thick and cook for a couple more minutes.
3.  After you have a nice paste, remove from heat and add coconut oil and fresh ground pepper and stir well and put aside to cool
4. Place mixture in jar after it has cooled down some and put in fridge for up to 2 weeks for optimal freshness.

 

You can add 1 teaspoon to water  or I like to add it to warmed coconut milk.  It has a pleasant taste when added to 1/2 cup of warmed coconut milk and makes it even more bioavailable. This is called Golden Milk.  I do this once in the morning and once around dinner time.  The black pepper has a substance called piperine.  Black pepper is a powerful spice with many health benefits of its own. The piperine significantly increases the curcumin and its bioavailability.   One study called Influence of piperine on the pharmacokinetics of curcumin in animals and human volunteers showed that when piperine was taken with curcumin and given to humans that the bioavailablility increased by 2000%!  Turmeric is fat soluble.  For your body to fully absorb turmeric it needs a good fat like coconut oil.  The fat helps turmeric to absorb while the black pepper causes the turmeric to become bioavailable.  The two together are a powerful team!

 

Bottom Line

 

Try adding this spice to your health regimen and see the benefits for yourself.  Enjoy it in your cooking, or enjoy a cup of warm Golden Milk.  I take both the curcumin supplement and the Golden Milk for maximum benefits.  It is my goal to enjoy good health in the most affordable and effective way possible.  One of my passions in life is to make my food my medicine, and Golden Milk fits the bill perfectly.  Enjoy!

 

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