Turmeric is one of the most exotic spices in the world, but it is still very popular. Turmeric is not only used in the kitchen, but also in alternative medicine. Its health-promoting effects were already known in ancient China and are still very important in TMC (traditional Chinese medicine) today. The following article explains exactly what the tasty root is all about.
What Is Turmeric?
The spice turmeric originally comes from India and Southeast Asia and has been used there for more than 5000 years. In our latitudes it is also known as turmeric or Indian saffron. Like ginger, turmeric is an edible tuber. In addition to being used as a spice, turmeric is also used as a natural remedy. The flavour and colour carrier curcumin play an important role.
Health benefits of turmeric
The ingredient curcumin is best known for its anti-inflammatory, analgesic and anti-cancer effects. In addition, it helps to detoxify the body, lowers the cholesterol level and has a positive effect on the course of diabetes, for example , this can be implemented by capsules with turmeric extract .
Anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects
Inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis can be very painful and put an enormous strain on everyday life. Turmeric has anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, which can have a positive effect on the course of the disease. This also applies to other inflammatory diseases, for example inflammation of the stomach lining.
Natural cholesterol lowering agent
A high cholesterol level promotes numerous cardiovascular diseases. These include, for example, a stroke or heart attack. To prevent this from happening, cholesterol levels should be kept as low as possible. Various studies show that the regular intake of curcumin has been shown to lower the cholesterol level.
Positive influence on blood sugar levels
A study made it known that the development of diabetes mellitus can be prevented by regular consumption of turmeric like the organic-maca-powder. This is made possible by the blood sugar lowering effect of curcamin. Even with an existing illness, the blood sugar level is positively influenced.
Anti-cancer effect
It is now known to almost everyone that antioxidants can prevent cancer cells from developing. These are ingested through food, depending on their occurrence in food. Turmeric contains a lot of these antioxidants, which is why it can be used as a natural cancer inhibitor. Its detoxifying effect also has a positive effect.
Turmeric as a dietary supplement
Curcamin dissolves poorly in water, which is why the body initially only absorbs it in small quantities. However, if it is heated in oil, its bioavailability increases. With this knowledge, humans could consume several grams of turmeric (fresh or as a powder) daily in order to benefit from the health benefits. Unfortunately, this is not always possible in practice and is also a question of taste.
There are now numerous dietary supplements that contain fully usable curcamin. These are available either as capsules or tablets and are therefore easy to use. Side effects of these preparations are not known, which reinforces the health effect.
