If you’re looking for something to spice up your food that also benefits your health, look no further than turmeric. Turmeric is made from the root of the Curcuma longa plant, which is known to be a staple in the ginger family. Today, we will be looking at some of Turmeric’s most important health benefits.

 

Great anti-inflammatory

If you have a chronic illness that affects the tissues in your body, including turmeric in your everyday foods could possibly be beneficial. According to a study of patients that had ulcerative colitis, ingesting 2 grams of curcumin a day in combination with their prescription medication helped patients stay in remission. While it won’t necessarily help during flare-ups that are actively happening, it’ll help lengthen the remission period. 

 

Memory Improvement

In another study, it was found that adults without dementia who took 90 milligrams of curcumin twice a day for 18 months had an improvement in their memory performance. It’s been thought that because of curcumin’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, there was less of a decline in neurocognition. Neurocognition is most known for the ability to think and reason. Not only that, though it needs more research, curcumin could also play a role in preventing Alzheimer’s disease. 

 

Lessens Pain

While you shouldn’t rely on a curcumin supplement alone for pain, turmeric has incredibly deep roots in Chinese traditional medicine as well as Ayurveda in order to treat arthritis. According to research, you could even potentially reduce your pain with osteoarthritis with turmeric. 

 

Lowers risk of heart disease 

There are a number of studies that show that because of turmeric’s ability to reduce inflammation and oxidation, it could help lower the risk of heart disease. Not only that, but studies have shown that ingesting turmeric could help reverse the heart disease process. In healthy middle-aged and older adults that took curcumin supplements for 12 weeks, resistance artery endothelial production– something that plays a huge role in high blood pressure– was increased. 

 

Not only that, but in another study following people who had coronary artery bypass surgery, those who took 4 grams of curcumin a day for a couple of days before and after the surgery saw a 65% decreased risk of having a heart attack. Turmeric could also be helpful in conjunction with managing cholesterol levels, though more research is needed.

 

It’s incredible to think that spice from the ginger family is so beneficial to our health! These are just a few of the health properties that benefit people.