If you like Superfoods, you'll adore Turmeric!
Turmeric is not a commonly used ingredient in Western culture but its popularity is growing fast, and for good reason. In the East, its medicinal properties have been known for centuries and it is used in Chinese and Indian medicines.
So what is all of the fuss about Turmeric?
Is it really worthy of its place in our SuperFood wall of fame? Let's take a look at 7 incredible benefits of adding Turmeric to your diet…
1. Turmeric can reduce your cholesterol level
The active ingredient in turmeric that's responsible for all of its powerful health benefits is curcumin. Curcumin can help to reduce your cholesterol levels in 3 very powerful ways. First, it inhibits the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. Second, it helps to boost the effectiveness of LDL cholesterol by increasing the receptors and third, it reduces the amount of time cholesterol spends in the blood stream. All of which leads to considerably improved cardiovascular health.
2. Reduce the pain from (and the spread of) arthritis
In laboratory tests, the curcumin in turmeric was proven to be just as effective as traditional anti-inflammatory drug for joint stiffness. Adding turmeric to your diet plan can have a considerable impact on the quality of your life, especially if you sufferer with rheumatoid arthritis. Furthermore, the antioxidant properties found in curcumin will help to eradicate free radicals from the body. Free radicals are really problematic for sufferers of arthritis because they damage cell membranes which is one of the main causes of joint pain.
3. Maintains healthy thyroid function
Thyroid problems are extremely commonplace in todays society and can trigger all kinds of issues, including weight gain, dry skin, constipation, numbness or tingling in the hands brittle nails, and even thinning hair. . Turmeric is loaded with Manganese and can help you to make a substantial step towards a healthy and better functioning thyroid. Given the number of symptoms that are attributed to a poorly functioning thyroid, its a good idea for you health, general well-being and future medical fees to include turmeric to your diet regime.
4. Reduces pain and inflammation
When compared to traditional anti-inflammatories, curcumin wins hands down. The compounds that lead to pain during inflammation are mediators, and they don't come alone! Most traditional anti-inflammatories or NSAIDs target two or three mediators but curcumin targets dozens! The result… more effective, all-natural and total pain release, and non of the nasty side affects associated with ordinary medicines!
5. (Very probably) Boosts your memory and makes you more intelligent!
A food that will make you clever ? I don't think anything can make something more worthy of the prestigious rank of 'SuperFood' than its capacity to increase your intelligence.
Curcumin helps to build brain performance and decreases the risk of brain disease by boosting the neurotrophic factor. As we grow, neurons form new connections and our potential to learn and store more information increases. The hormone that supports this process is called the brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF). Decreased levels of this hormone are linked to many widespread brain conditions, such as Alzheimers and depression.
Curcumin increases BDNF levels, which will help our brains do what they are intended to do… grow, learn more things and make us wiser, although a lot more research is needed to demonstrate that we actually do get smarter. An increase of BDNF could also stop, and potentially even reverse, the affects of several age-related brain functioning disorders.
6. Will help to prevent, and possible even treat, cancer
During scientific tests on animals, curcumin (which, as you know by now, is found in turmeric) was shown to lower metastasis (the spread of cancer) decrease angiogenesis (the growth of blood vessels in tumors) and even kill cancerous cells. During a further study (this time on humans) curcumin decreased colon lesions in 44 adult males by 40% over a period of 30 days. Although the study was not on men actually suffering from cancer, colon lesions can become cancerous, so it's a considerable indication that curcumin may very well help protect against cancer.
7. A natural beauty treatment
Up to now we've reviewed some of the incredible health benefits of turmeric, but did you know it can make you more attractive too!
For countless years women in Asia have been using turmeric as a natural beauty treatment. Its powerful beautifying qualities have been praised for their power to help reduce acne, treat eczema, remove dark circles from beneath the eyes, reduce the appearance of facial lines, diminish scarring and even remove sun spots.