If you like Superfoods, you're gonna be in love with Turmeric!

Turmeric is not used that much in the West but its popularity is growing, and with very good reason. In the East, its medicinal properties have been known for many years and it is used in Indian and Chineese medicines.
So what is all of the fuss with Turmeric?
Can it earn its place in our SuperFood wall of fame? Let's take a look at 7 reasons you need to be adding Turmeric to your diet…
Turmeric can reduce your cholesterol levels
The active ingredient in turmeric that's responsible for its incredible health benefits is curcumin. Curcumin will help to reduce cholesterol level in three very powerful ways. First, it helps to boost the efficiency of LDL cholesterol by increasing receptors. Second, it stops the oxidation of LDL cholesterol due to its antioxidant properties and third, it limits the time that cholesterol spends in the blood stream. All of which add up to greatly improved cardiovascular health.
Lowers the pain from (and spread of) arthritis
In tests, the curcumin found in turmeric was found to be just as effective as traditional anti-inflammatory medicine for joint swelling and stiffness. Adding turmeric to your food plan can lead to a substantial impact on the quality of your life, especially if you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis. Additionally, the antioxidant qualities found in curcumin help to remove free radicals from the body. Free radicals can be highly problematic for sufferers of arthritis because they cause damage to cell membranes which is one of the main causes of joint pain.
Turmeric can help you to maintain healthy thyroid gland function
Thyroid problems are incredibly commonplace in todays society and can cause all manor of issues, including weight gain, dry skin, constipation, numbness or tingling in the hands brittle nails, and even thinning hair. Manganese is a vital mineral that is essential for correct thyroid function. Turmeric is loaded with Manganese and helps you to make a significant step towards a better functioning thyroid. Given the huge list of symptoms (and we only touched on a few, there are many many more) that are a result of an incorrectly functioning thyroid, its a very good idea for you health, well-being and future medical expenses to add turmeric to your diet regime.
Decreases discomfort and inflammation
When compared to medical anti-inflammatories, curcumin wins hands down. The compounds that trigger pain during inflammation are mediators, and they don't hunt alone! Most medical anti-inflammatories or NSAIDs target two or three mediators but curcumin targets dozens! The result… more effective, organic and complete pain alleviation, and non of the nasty side affects associated with conventional drugs!
(Very likely) Improves your memory and makes you smarter!
A food that can make you clever ? I don't think much else can make a food more worthy of the prestigious title of 'SuperFood' than its ability to enhance your intelligence.
Curcumin helps to build brain functioning and decreases the risk of brain disease by enhancing the neurotrophic factor. As we grow, neurons build new connections and our potential to learn and remember more information increases. The hormone that facilitates this process is called the brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF). Decreased levels of this hormone have been linked to many widespread brain conditions, such as Alzheimers and depression.
Curcumin increases BDNF levels, which will help our brains do what they are meant to do… grow, understand more things and make us wiser, although a lot more research is needed to prove that we really do get smarter. An increase of BDNF could also stop, and maybe even reverse, the affects of many age-related brain functioning difficulties.
Will help to prevent, and potential even treat, cancer
During scientific tests on animals, curcumin (which is found in turmeric) was shown to decrease metastasis (the spread of cancer) decrease angiogenesis (the growth of blood vessels in tumors) and even kill cancerous cells. During a second study (this time on human beings) curcumin lowered colon lesions in 44 men by 40% over 30 days. Although the study wasn't on men that were actually suffering with cancer, colon lesions can become cancerous, so it's a significant indicator that curcumin may help prevent cancer.
Is an effective and all-natural beauty remedy
To this point we've highlighted some of the remarkable health benefits of turmeric, but did you know it can make you more attractive as well!
For hundreds of years women in Asia have used turmeric as a natural beauty treatment. Its powerful beautifying characteristics have been praised for their ability to help reduce acne, treat eczema, get rid of dark circles from under the eyes, lessen the appearance of wrinkles, reduce scarring and even remove sun spots.