Turmeric – Curcumin Health Benefits

The turmeric spice is well known for its several preventive and curative properties in our modern era and throughout the history. The term “Turmeric” is used both for the spice and the plant that the turmeric spice is derived from, the rhizome stem from under the ground.

It is also known as the “Saffron of the Indies” and is a very common spice used in Indian curries. What they do with this plant is boil, peel, dry and powder it prior to use as a spice in a variety of dishes, especially Indian. The first-time turmeric is mentioned in history is the Indian and Chinese medicine in the 7th century.

It was used for a variety of diseases and ailments like kidney inflammation, bronchitis, fever, worms, skin and eye conditions, dissolving the kidney stones, preventing urinary dysfunction, healing the spleen and liver. They were using it externally on the skin in the pulp form on the infected wounds and leech bites.

Nowadays we know it most for cancer prevention and protection, enhancing the symptoms of inflammatory arthritis, improving digestion, keeping your brain in good shape and protecting from brain diseases like Alzheimer’s and even helping with diabetes by lowering your blood glucose levels. Turmeric is very low in the glycemic index value.

Turmeric is very low in calories and has a decent dietary fiber content: 4 grams of turmeric includes 1 gram fiber, only 16 calories and has a high iron and manganese content.

But it is a good idea to use this spice in moderation as it has a rather strong taste that can mask the other flavors in your meal. It has very special antioxidant properties of the yellow pigment called curcuminoids that gives the yellow color to Curcuma and your meals. If turmeric is used in combination with black pepper, the absorption of these antioxidants is enhanced, by the piperine in black pepper.

Being a powerful antioxidant, the yellow pigments help fight against the harmful free radicals in your body that cause oxidative stress which leads to cellular degeneration. This indirectly means you will be protected from a variety of cancers in the long run, which can also explain why certain cancers like lung, prostate, breast and colon cancers are rare in Asia, especially in India.

Turmeric has actually been studied in lab settings and has been found to stimulate the self-destruction and to block the tumor progression in the body. Your mucosa is also protected against the Helicobacter pylori bacterium that can cause stomach cancer. The turmeric roots are also known to stimulate better digestion, less nausea, better appetite and less tummy upset.

About the benefits of turmeric for cancer protection, if you’re using chemotherapeutic drugs like docetaxel, paclitaxel, and others, curcumin consumption can enhance both your tolerance of these drugs and the benefits you will receive from your treatment. India is the main producer of turmeric and Indians have been using the spice in their Ayurvedic medicine for a very long time. 

Please just make sure you keep it away from the direct light so the nutritional value is maintained. And do not worry about its color when you’re purchasing it as different types of turmeric plant will produce different colors in powder spice form. It has an acquired taste and please use it sparingly in your curries at first or the results will not be great.

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