Turmeric – The Herb That Could Change Your Health

Native to southeast India, the herb turmeric has powerful medicinal properties.  For literally thousands of years turmeric has been used as both a spice, and as a medicinal treatment in India and Asia.

What Makes Turmeric Special

The main ingredient in turmeric is a compound called curcumin.  Countless studies have been done on curcumin by western medicine.  It has been found to help a wide array of physical conditions because of its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties.

Inflammation

Millions of people suffer from inflammatory conditions.  Turmeric is one of the best natural treatments for these conditions. In fact, Dr Mercola says that curcumin is better than drugs for rheumatoid arthritis.  That is quite a testament to its effectiveness.

Weight Loss

Turmeric increases the flow of bile in the stomach which helps to break down fat.  In studies on mice using turmeric, the mice that did not receive the turmeric got fatter than the mice that did take the turmeric.  Both groups of mice were on the same diet.

Anti-Aging

Turmeric is a power antioxidant.  This means it kills all those unhealthy molecules in your body called free radicals that cause cellular damage.  Free radicals are thought to be the main cause of aging.  The antioxidant compounds in turmeric are called curcuminoids.   They are 3 times more powerful than grape seed extract or pine bark extract which are also very strong antioxidants. Another way that turmeric may benefit us as we age is our memory.   Studies show that memory degeneration in India, where it is used on a daily basis in that culture’s food, is much less than here in the United States. Turmeric may also benefit liver function.  It helps to increase the liver enzymes that break down toxins and may help to delay liver damage as we age.

Other Great Benefits

Immune System -Turmeric is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral.  This is very beneficial for a strong immune system. Respiratory – Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, turmeric is also used to help issues that are associated with breathing.

Which Turmeric is Right for You?

If you are young and healthy, with no serious health issues, get some good quality turmeric spice and just start using it regularly in your cooking. For those people who may have any of the problems that turmeric could benefit, turmeric can be purchased as a supplement. Take it as directed on the bottle with meals. You may have to adjust the dosage up or down, according to your symptoms.

To your Health!

Peter Gillham