THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF TURMERIC
What is Turmeric?
To most people, is just a popular turmeric spice in India and some parts of Asia. But there is more to it.
A Brief History
The use of turmeric as a spice in India, dates back to nearly 5,000 years ago. Apart from it been utilized for Indian cuisine, it also serve some religious purpose. With time, it spread into Asia and history has it that turmeric got to China around around 700 AD.
Its importance or uses grew with its popularity and in it didn't take long before its health benefit was discovered by the Indians & Chinese who started using it as an alternative to medicine.
So What's The Status Of Turmeric Today?
In recent years, turmeric has gained popularity as a great alternative to medicine. Its fame as a potent supplement is spreading across the globe like wildfire.
Several scientists have carried and are still carryout studies to ascertain its medicinal worth. With these studies, turmeric have been discovered to offer amazing health benefits and it is believed that there is more discovery to be made.
What's Really Responsible For The Health Benefit Of Turmeric?
Turmeric contains a particular substance known as “Curcumin” and without this Curcumin there probably won't be any fuss about turmeric. Curcumin is largely responsible for the yellow color of turmeric curry spice.
To get the full benefits of Curcumin, it needs to be extracted, dried and turned into powder form. However, only about 2-5% of Curcumin can be gotten from each turmeric extract. Therefore, large amount of turmeric is required for sufficient extraction of Curcumin that can be used in the production of health substances like turmeric pills.
Possible Health Benefits Of Turmeric
Itching Caused By Kidney Disease
According to research, it has been suggested that - daily consumption of turmeric by the mouth for a period of 60 days, helps in reducing itching in people suffering from long term kidney disease.
Researchers have also suggested that - turmeric when taken daily for a period of 30 days, in combination with other specific products that contain curcumin, can improve the quality of life of those suffering from the chronic itching effect of mustard gas.
High cholesterol
Curcumin which is known to be turmeric extract, helps in reducing
low-density lipoprotein cholesterol or bad cholesterol as well as total cholesterol and triglycerides in people whose cholesterol are high due to overweight or obesity according to research. They are required to take the turmeric extract by their twice per day and this must be done for a period of three months.
Osteoarthritis
The quality of life of people suffering from osteoarthritis can be improved when they take the extracts of turmeric alone or combined with other herbal formulations. Some researchers even suggest that turmeric is as effective as ibuprofen in reducing the pain of osteoarthritis.
In some research, turmeric worked about as well as ibuprofen for reducing osteoarthritis pain.
Normalizes Your Cell Membrane
Turmeric can help your cells' membranes to be more orderly by signalling molecules like inflammatory molecules, DNA and RNA, cell survival proteins etc. This is achievable because the Curcumin contained in turmeric is capable of interacting with these molecules.
So the next you handle a turmeric, you should at the back of your mind that it is more than just a curry spice…
I remain my humble self @Terrywrites….