At the same time, more and more people are becoming aware of how important food is to our health and want to learn more. Recently, many people have opened their eyes to turmeric because of all the health benefits. But the fact is that the spice has been used as a natural medicine for thousands of years.
The question is: Why is turmeric so popular and useful? What are the benefits of turmeric? How to take tumeric for inflammation? That is exactly what we are going to explore in this article.
What is Turmeric and what is it used for?
Before we look at uses for turmeric or if it is useful, it is good to know what turmeric is.
What is Turmeric?
Turmeric is a ginger plant and a tropical herb that grows mainly in the tropical parts of Asia, China, India and in South America. It is also grown in Australia, Taiwan and parts of Africa. Although turmeric has long been used to dye clothes, paper and wood, the biggest area of use is cooking and as a natural medicine.
What does turmeric taste like?
Fresh turmeric has a slightly bitter and peppery taste. Some think it can taste a bit earthy when fresh.
Benefits of turmeric—Is Turmeric Good for You?
Turmeric and curcumin
The active substances in Turmeric are curcuminoids and the most important of these is curcumin. Up to 5% of the content of turmeric is made up of the various curcuminoids. It is the curcuminoids that give turmeric its specific color. Curcumin, in turn, is the substance that has been researched a lot and which is attributed to the positive health effects that turmeric has.
What is turmeric good for?
- Turmeric as a natural remedy
Turmeric is used in Ayurveda and other natural medicine for many different diseases and problems. In Ayurvedic medicine, turmeric is used for, among other things:
- Improve Digestion
- Functionality in joints
- Regulation of blood sugar
- Improve liver function
- Improve blood circulation
- Strengthen the immune system
- Counteract inflammation
- Treatment of bites and wounds
- Pain relief
- Skin problems
- Improved brain function
Inflammation
Inflammation is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, inflammation is extremely important. Inflammation helps the body in case of infections, injuries and is of great help in the healing process. On the other hand, research shows that chronic inflammation in the body can be the cause of many different diseases such as heart problems, Alzheimer’s or cancer.
How to take tumeric for inflammation? Turmeric’s anti-inflammatory properties are well known in traditional medicine and can advantageously be part of your anti-inflammatory diet. For a long time, the spice has been used to relieve long-term inflammation and the diseases that accompany it. Modern research has also tried to investigate this and the results seem to strengthen what the traditional art of healing has long known.
Several studies have shown that curcumin found naturally in turmeric has very strong anti-inflammatory properties. Put simply, curcumin blocks a signaling substance (NF-kB) from activating the inflammation. This makes curcumin a very effective anti-inflammatory. In fact, curcumin is so effective that in two different studies it was almost as effective as commercial drugs. Without the side effects that ordinary drugs can have on the body!
In another pilot study, 45 people suffering from joint rheumatism (rheumatoid arthritis) were tested. The patients treated with 500 milligrams of curcumin had better results than those treated with the anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac.