Turmeric is a common spice that comes from the root of Curcuma longa. It contains a chemical called curcumin, which might reduce swelling.

Turmeric has a warm, bitter taste and is frequently used to flavor or color curry powders, mustards, butters, and cheeses. Because curcumin and other chemicals in turmeric might decrease swelling, it is often used to treat conditions that involve pain and inflammation.

People commonly use turmeric for osteoarthritis. It is also used for hay fever, depression, high cholesterol, a type of liver disease, and itching, but there is no good scientific evidence to support most of these uses. There is also no good evidence to support using turmeric for COVID-19.

Don’t confuse turmeric with Javanese turmeric root or tree turmeric. Also, don’t confuse it with zedoary or goldenseal, which are unrelated plants that are sometimes called turmeric.

 

TURMERIC

Turmeric is the spice that gives curry its yellow colour. It has been used in India for thousands of years as both a spice and medicinal herb. Turmeric contains compounds with medicinal properties. These compounds are called curcuminoids. The most important one is curcumin.

Curcumin is a substance obtained from the root of the turmeric plant, which has the feature of being a yellow or orange pigment. It is also the main component of curry powder commonly used in Asian cuisine. Curcumin, a substance that has had an important place in traditional Indian and Chinese medicines for thousands of years, has been the center of interest for scientific studies especially in the field of cancer treatment for several years. Curcumin is the main active ingredient in turmeric. It has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a very strong antioxidant

1. Curcumin Is an Anti-Inflammatory

One of turmeric’s main claims to fame is that it’s commonly used to fight inflammation, and the bulk of turmeric’s inflammation-fighting powers can be assigned to curcumin. Chronic inflammation contributes to many chronic diseases, curcumin may help treat conditions like inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis, and arthritis.

2. Curcumin May Help Prevent (and Possibly Treat) Certain Types of Cancer

As inflammation is linked to tumor growth, anti-inflammatory compounds such as curcumin may play a role in the treatment and prevention of a variety of cancer types, including colorectal, pancreatic, prostate, breast, and gastric cancers.

Research in mice suggests that curcumin may help slow the spread of tumor cells and may even prevent tumors from forming in the first place.

 

3. Curcumin May Help Protect Against Heart Disease

A study shows that curcumin may improve endothelial function, or the health of the thin membrane that covers the inside of the heart and blood vessels. This membrane plays a key role in regulating blood pressure.

Lower endothelial function is associated with aging and an increased risk of heart disease. Thus, curcumin may help protect against age-related loss of function and reduce your likelihood of developing heart disease.

4. Curcumin May Help Ease Symptoms of Osteoarthritis

Due to potent anti-inflammatory properties, curcumin may be a safe and effective long-term treatment option for people with osteoarthritis (OA).  And a study in mice found that 50 mg oral curcumin per kg of body weight significantly slowed the progression of OA, whereas a topical curcumin treatment provided pain relief.

5. Curcumin May Help Treat or Prevent Diabetes

According to a past review of studies,  curcumin may help treat and prevent diabetes, as well as associated disorders like diabetic nephropathy (also called diabetic kidney disease), which affects people with type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes.

Meanwhile, curcumin may help prevent diabetes through its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and improve many of the factors that contribute to diabetes, including insulin resistance, high blood sugar.

6. Curcumin May Help Delay or Reverse Alzheimer’s Disease

Turmeric may even help protect your brain against common degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. How? By increasing levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein found in the brain and spinal cord that plays a key role in keeping nerve cells (neurons) healthy, as well as regulating communication between nerve cells, which is critical for learning and memory. As common brain disorders like Alzheimer’s are associated with lower levels of BDNF, turmeric (curcumin in particular) may help delay or reverse brain degeneration.

7. Curcumin May Play a Role in Depression Treatment

Like Alzheimer’s, depression is associated with lower levels of BDNF (Brain-derived neurotrophic factor).. Turmeric’s has ability to boost levels of BDNF, the spice shows promise as an effective antidepressant

8. Curcumin May Play a Role in Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis

Curcumin shows promise as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic inflammatory disorder that commonly affects the joints but may spread to other areas, such as the eyes, lungs, skin, heart, and blood vessels.

9. Turmeric May Improve Skin Health

Thanks to its anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties, turmeric may be an effective treatment for a variety of skin conditions, including acne, eczema (atopic dermatitis), photo aging, and psoriasis. Yet robust research is lacking.

10. Turmeric Protects Your Body From Free Radicals

Antioxidants help protect your body against damage caused by free radicals, a class of highly reactive atoms that are generated in our bodies and found in environmental pollutants like cigarette smoke and industrial chemicals.

Therefore, antioxidant-rich spices like turmeric may play a role in protecting you from free radical damage.

Curcumin in particular is able to scavenge different types of free radicals, control enzymes that neutralize free radicals, and prevent certain enzymes from creating specific free radical types, according to a review.