Amazing Health Benefits of Turmeric, "The Spice for Life"
Essential to Ayurveda, India’s ancient holistic health system, turmeric is a culinary spice related to ginger. Valued for the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties of its chief active component curcumin (a curcuminoid), it has been used for centuries in China as well as India and was brought across the Pacific Ocean by the ancient Polynesians to Hawaii where it is known as Olena.
14 Benefits of Curcumin
~ Helps maintain cholesterol levels already within normal range ~ Promotes healthy blood and liver functions ~ Strengthens immune system ~ Helps maintain a healthy digestive system ~ Supports healthy bones, joints and overall skeletal system ~ Relieves pain ~ Boosts cardiovascular health ~ Promotes digestive health ~ Helps memory and brain function ~ Mitigates various skin conditions ~ Regulates metabolism and weight management ~ Lowers Triglycerides ~ Helps neurological disorders ~ Anti-carcinogenic
Preliminary research (Medical University Graz, Austria) suggests that curcumin may delay liver damage that can eventually lead to cirrhosis and a compelling abstract published in Advanced Experimental Medical Biology in 2007 states that "Curcumin has been shown to exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer activities and thus has a potential against various malignant diseases, diabetes, allergies, arthritis, Alzheimer's disease and other chronic illnesses."
Recent studies show that turmeric and curcumin can…
~ Improve overall mood by enhancing brain chemicals such as noradrenalin and serotonin, and increasing the production of dopamine ~ Lower elevated cortisol levels induced by chronic stress * Added benefit - lowered cortisol helps banish belly fat
~ May protect hippocampal neurons from further damage in response to
chronic stress
Turmeric, beauty and the aging process
Turmeric is an adaptogen and helps support your body against stress. It’s anti-oxidant capabilities can help:
~ Cleanse your skin and maintain its elasticity ~ Provide nourishment to the skin ~ Balance the effects of skin flora ~ Neutralize substances that cause cellular stress
How do I take it?
~ ORGANIC Turmeric supplements
~ Products standardized for 95% curcuminoids
* Products that contain black pepper extract or piperine (turmeric/curcumin taken orally is not well absorbed unless taken with these ingredients - adding black pepper enhances curcumin’s bioavailabilty by 1,000 times)
~ Golden Milk – “The drink that could change your life!” * Here is a recipe for Golden milk
~ In cooking – but remember to include black pepper!
Of course there is far more to good health than just adding a spice to your food or taking another supplement, but taking turmeric/curcumin as part of an overall plan that includes regular exercise, keeping an eye on stress and what you eat can be of great benefit and a valuable addition to any healthy lifestyle.
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