Benefits of Turmeric Powder | Health and Nutritional Facts

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Benefits of Turmeric Powder | Health and Nutritional Facts

Benefits of Turmeric Powder: The turmeric on shelves and in spice cabinets is made of the ground roots of the plant. The bright yellow color of processed turmeric has inspired many cultures to use it as a dye. Ground turmeric is also a major ingredient in curry powder. Benefits of Turmeric Powder

What are turmeric and curcumin?

Turmeric, sometimes called Indian saffron or the golden spice, is a tall plant that grows in Asia and Central America.

The turmeric on shelves and in spice cabinets is made of the ground roots of the plant. The bright yellow color of processed turmeric has inspired many cultures to use it as a dye. Ground turmeric is also a major ingredient in curry powder. Benefits of Turmeric Powder

Capsules, teas, powders, and extracts are some of the turmeric products available commercially.

It has been used in India for thousands of years as both a spice and medicinal herb. Recently, science has started to back up traditional claims that turmeric contains compounds with medicinal properties (1Trusted Source). Benefits of Turmeric Powder

These compounds are called curcuminoids. The most important one is curcumin.

Curcumin is the active ingredient in turmeric, and it has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a very strong antioxidant.. Ayurvedic medicine, a traditional Indian system of treatment, recommends turmeric for a variety of health conditions. These include chronic pain and inflammation. Western medicine has begun to study turmeric as a pain reliever and healing agent..

Nutrition of Turmeric

Amount Per 100 grams
Calories 354
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10 g15%
Saturated fat 3.1 g15%
Cholesterol 0 mg0%
Sodium 38 mg1%
Potassium 2,525 mg72%
Total Carbohydrate 65 g21%
Dietary fiber 21 g84%
Sugar 3.2 g
Protein 8 g16%
Vitamin C43%Calcium18%
Iron230%Vitamin D0%
Vitamin B690%Cobalamin0%
Magnesium48%

The spice known as turmeric may be the most effective nutritional supplement in existence.

Many high-quality studies show that turmeric has major benefits for your body and brain. Many of these benefits come from its main active ingredient, curcumin. Benefits of Turmeric Powder

Read on to learn what the science says about turmeric and curcumin as well as their benefits.

Here are the top 10 evidence-based health benefits of turmeric and curcumin.

1. Turmeric contains bioactive compounds with medicinal properties

However, the curcumin content of turmeric isn’t that high. It’s around 3%, by weight (2Trusted Source). Most of the studies on this herb use turmeric extracts that contain mostly curcumin itself, with dosages usually exceeding 1 gram per day. Benefits of Turmeric Powder

It would be very difficult to reach these levels just using turmeric as a spice in your foods.

That’s why some people choose to use supplements.

However, curcumin is poorly absorbed into your bloodstream. In order to experience the full effects of curcumin, its bioavailability (the rate at which your body absorbs a substance) needs to improve (3Trusted Source).

It helps to consume it with black pepper, which contains piperine. Piperine is a natural substance that enhances the absorption of curcumin by 2,000% (4Trusted Source).

In fact, the best curcumin supplements contain piperine, and this makes them substantially more effective.

Curcumin is also fat soluble, which means it breaks down and dissolves in fat or oil. That’s why it may be a good idea to take curcumin supplements with a meal that’s high in fat. Benefits of Turmeric Powder

SUMMARY

Turmeric contains curcumin, a substance with powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Most studies use turmeric extracts that are standardized to include large amounts of curcumin.

2. Curcumin is a natural anti-inflammatory compound

Inflammation is incredibly important. It helps fight foreign invaders and has a role in repairing damage in your body.

Although acute, short-term inflammation is beneficial, it can be a concern if it becomes chronic and attacks your body’s own tissues. Benefits of Turmeric Powder

Scientists now believe that chronic low-level inflammation can play a role in some health conditions and diseases. These include (5Trusted Source6Trusted Source7Trusted Source):

  • heart disease
  • cancer
  • metabolic syndrome
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • various degenerative conditions

That’s why anything that can help fight chronic inflammation is potentially important in preventing and helping treat these conditions.

While the topic of inflammation is multilayered and there’s likely no simple answer, the key takeaway regarding curcumin is that it is a bioactive substance that can fight inflammation. However, very high doses are required to produce medicinal results (8Trusted Source9Trusted Source10Trusted Source).

SUMMARY

Chronic inflammation contributes to some common health conditions. Curcumin can suppress many molecules known to play major roles in inflammation, but its bioavailability needs to be enhanced.

3. Turmeric can increase the antioxidant capacity of the body

Oxidative damage is believed to be one of the mechanisms behind aging and many diseases.

It involves free radicals, highly reactive molecules with unpaired electrons. Free radicals tend to react with important organic substances, such as fatty acids, proteins, or DNA. Benefits of Turmeric Powder

The main reason antioxidants are so beneficial is that they protect your body from free radicals.

Curcumin is a potent antioxidant that can neutralize free radicals due to its chemical structure (11Trusted Source).

In addition, animal and cellular studies suggest that curcumin may block the action of free radicals and may stimulate the action of other antioxidants. Further clinical studies are needed in humans to confirm these benefits (12Trusted Source). Benefits of Turmeric Powder

SUMMARY

While curcumin has antioxidant effects, more studies are needed to confirm these benefits.

4. Curcumin can boost brain-derived neurotrophic factor

Before scientists had a better understanding of neurons, it was believed that they weren’t able to divide and multiply after early childhood. However, they now know that isn’t the case.

Neurons are capable of forming new connections, and in certain areas of the brain they can multiply and increase in number. Benefits of Turmeric Powder

One of the main drivers of this process is brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). This is a gene that’s involved in making a protein responsible for promoting the life of neurons.

The BDNF protein plays a role in memory and learning, and it can be found in areas of the brain responsible for eating, drinking, and body weight (1314).

Many common brain disorders have been linked to decreased levels of BDNF protein, including depression and Alzheimer’s disease (15Trusted Source16Trusted Source).

Interestingly, animal studies have found that curcumin may increase brain levels of BDNF (1718).

By doing this, it may be effective in delaying or even reversing many brain diseases and age-related decreases in brain function. Still, since these studies were performed in animals, it’s hard to say what the results mean for humans (19Trusted Source20). Benefits of Turmeric Powder

It may also help improve memory and attention, which seems logical given its effects on BDNF levels. However, more studies are needed to confirm this (21).

SUMMARY

Curcumin boosts levels of the brain hormone BDNF, which increases the growth of new neurons and may help fight various degenerative processes in your brain. Benefits of Turmeric Powder

source: https://www.healthline.com and medicalnewstoday.com

Benefits of Turmeric Powder

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