The Top 10 Health Benefits of Turmeric: The Sacred Root that Rejuvenates the Body and Mind (2)
Read the first part of the article
5. Prevents Hair Loss
Hair loss can almost always be attributed to a nutritional deficiency. Whether the deficiency is due to a poor diet, lifestyle choices, or hereditary conditions, the failure of the body to absorb and utilize essential nutrients can adversely affect multiple physical processes, including the production and retention of hair.
The hair follicles can be compromised, leading to a minimal production of new hair growth and inability to retain existing hair. Over-the-counter products that promise to prevent hair loss often include harsh chemicals and synthetic additives that can agitate the skin and inhibit the healthy, natural retention of hair. Surprisingly, using turmeric is one of the natural approaches to preventing hair loss.
Because it contains a number of nutrients that help the skin achieve an optimal level of health, turmeric extract and supplements can be used in both internal and external applications to ensure the scalp remains healthy and hair continues to grow. Fighting free-radical damage that can leave the scalp riddled with health issues, turmeric’s beneficial polyphenols help to counteract the health issues and conditions that can cause hair loss.
6. Encourages Proper Digestion
One way that turmeric benefits the body is by aiding the digestive system. Your digestive system consists of multiple parts that work together to move and process the food you eat. From the saliva in the mouth (which starts the dissolution of food) to the muscle movements of the esophagus (which pull food into the intestines) to the release of bile by the gallbladder (which breaks down food), digestion is an intricate process.
Because there are so many organs and functions involved in digestion, the process can easily be disrupted, especially if you don’t get enough of the vitamins and minerals that are necessary to support those organs and their functions. The enzymes, acids, and excretions that are needed for digestion to be performed properly are only produced when adequate amounts of the nutrients they depend on are provided in the diet. Since most people find it difficult to adhere to a squeaky-clean diet of whole fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and grains to ensure maximum nutrient availability, you will be happy to discover that turmeric can help.
With turmeric’s assortment of fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory compounds, it can deliver the precise nutrition the digestive system needs to support enzymatic reactions, acid production, muscle movement, and optimal nutrient absorption. Just add 1 tablespoon of grated, powdered, or liquid turmeric extract to one of your dishes every day. All of turmeric’s benefits combine to create the perfect digestive system elements that promote optimal (and regular!) digestion each and every day!
7. Promotes Fat Loss
The body requires specific nutrients to perform each function involved in fat burning. These functions include:
– Increasing metabolism (improving calorie burn);
– Regulating blood sugar levels and minimizing insulin resistance;
– Regulating hormone production and levels (ensuring cortisol and other fat-retaining hormones are kept in check);
– Improving the communication between the digestive system and the brain via neurotransmitters to ensure feelings of satiety are experienced appropriately.
If you add turmeric to your daily diet, whether it’s a turmeric supplement that contains curcumin or powered turmeric root, the essentials required for each of these processes are delivered to the proper organs via the bloodstream, promoting the successful functioning of each system.
When each system is optimized, you’ll find that your:
– Food is properly digested;
– Bile production is balanced;
– Energy levels are higher;
– Feelings of fullness come easier;
– Calorie-burn rates are higher.
All of these benefits lead to increased fat burn, as verified in a Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry article in 2015! You can be sure your systems are optimized by incorporating turmeric into your day. With turmeric’s blend of vital vitamins, miraculous minerals, and potent phytochemicals, the body’s natural processes involved in fat burning are supported and optimized. Turmeric tastes great in teas, smoothies, snacks, and meals, so it’s a very versatile and delicious ingredient that can maximize flavor and fuel fat burn. So, if you’re hoping to lose fat without the pills, potions, and products that promise but don’t deliver, opt instead for the natural doses of turmeric and its associated health benefits that can help you lose fat fast and healthfully!
8. Cleanses the Liver
Your liver is tasked with the difficult job of cleansing your body’s fluids of toxins, pollutants, and irritants. The liver therefore plays a major role in maintaining the body’s immunity and its ability to fight infection and preserve overall health. If the liver itself is compromised with toxins derived from the diet, environment, or lifestyle choices, it functions poorly, and that can lead to catastrophic consequences that can adversely affect your body and mind. With a focus on healthy living and by taking advantage of turmeric’s many benefits, anyone can reverse damage done to the liver, improving its health and productivity.
With a fully functioning, healthy liver, the body and mind can thrive, free of oxidative properties and free radicals that can run rampant, killing or mutating cells throughout the body. (Oxidation is a process that produces harmful and potentially dangerous “free radicals” that can move throughout the body via the bloodstream and tissues, causing potentially harmful changes to cells.) Turmeric’s cleansing phytochemicals, including curcumin, act as powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents, protecting and cleansing the liver and the entire body!
9. Can Help Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease
A disease that affects an estimated 44 million people worldwide, Alzheimer’s has a devastating effect on the human body. Alzheimer’s halts working neurons, eats away at existing brain tissue, and wreaks havoc on the entire nervous system. Despite awareness and research, Alzheimer’s is still considered an unpredictable and uncontrollable disease.
We do know that the condition, which affects the masses, is exacerbated by the use of synthetic additives that are often included in food ingredients and storage containers, but we know very few preventative or curative measures at this point in time. However, recent scientific studies, such as a 2008 study published in the Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology, have shown how all-natural phytochemicals like curcumin could transform the treatment approach with fewer side effects and improved results!
The blood-brain barrier is an extremely selective permeable barrier that separates the circulating blood from brain fluid in the nervous system. This barrier blocks large molecules that can pose potential harm from interrupting the normal functions of the brain, nerves, etc. Unlike medicinal therapies that are unable to pass through the blood-brain barrier to deliver the caustic drugs directly to the brain sites affected by Alzheimer’s, turmeric allows the potent phytochemical curcumin to be absorbed in the blood and delivered directly to the sites of the brain in need. Not only does curcumin fight inflammation and infection, this phytochemical combats protein deposits and nervous system inhibition by excavating these potentially hazardous protein deposits that contribute to the brain degradation associated with Alzheimer’s disease. With a simple teaspoon of turmeric root per day, grated fresh or in powdered form, mixed into meals, smoothies, or a simple elixir, you can help combat Alzheimer’s disease naturally and deliciously.
10. Manages Arthritis Pain
Arthritis is pain and inflammation that occurs within the joints. Millions of people suffer from this excruciating condition, seeking relief in physical therapies, medicine, and lifestyle changes. While many things can be done to minimize the pain of arthritis, such as receiving cortisone shots, following daily prescription medicine regimens, and taking painkillers, the underlying cause of the inflammation is rarely affected. All of those treatments still leave the arthritis sufferer with “flare-ups”—aggravated further with synthetic pharmaceutical drug use that can wreak havoc on the body by interfering with normal functioning of the body’s systems. Mood swings, interrupted sleep patterns, and heart complications are just a few of the commonly experienced side effects of pharmaceutical medications intended to treat arthritic conditions. This is where the health benefits of turmeric come in. By opting for a turmeric regimen, an arthritis sufferer can find relief from the condition effectively, safely, and naturally.
In a study on knee osteoarthritis published in Clinical Interventions in Aging in 2014, 1,500 mg of turmeric supplement consumption daily was shown to have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties comparable to 800 mg of ibuprofen. That’s how turmeric is able to provide relief from arthritis pain while treating the underlying cause: inflammation. Helping to alleviate inflammation within the joints, turmeric’s phytochemicals also work to cleanse the blood of impurities while promoting proper functioning of the liver to ensure that the toxins that can contribute to arthritis flare-ups are minimized throughout the body or are no longer present. All while delivering essential nutrients to improve the physical functions that help restore and replenish the health of joints throughout the body, turmeric extract might enable arthritis sufferers to enjoy a life without the condition and its limitations—naturally!
When to Be Careful with Turmeric: Side Effects
Turmeric is generally a very safe ingredient and supplement. However, talk with your doctor before beginning any routine that includes it. Here are some specific situations that require extra attention before using turmeric:
– Eating turmeric in foods is safe during pregnancy, but turmeric supplements may not be.
– Those with gallbladder problems might find that turmeric exacerbates them.
– Turmeric might slow blood clotting, so those with bleeding problems or an upcoming surgery should be cautious.
– Curcumin might decrease blood sugar in diabetics.
– High amounts of turmeric might affect iron absorption.
– Turmeric might decrease testosterone levels and sperm movement, which could affect fertility.
– High levels of turmeric might increase the production of stomach acid, which could be problematic for those with reflux or ulcers.
yogaesoteric
July 16, 2019