- Make It Yourself Lavender Heart-Shaped Bath Bombs!
- 20 Things You Never Knew About “Down There”
- 12 Best Foods For Those Suffering From Arthritis Pain
- 12 Personal Hygiene Mistakes Almost Everyone Makes (Mom Never Told You About #4!)
- 15 Medicinal Plants And Herbs From The Cherokee People
- 12 Mind-Blowing Benefits Of Drinking Coconut Water During Pregnancy
- 12 Outstanding Winter Foods That Won’t Fatten You Up Like A Christmas Turkey
Turmeric: The Most Powerful Medicinal Plant on the Planet
Photo credit: bigstock.com
4. Prevents and Relieves Arthritis Pain
In studies done with animals, curcumin has been shown to help prevent arthritis and to relieve joint pain for those who already have the disease. This is due to the anti-inflammatory compounds in turmeric. Studies done with rats showed that an extract of turmeric helped to have a positive effect on joint swelling and the reduction of pain in rats that had streptococcal cell wall-induced arthritis.
5. Fights Depression
Curcumin has even been shown to have some amazing benefits when it comes to fighting depression. In one small study, a group of 60 subjects were divided into 3 groups. One group took one gram of curcumin, the second group was given Prozac and the third group received both. After 6 weeks, it was found that the curcumin group had improvements in their depression that were similar to the Prozac group. The group that received both, however, fared the best. This was an extremely small study and more work should be done in this area, but it’s believed that curcumin can boost the levels of certain chemicals in the brain, reversing or improving depression.
6. Protection from Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia in the world. Among some of the unique things about this disease are the chronic inflammation of the neurons and the formation of amyloid-B plaque. Curcumin helps the white blood cells in the body fight invading pathogens and can help the body eliminate the formation of these plaques. Curcumin is also known to be highly anti-inflammatory and can pass through the blood/brain barrier, unlike many other substances.
A study done in 2006 used 6 subjects who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and gave them curcumin supplements and three other groups of six subjects that received placebo’s or no treatment. The group taking the curcumin showed improved plaque uptake and ingestion. Since amyloid plaques are known to cause oxidative damage to the brain, the free radicals caused by these plaques, can be nullified by the antioxidants in curcumin. Find out the truth about turmeric and Alzheimer’s disease.
7. Improves the Antioxidant Capacity of the Body
In the benefits listed above, you will notice that all of them include the mention of antioxidants. Oxidative damage, in addition to inflammation, is thought to be one of the main underlying causes behind many diseases, as well as the ageing process. This involves free radicals, which are highly reactive molecules with unpaired electrons. Free radicals react to, and damage, organic substances such as proteins, fatty acids, and DNA. Once DNA is damaged, cancer is usually sure to follow. Antioxidants, then, become extremely important since they protect the body from free radicals and kill them. The curcumin in turmeric is one of the most powerful antioxidants in Mother Nature. However, as if this weren’t wonderful enough, curcumin actually boosts the activity of your body’s own antioxidant enzymes. Think of this as a one two punch, fighting back and breaking down free radicals.
Continue to Page 5
Ellis Drewery
Aug 3, 2015 at 1:05 pm
I have been taking turmeric for a couple of years now….and I don’t see all the wonderful benefits attributed to this herb. I have had a multitude of inflammatory issues with my ankle, hip and hands. I take celery seed extract, garlic, ginger, tart cherry extract, and turmeric, and still see very little signs that they do very much good. I do not have Rheumatoid Arthritis, just the maladies of aging in my joints. In comparing the day to day maintenance use of herbals against the benefit that can be derived from just one prescription tablet for inflammation, it is easy to see how detractors might disparage the use of natural remedies.
ce373
Aug 10, 2015 at 4:04 pm
Have you tried Glucosamine Condroitin with MGM? I have been on it since I was 52 and now am 71.5 and Praise the Lord not one ache or pain in my body by taking usually only one pill a day.
Ellis Drewery
Sep 9, 2015 at 4:15 am
Thanks for the suggestion, ce373. Glucosamine and Chondroitin have been included in almost every joint formula in existence for a long time now. MSM is relatively new but, I have taken it also in the past. I am now taking a supplement with collagen, boswellia, white willow bark, ginger, and a host of others. I intend to give it a three month trial before passing judgement.
ce373
Sep 10, 2015 at 2:11 pm
Some experienced people say that if it isn’t working after a year, but some change has been experienced, one probably isn’t taking the right dosage.
Glen
Aug 3, 2015 at 2:54 pm
i take a half a teaspoon with my powdered fiber supplement every day. i`ve seen this article 3 or 4 times now and it never tells us how much of the actual spice is needed to gain the benefits. so the article is really no help. but i guess when you get paid by the word…..