turmeric benefits Archives - Family Health Advocacy

You probably know turmeric as the bright yellow spice in your cabinet with a peppery and slightly bitter taste. What you may not know is that aside from adding flavour to your curry, turmeric has a wide array of health and wellness benefits. An herb native to South Asia but grown all over the world, turmeric is used in many different ways. Because of its natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, its medical uses to fight disease, aging, and other ailments are myriad. Below you’ll find some of the incredible health benefits of turmeric.

1.Turmeric Is a Natural Anti-Inflammatory

The active ingredient within turmeric is called curcumin. Curcumin has proven anti-inflammatory properties, meaning it blocks the action of inflammatory molecules within the body. While inflammation is a necessary immune response wherein chemicals from your white blood cells ward off unwelcome invaders such as infections or foreign bodies, it can have detrimental long-term effects, including heart disease and cancer. Curcumin has been shown to have positive effects for people suffering from several inflammatory diseases.

2.Turmeric May Grow Your Brain

While turmeric’s distinctive yellow color adds vibrancy to any dish, its components are also food for your brain. Curcumin may increase brain levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF, a protein which plays a role in memory and learning. Decreased levels of BDNF have been shown in patients with depression and Alzheimer’s. While studies showing the positive benefits of curcumin to brain development have mainly been done on animals, they are certainly promising for humans as well.

3.Curcumin Is a Powerful Antioxidant

You may have heard of the benefits of antioxidants – but what do they actually do? Antioxidants protect your body against free radicals, which are unstable molecules that react with other healthy components in your body, like fatty acids, proteins, and DNA. These reactions can accelerate harmful processes in your body, such as aging and illness. The structure of curcumin in turmeric allows it to neutralize these harmful free radicals and thus promote your overall health.

4.Curcumin Fights Multiple Forms of Arthritis

Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, curcumin is a great tool in reducing the pain, stiffness, and inflammation associated with both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, the most common forms of arthritis. As recently as August 2021, a study showed that patients suffering from osteoarthritis taking a 1000 mg mixture including 75% curcumin exhibited a significant improvement in physical function compared to a control group. Similar results were also found in a group suffering from swollen joints due to rheumatoid arthritis.

5.Turmeric and Curcumin Have Anti-Cancer Benefits

There have been many studies of turmeric in patients with various types of cancer, both taken orally and as a topical treatment. Overall, its anti-inflammatory property is useful because cancer is characterized by uncontrolled cell growth, and research in mice has shown turmeric can be effective in slowing this growth. In addition to fighting cancerous cells, benefits have also been shown in reducing the various symptoms and ailments that come along with cancer and its treatments. Turmeric and curcumin have also shown potential as preventative for certain cancers. Oftentimes for the specific treatment of these symptoms, additional supplements may be needed to help the body better absorb the curcumin.

6.Turmeric May Promote Healthy Skin

In addition to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, curcumin is also antimicrobial, meaning it reduces growth of certain types of bacteria. This is good news for your skin. While more research is needed to prove long-term effectiveness, preliminary studies showed a statistically significant improvement in skin conditions including acne, alopecia, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and vitiligo with topical and oral use of turmeric and curcumin.

7.Turmeric Can Protect You from Heart Disease

It’s widely known that heart disease is the number one cause of death around the world. While many different factors contribute to heart disease, curcumin has shown a positive effect in improving the health of the membrane that covers the inside of your heart and blood vessels, helping to regulate blood pressure. In one study, taking curcumin was as effective in a certain group of women as 8 weeks of aerobic exercise. While more research should be done, these are promising results showing the potential for curcumin in the treatment and prevention of heart disease.

https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/turmeric

https://www.nuffieldhealth.com/article/the-health-benefits-of-turmeric

https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/diet/scientific-health-benefits-turmeric-curcumin/

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-turmeric#TOC_TITLE_HDR_7

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27213821/

Dr. Casey Sinclair, CFMP, DC

Dr. Casey Sinclair, D.C. is a leading holistic healthcare doctor trained in functional medicine. He has extended his reach around the world by co-founding Family Health Advocacy, a health advocacy group lead by doctors and health professionals providing resources and education on global health matters. He has been fortunate to act as health a consultant to some of the largest companies in North America and as a professional speaker he’s had the privilege of speaking to thousands of people. Dr. Casey is an advocate for people suffering with chronic pain and fibromyalgia and has authored a book on the subject.

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The opioid crisis is responsible for approximately 115 deaths a DAY in America alone. These are very frightening statistics! Therefore let’s discuss a safer solution, natural pain relief in the form of turmeric.

Fibromyalgia is believed to be a chronic disorder. It’s known to cause widespread tenderness and pain throughout the body. The condition is believed to be inflammatory and autoimmune; affecting the muscular and nervous system.

At this time, there is no conclusive laboratory test to confirm the diagnosis. The pain can be caused by over-stimulation of nerve cells. Increased levels of anxiety which is associated with fibromyalgia; will signal chemical stimulation from the brain. In time, the muscles become oversensitive to these signals.

In addition to pain and tenderness, fibromyalgia can cause:

Fatigue
Morning stiffness
Numbness
Headaches
Depression
Anxiety

These symptoms may limit one’s ability to perform daily activities. This in turn can affect their quality of life. While the causes of this condition aren’t clear, it is believed that stress, trauma, and genetics may contribute to the development of fibromyalgia.

Many people have turned to anti-depressants and pain relievers with the hope of easing their fatigue and pain, and relaxing their muscles. However, today let’s look at a natural approach that can help people with fibromyalgia. Let’s talk about Turmeric!

What Is Turmeric?

Turmeric is a yellow spice that is found in curry-spice blends. It is closely related to ginger and is primarily found in cuisines such as:

Indian
Moroccan
Thai

Furthermore, turmeric has long been used in the practice of Ayurvedic medicine.

The health benefits of turmeric have been well documented. Much of it is due to its main compound and key active ingredient, curcumin. Curcumin has proven to possess anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and neuroprotective healing properties.

So, here are some of the advantages of using turmeric for patients who have fibromyalgia.

1. Natural Pain Relief

Fibromyalgia sufferers can experience severe pain in their muscles. In fact for some, it can affect their muscle function. Therefore, in many instances, people turn to a variety of medications which are harmful in the long run. (1)(2)(3)

For example, over-the-counter pain medications can cause toxicity in the liver. (4) Therefore, a safer alternative to pain medications is turmeric for natural pain relief.

Turmeric is believed to have a strong analgesic effect on the body. This is due to the presence of curcumin; a compound that is known to help relieve pain. (5) It is also believed to be more effective than other antioxidants when it comes to relieving pain.

Fibromyalgia pain occurs as a result of neural stimulation, which isn’t easy to treat. Activation of BDNF increases pain signals throughout the body. Thus, increasing pain sensitivity in the muscles. Research indicates that curcumin is successful in alleviating neuropathic pain. (6)

2. Turmeric Is An Excellent Anti-depressant

Depression and anxiety are some of the common symptoms of Fibromyalgia. In many cases, anti-depressants are prescribed. However, many people do not have the desired response to them. Another concern is that they pose a health risk. This has led to a growing number of people looking for a natural alternative in turmeric.

Turmeric is considered one of the safest and efficient ways to help depression-related illness. Additionally, it’s believed to relieve depression arising from neurological disturbances. The presence of monoamine oxidase in the brain is responsible for most neurological disorders. Turmeric shows anti-depressant effects that inhibit the function of this protein in the brain. (7)

3. Helps In Improving Memory And Cognitive Functions

Patients who have Fibromyalgia often experience “fibro frog” (8), decreased concentration, cognitive function, and poor memory. The active ingredient in turmeric is neuroprotective; thus it’s believed to enhance memory and cognitive abilities. It can also improve brain function by restoring or reversing impaired cognition. (9)

4. Use Turmeric For Inflammation

While the exact cause of fibromyalgia is not known. It’s believed that there is an inflammatory and neuropathic pain component leading to neuro-inflammation. (10) Research indicates the use of turmeric for inflammation which has been shown to be beneficial in eliminating pain in patients who have fibromyalgia. (11)(12)

For further reading, click here to read, Natural Health Relief For Fibromyalgia Sufferers Also, click here to learn more about The Amazing Health Benefits of Cooking with Turmeric.

You’re one step closer.

References