Turmeric: Properties and Benefits to Health!

From ancient years to these days, spices are used everyday in different parts of the world, not only for the special taste they give to food but also for the miraculous properties they have in our health! If there is  one that stands out among them is turmeric!

What is turmeric?

Curcuma or turmeric or Curcuma longa is a spice that comes from the homonymous plant. Its use is widespread mainly in Asian countries, but is now widely used throughout the world. The characteristic yellow color gives it a distinctive appearance in the food, while its Unique flavor leaves a warmth to anyone who tries it. But what is it that makes it stand out and why is it so beneficial to our health?

Curcuma: properties

Curcumin is the main active ingredient of turmeric and has strong properties. In Ayurveda, the traditional Indian medicine, as long as in the Chinese one, turmeric is used for a variety of health conditions, especially for the treatment of inflammation and chronic pain. Now the West has begun to study turmeric and its beneficial properties. But what are these and in which cases can we find it useful?

Osteoarthritis. Several studies show that turmeric either alone or in combination with other herbs can help with osteoarthritis. As Doctor Arseniou Bartholomeos has stated, “it has been observed that turmeric reduces pain and improves movement in people with osteoarthritis. Many patients experience improvement in walking and climbing stairs.” In some studies, turmeric worked well with some drugs (1).

Cholesterol. Curcumin can improve cholesterol levels by reducing “bad” LDL cholesterol and hintering its oxidation, thus preventing plaque formation in the arteries (2).

High fever. Curcumin, the active substance of turmeric, seems to reduce the symptoms of high fever such as nose congestion, itching, runny nose, and so on.

Liver protection. Turmeric is also a powerful antioxidant, and therefore seems to protect the liver from harmful toxins.

Normal digestion. Curcuma, except that it gives flavor to the food, it also helps in digesting it! According to Dr. Arseniou Bartholomeos “Curcuma contributes to normal digestion thanks to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Although Ayurveda has been used for centuries as an ancillary digestive agent, West medicine has recently begun to study the role of turmeric in the treatment of inflammation in the intestine and gut permeability, two factors that affect the efficacy of digestion”. This spice is also investigated for its contribution to irritable bowel syndrome (3).

Now, we can find turmeric not only in powder form, but also as a nutritional supplement in liquid form or in a capsule. Often it is combined with piperine, the active substance of pepper, which helps to maximize the absorption and bioavailability of curcumin in the body.

At Vita4you.gr you will find a wide variety of products with turmeric, as long as turmeric with pepper!

We thank Dr Arseniou Bartholomeos for collaboration, general practitioner in Family Medicine, specialist in Asyra Pro of G.Tech. USA, membership of the British Medcal Aqupuncture Society!