10 Benefits of Curcumin
Curcumin… have you heard of Curcumin? What is it? With all of the different types of spices and herbs available in the market it’s easy to mix up the names! Curcumin is actually an active ingredient that is derived from turmeric, which is a plant. This plant is very common and popular in Asia and Central America and can be found in many of the local cultural cuisines.
Other common names for turmeric include the Golden Spice and Indian Saffron due to its bright yellow roots. Curcumin has been recently under the spotlight for its amazing natural benefits that it offers to health and wellness.
Curcumin Benefit #1: Anti-inflammatory
Inflammation is when our immune system responds to a signal in our body that may be caused by a wound or illness. It’s a natural defense mechanism that our body goes through and performs. However, inflammation can cause problems if it’s persistent for long periods of time. Inflammation can lead to certain diseases such as heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and more.
Curcumin has very strong anti-inflammatory properties that can even compete with anti-inflammatory drugs. Curcumin can be easily sprinkled into your daily diet to add a little spice and color to your taste buds all the while reaping the anti-inflammatory benefits.
Curcumin Benefit #2: Antioxidant
Illness and sickness is what we want to avoid but without a good immune system we are all vulnerable. Curcumin is an excellent source of antioxidants and will kick your immune system into hyperspace. Antioxidants are awesome for preventing any diseases such as heart disease and keeping away any infections.
Antioxidants are what stop oxidation from happening and free radicals from being released into your body which will then eventually lead to chaos. You can get your fix of antioxidants from eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. In this case, Curcumin, which is derived from turmeric, is all you need since this substance is jam packed with antioxidants.
Curcumin Benefit #3: Brain Power
The brain is what gives each human our individuality. How we think, act, and even function are determined by the little organ just inside our noggins. It’s scary to think that any damage to the brain could lead to major consequences. Everyday our brains are regenerating and growing new cells.
However, with the inevitable powers of time, our brains slowly start to lose its ability to grow brain cells fast. Some of us may even develop brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. Curcumin can increase the functions of a certain growth hormone in your brain. Decreased levels of this hormone have been linked to developing Alzheimer’s disease. Adding Curcumin to your diet can increase levels of this growth hormone which limits the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease later on.
Curcumin Benefit #4: All For The Heart
Your heart is what gives you the beat of your step. If you’re a romantic, your heart is what gives you the emotions and the moods of happiness and true love. Your heart is what keeps your blood pumping throughout your body. Without your heart, you would not be able to survive. Unfortunately, your heart can get sick and develop illnesses such as heart disease.
This could be due to a lot of factors like obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, lifestyle choices, etc. Curcumin has repairing properties that are able to repair the lining of blood vessels and keep your heart strong.
Curcumin Benefit #5: Digestion
We’ve all had stomach problems at some point in our lives and it’s never any fun. Not many people realize the importance of our digestive systems. The food that we eat and digest are what supplies our bodies with nutrients. However, if our digestive system has a problem, then our bodies will not be able to get the proper nourishment it needs.
This could lead to a lot of deficiencies in vitamins and minerals that are needed by our body to function. With Curcumin’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, the gut will be able to perform its duties without any complications.
Curcumin Benefit #6: Depression
Depression is not something that should be taken lightly. Depression can have many factors that go into the cause and everyone’s story with depression is different. There are many different remedies and methods to try and handle your depression that range from meditation to acupuncture.
Curcumin may be something to try out and the easiness of this method is to simply incorporate it into your daily diet. Curcumin was found to be on the same level of effectiveness as prescription antidepressant medications. Also, Curcumin has properties that increase the levels of a growth hormone in the brain that can aid in the reversal of depression.
Curcumin Benefit #7: Arthritis
Arthritis is pain in the joints caused from aging or even be triggered from an injury or illness. Arthritis can be present in the fingers, wrists, hips, knees, feet, etc. There are over 100 types of arthritis and also different categories. For example, the two most common forms of arthritis are rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.
Rheumatoid arthritis affects the hands and the feet and is an autoimmune disease. Osteoarthritis usually affects the knees, hips, and hands and occurs with aging situations. Curcumin with its anti-inflammatory properties is able to aid in those who suffer from arthritis and help relieve pain.
Curcumin Benefit #8: Living For Your Liver
Your liver is one of the most important organs in your body. It is able to regenerate and repair itself if the damages are minimal enough. The reason why your liver is so important is because it handles all the filtration of the blood removing all the toxins. It also helps with drug metabolism and clears out all toxic chemicals from entering your blood circulation.
Curcumin can help aid the function and maintenance of your liver by its antioxidant properties. Its ability to inhibit and oxidize in the body helps keep any damage from happening to your liver and the rest of your body.
Curcumin Benefit #9: Chronic Diseases
Chronic disease has a long list of names under its belt. A few of them include heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cancers, etc. Fortunately, a few of these are actually classified as Lifestyle Diseases and can actually be prevented by the choices we make that involve how we eat and our physical activity. Curcumin has properties that include antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.
These will be able to aid in fighting and preventing any age-related diseases. Even chronic diseases that can’t be prevented from our choices, like Alzheimer’s disease, may even be tackled by Curcumin.
Curcumin Benefit #10: Pain Relief
Pain hurts whether you have a high tolerance or not. It still sends signals to our brain to register this feeling as pain. Our bodies then react to this, whether through the fight-or-flight response or inflammation. Curcumin has been used as a pain reliever remedy even being compared to mainstream household names such as Advil and Tylenol. Curcumin can be taken to even help relieve the pains of arthritis.
Maybe you’re looking for a natural way to relieve pain and are avoiding the dependency of Tylenol. Or maybe you’re having a flare up in your joints and just don’t have any pain medication nearby. Know that Curcumin is an effective pain reliever.
