Don't just consume it, these are the benefits of turmeric that you should know
KONTAN.CO.ID – JAKARTA. Apart from being a cooking spice, turmeric is used as an ingredient in herbal medicine. These are the health benefits of turmeric that you must know.
Turmeric is no stranger to the people of this country. Generally, turmeric is used as a cooking spice, herbal ingredients, and herbal medicine.
No wonder turmeric has many good benefits for health. It seems that the benefits of turmeric are well known abroad. Several studies in the Western world have proven the various benefits of turmeric.
Also Read: Watch out! Excessive consumption of turmeric can be bad for your health
From its history, turmeric is an orange spice imported from India. Turmeric is part of the ginger family and has been a staple in Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian cuisine for thousands of years.
In addition, ayuverda and Chinese medicines use turmeric to clear infections and inflammation on the inside and outside of the body.
Recently Western medical practitioners have come to recognize the benefits of turmeric, as reported by the Mother Nature Network (25/9/2019).
1. Inhibits the growth of cancer cells
According to doctors at UCLA, curcumin (turmeric) is found to be the main active ingredient in turmeric. Curcumin exists to block an enzyme that promotes cancer growth in the head and neck.
In his research, there were 21 people who had cancer in the head and neck. They were then asked to take two tablets containing 1,000 milligrams of curcumin.
The results of an evaluation in an independent laboratory in Maryland found that an enzyme that promotes cancer in the patient’s mouth is inhibited by curcumin.
Even so, the curcumin in turmeric can prevent the spread of malignant (cancer) cells.
2. Strong antioxidants
The University of Maryland Medical Center also stated that the antioxidant properties present in turmeric curcumin are very strong in fighting cancer-causing free radicals.
In addition, in this initial study, curcumin has been shown to help prevent several types of cancer including prostate, skin and colon.
3. Lowering the risk of Alzheimer’s
In a study in the American journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, curcumin was found to improve memory and mood swings in people suffering from mild cases of memory loss.
The researchers involved 40 adults aged between 50-90 years. Participants were asked to take kurkurmin or placebo pills for 18 months.
In the results shown, the memory and attention of participants who took the curcumin pill increased by 20 percent. However, it is not clear why turmeric improves memory.
However, doctors believe this is because spices in general have anti-inflammatory properties.
“This may be due to turmeric’s ability to reduce brain inflammation, which is what has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease and major depression,” said Gary Small of UCLA told NDTV.
4. As an anti-inflammatory (anti-inflammatory)
The medical director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, Randy J Horwitz, in a paper at the American Academy of Pain Management provides information on the health benefits of turmeric.
“Turmeric is one of the most potent natural anti-inflammatory (anti-inflammatory) drugs,” Horwitz said in a newspaper.
In a study at the University of Arizona, researchers conducted experiments on the effects of turmeric on mice with injected rheumatoid arthritis.
Rheumatoid arthritis is inflammation of the joints caused by the immune system attacking its own tissues. Pretreatment with turmeric actually inhibited the onset of rheumatoid arthritis in mice and also saw a significant reduction in symptoms.
In addition, several other studies have shown that curcumin will relieve symptoms of uveitis or long-term inflammation in the middle layer of the eye.
Also, consuming turmeric every day for several months can improve kidney function for people with kidney inflammation.
5. Osteoarthritis pain relief
Osteoarthritis is a condition in which the joints feel painful as a result of mild inflammation that arises from friction on the ends of the bones that make up the joints.
Several studies have shown that taking turmeric extract can relieve osteoarthritis pain. In one study that reports WebMD, turmeric worked as well as ibuprofen for relieving osteoarthritis pain.
6. Relieves indigestion and heartburn
At this time you don’t need to be complicated if you experience indigestion and also feel heartburn in the stomach. The reason is, the curcumin in turmeric will work with bile, then stimulate the bile to work optimally, and will help digestion.
Even in Germany, turmeric is prescribed for indigestion problems. In several other studies, turmeric can help problems to reduce stomach problems, flatulence and gas in the stomach.
In addition, turmeric can also help reduce the occurrence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in healthy people.
7. Suppress heart disease and diabetes
Research shows curcumin can help prevent plaque buildup. This is good because plaque buildup in general can clog arteries and lead to heart attacks and strokes.
Early research suggests that taking turmeric every day might reduce the number of people with prediabetes. Prediabetes is a condition when blood sugar levels have exceeded normal limits but have not been categorized as type 2 diabetes. (Ellyvon Pranita)
Also Read: Turmeric for herbal stomach acid medicine, here are the rules for consumption
This article was published on Kompas.com with the title “7 Benefits of Turmeric Recognized by Western Research”,