Turmeric and healing

Sometimes called “the Indian solid gold”, with properties that help prevent Alzheimer’s disease and common types of cancer, turmeric is fast becoming a superstar spice.
Turmeric gets its bright yellow pigment from an ingredient called curcumin, which is the essential part that gives turmeric its Alzheimer’s and cancer fighting power.
This spice originates from tropical South Asia, and is extremely popular in India. Studies have shown that the cancer and Alzheimer’s rates in India is 10-20 times less than that of Americans.
 So why is this spice so “super?”  The orange root of the turmeric plant contains polyphenol compounds called circuminoids.
Ciruminoids have extremely strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which are the properties that fight Alzheimer’s and common cancer.
 They have been shown to decrease brain tumor size in animals by 81 percent in more than 9 studies.
Researchers at UCLA have even found that curcumin is able to block cancer growth.
 The spice has also been shown to help prevent breast cancer. Curcumin has been found to possess properties that reduce the expression of deadly molecules within cancer cells, and can potentially slow the spread of breast cancer.
 Turmeric powder has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties comparable to steroidal and non-steroidal drugs (e.g., aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen). This also makes it an ideal antiseptic used in home remedies for wounds.
 It reduces the inflammation, oxidation, and amyloid plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
 It acts as a powerful antioxidant whose free-radical-scavenging activity exceeds that of vitamin C and most polyphenols, including vitamin E and the catechins in tea and the and flavanols in cocoa and dark chocolate.
 It protects the cardiovascular system by lowering triglyceride and cholesterol levels, reversing cell-membrane damage, and inhibiting inflammation and platelet aggregation.

Turmeric

Turmeric, an orange-colored spice imported from India, is part the ginger family and has been a staple in Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian cooking for thousands of years.

In addition, ayurvedic and Chinese medicines utilize turmeric to clear infections and inflammations on the inside and outside of the body. But beyond the holistic health community, Western medical practitioners have only recently come on board in recognizing the benefits of turmeric.

Blocking cancer
Doctors at UCLA recently found that curcumin, the main component in turmeric, appeared to block an enzyme that promotes the growth of head and neck cancer.

In that study, 21 subjects with head and neck cancers chewed two tablets containing 1,000 milligrams of curcumin.  An independent lab in Maryland evaluated the results and found that the cancer-promoting enzymes in the patients’ mouths were inhibited by the curcumin and thus prevented from advancing the spread of the malignant cells.

Powerful antioxidant
The University of Maryland’s Medical Center also states that turmeric’s powerful antioxidant properties fight cancer-causing free radicals, reducing or preventing some of the damage they can cause.

While more research is necessary, early studies have indicated that curcumin may help prevent or treat several types of cancer including prostate, skin and colon.

Potent anti-inflammatory
Dr. Randy J. Horwitz, the medical director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine and an assistant professor of clinical medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson, wrote a paper for the American Academy of Pain Management in which he discussed the health benefits of turmeric.

“Turmeric is one of the most potent natural anti-inflammatories available,” Horwitz states in the paper.

He went on to cite a 2006 University of Arizona study that examined the effect of turmeric on rats with injected rheumatoid arthritis. According to Horwitz, pretreatment with turmeric completely inhibited the onset of rheumatoid arthritis in the rats. In addition, the study found that using turmeric for pre-existing rheumatoid arthritis resulted in a significant reduction of symptoms.

“Raw is best”
Natalie Kling, a Los Angeles-based nutritionist, says she first learned about the benefits of turmeric while getting her degree from the Natural Healing Institute of Neuropathy. “As an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antiseptic, it’s a very powerful plant,” she says.

Kling recommends it to clients for joint pain and says that when taken as a supplement, it helps quickly. She advises adding turmeric to food whenever possible and offers these easy tips. “Raw is best,” she said. “Sprinkling it on vegetables or mixing it into dressings is quick and effective.”

If you do cook it, make sure to use a small amount of healthy fat like healthy coconut oil to maximize flavor.  Kling also recommends rubbing turmeric on meat and putting it into curries and soups.

“It’s inexpensive, mild in taste, and benefits every system in the body,” Kling says. "Adding this powerful plant to your diet is one of the best things you can do for long term health.”
 

Use of turmeric in natural healing - discover the benefits to the health of the grass of turmeric

On the day of today, and age, people are trying to live a healthier, fuller life. They engage in sports and activities they really love to do or have a passion for.

At the same time, people try to work-out in a gym or drink health supplements to improve their health and their bodies. These health supplements are designed to meet the nutritional needs of the person. But did you know that a natural herb is designed to help people to lead the battle against aging and disease?

This herb is turmeric, which is a plant or shrub that resides in several parts of Asia. Since turmeric helps people become healthier in many respects, today the benefits of the use of turmeric in natural healing are seriously researched.

Here are some health benefits that turmeric has.

A vital use in natural healing turmeric is that it can act as a natural detoxifier for your body. Because this plant contains antioxidants that help the body detoxify itself, it eliminates bacteria  and other dangerous substances that may be resident in your body. In a way, it also  acts as  a starter for your body to start cleaning and detoxing.

Another turmeric use in natural healing is that it also has anti-inflammatory properties. As an anti-inflammatory agent, this plant helps to mitigate or reduce inflammation to occur on or in your body.

He said that, in ancient times, people used turmeric in  natural healing.

There must be a reason why the use of natural plant of turmeric has been used in many ancient cultures. Doctors or medicine of the olden times would use turmeric on their patients to treat them and help them heal.

There are additional benefits for the use of turmeric in natural healing. The effective way that turmeric treats health conditions  is a testament to why people use it.