A lot of foods, herbs, and spices get thrown around as superfoods, but turmeric may be one of the best for health benefits. If you want to know the right way and dosage to take turmeric to get the most out of it, this article will get you up to speed.
What Is Turmeric?
It is a spice you may have used many times for cooking and is distinguishable by its bright orange/yellow color. It’s commonly used in Asian food, so if that’s one of your favorite styles of cuisine, you’ve definitely eaten it at some point. It’s often used in curries and has a slightly bitter, but warm and peppery flavor that stands out well in many dishes.
Turmeric is used to give color to things like mustards, curry powders, and even butter and cheeses. If you’re looking for the best ways to take turmeric, it will often involve eating it!
The turmeric plant is a flowering plant that’s related to the ginger family and it’s the roots that get used in cooking. It’s native to India and Southeast Asia and grows in warmer climates.
To make the powder, they boil parts of the plant in water for 30-40 minutes and then they dry it in hot ovens. After this, they are ground into the deep orange/yellow powder you are familiar with.
Curcumin and Its Health Benefits
We have used this powerful spice for thousands of years and we’re learning again how beneficial it can be to health and how to best use it. Turmeric has been a big part of traditional Chinese medicine and its use continues to this day.
The health benefits come from the chemical curcumin and this, along with some other chemicals, making it a combatant against inflammation. This curcumin, along with other bioactive compounds give turmeric the many health benefits it provides.
How to Take Turmeric & What Dosage Do You Need?
Taking the powder will be the easiest and most convenient way for you to take turmeric. It’s easy to add into most dishes but can also easily be mixed into smoothies and drinks. Turmeric powder is easy to find in not only health food shops but regular grocery stores. Moreover, it is inexpensive and keeps for a long time.
You can also find it in capsule form from health supplement stores. It’s been advised to add black pepper along with turmeric when possible as it’s seen to increase the curcumin absorption.
You can make a great cleansing “tea“ by mixing 1/2 a fresh-squeezed lemon and turmeric powder into some warm water. You should stir it well and can add a little honey in if you want to take away the bitterness.
As far as dosage, to get the great anti-inflammatory benefits, you want around 500mg of curcumin a day and up to 2000 mg if you have certain ailments. One teaspoon of turmeric powder contains around 200 grams of curcuminoids so getting in at least 2-3 teaspoons a day is a good goal.
Because of turmeric’s anti-inflammatory properties, you can take a bit more with dosages around 1000-1400 mg for conditions like osteoarthritis or if you’re trying to lower cholesterol. You want to check with your doctor if you’re looking to include it to combat specific conditions.
There are certain people who may need to stay away from it especially if you’re pregnant, have gallbladder issues, kidney stones, diabetes, or an iron deficiency.
So having looked at ways to take turmeric, and the best dosages, what other health conditions can it help with?
1. It Can Lower High Cholesterol
As mentioned above, turmeric can help lower cholesterol along with lowering your triglyceride levels as well.
2. It Can Help Manage Osteoarthritis
So many problems in the body can be caused by inflammation and osteoarthritis is right at the top of the list. Turmeric can help to reduce pain and improve function in the joints. In this research, turmeric was seen to work as well as ibuprofen.
3. May Help In Non-Alcohol Liver Disease
Taking turmeric extract can reduce the markers of liver injury in people who have a liver disease not caused by alcohol. It has also been seen to prevent the build-up of more fat in the liver with people who have this condition.
A high sugar and refined carb diet have been seen to be involved in this same fatty- non-alcohol – liver issue. This is just another reason to cut these things from your diet and be careful when it comes to alcohol.
4. It May Help With Depression
This surprises many people, but there is a lot of research showing that curcumin can help reduce depression symptoms.
5. It Increases Your Body’s Antioxidant Capacity
The damage that can come from free radicals is serious and can not only lead to DNA damage but premature aging. Antioxidants combat these free radicals and curcumin is a potent antioxidant. The amazing thing is not only can curcumin block free radicals – it helps to stimulate your bodies to own antioxidant defense.
Final Thoughts
Turmeric really is a super food and besides the things listed above it can also help with:
- Heartburn
- Crohn’s disease
- Stomach Bloating
- Loss of appetite
- Ulcers
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Bronchitis
- Hay fever
- Lung infections
The list just keeps going. And since it’s so easy to find, inexpensive, and easy to use it makes sense to incorporate this wonder spice into your diet. As usual, check with your doctor about any serious conditions and don’t leave diagnosis up to yourself.
You can see from the above how easy it is to take turmeric to enjoy its health benefits.
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