Turmeric
is special among herbs
Very
good
antioxidant, anti cancer (anticarcinogenic) - overall tonic
(Curcuma longa) Curcumin in curcuma longa is the
principal curcuminoid of the popular Indian Turmeric.
We now
know that much of the aging process is a direct result of
free-radical damage and oxidation to the body on a cellular level.
The
key to slowing down the natural aging process is to introduce something
to the body that has the opposite
balancing effect of oxidation, and
thank
goodness there is such a thing! These
agents have been appropriately
named antioxidants.
The
herb turmeric has been used for thousands of years to impart a
wonderful fragrant flavor to meats, poultry and rice, and at the same
time it was used in ancient medicinal systems like Ayurveda for joint
concerns and all kinds of intestinal problems.
However,
it wasn’t until
recent times that health experts came to understand why
turmeric is so effective for promoting health. They’re now discovering
that the very pigments that give turmeric its distinct yellow hue are
the primary source of its substantial power. These brightly colored
polyphenols are called curcuminoids, and they are proving to be more
effective than vitamins C and E, beta-carotene and even the OPCs in
grapeseed and pine bark extracts for gobbling up free radicals, which
are unstable oxygen molecules that eventually cause deterioration in
health.
What areas
of health does turmeric help in particular?
I
doubt there is a cell in your body that wouldn’t
profit from turmeric, but specific areas where considerable benefits
have been documented are the joints, the liver, the digestive system,
the nerves and the cardiovascular system. Turmeric also sensitizes
cortisol receptor sites, encouraging this hormone to move out of the
blood, which is critical to keeping all body tissues from aging,
including facial skin. This spicy herb even helps relieve menstrual
pain. No wonder people call it the gold standard in the world of herbs
and spices!
Curcumin is king
of the natural anti-inflammatory agents. Dr. Russell Blaylock insists
it's equal to steroids, yet completely safe. Since inflammation is at
the root of most, if not all, disease, the value of this yellow
spice
is obvious. Use it liberally in cooking and take supplements of it. As
much as you can stand, it's that good for you. Curcumin stimulates
wound healing and protects the brain from degeneration, too.
How does it
help the joints?
Turmeric doesn’t work like glucosamine to rebuild cartilage, but it
works well with
it because it really helps to make joints feel comfortable. Studies
have shown that it is absorbed by the body especially well when paired
with the pineapple enzyme bromelain.
So, if you try turmeric for your joints, I suggest using it along with
a bromelain supplement.
What it does for the liver.
Well,
your
thinking is right on track, and no
doubt many of us should
give more consideration to our livers because they regularly work
overtime, cleansing and detoxifying all the foods and chemicals we eat
and breathe in. Turmeric has demonstrated some amazing abilities
to
help the liver eliminate dangerous toxins, and animal studies have
shown that when fed curcuminoids (an active compound in turmeric), the
animals have higher than average blood levels of the enzyme glutathione
S-transferase, which is the key antioxidant the liver makes to detoxify
our bodies. That’s a huge benefit right there! Turmeric also stimulates
the flow of bile to help digest fats, so it’s easy to understand why it
was used as a digestive aid in times past.
Cardiovascular health.
Turmeric helps to
digest fat, as previously
stated. According to Ann Louise Gittleman (The Fat Flush Plan),
it is also a lipotropic agent, meaning that it helps prevent excess fat
buildup and it thins or emulsifies fat for easy movement through the
bloodstream. This action has enormous significance for heart health, as
it helps keep veins clear and open, promotes healthy levels of LDL
cholesterol and helps to maintain blood pressure already within the
healthy range.
Nerve
health?
This is
especially exciting, because up until now,
there wasn’t much
progress in this area of research. However, preliminary studies show
that turmeric preserves the myelin sheath encasing our nerves by
reducing the IL-2 protein that can destroy it, and this is highly
important for those concerned about nerve health.
|
|
