Turmeric is one of the best spices in terms of health-promoting properties. It is also found under the names Indian saffron, long oyster, yellow ginger, yellow. An important advantage of turmeric is the high content of valuable antioxidants, which are a protective umbrella for us against harmful free radicals and show anti-aging effects. However, there is more to be said about the useful effects of turmeric on our health, as this spice can help us naturally fight many common ailments. What’s more, turmeric can be an extremely valuable ingredient for people aiming to slim their figure.

What are the most valuable properties of turmeric? Which of its effects are particularly worth paying attention to? How to use turmeric in your everyday diet? You will find the answers to these questions in the article below. We invite you to read it!

Turmeric is one of the most famous spices from Asian cuisine. It also has a centuries-old tradition in Chinese, Hindu and Arabic natural medicine. Due to its intense color, turmeric rhizome is also used as a natural dye, e.g. for fabrics.

Turmeric is extracted from the rhizome of a long-stemmed plant belonging to the ginger family. The plant grows naturally in India and is cultivated in many countries with tropical climates. The main active ingredient in turmeric is a polyphenolic compound called curcumin.

Turmeric has a distinctive, strong, orange-yellow colour, a specific, spicy, slightly muted scent, and a bitter, oriental taste. As a spice it is most often and commonly used in eastern cuisine, but it is also popular in other parts of the globe. It is so versatile when it comes to aroma and taste that it can be used with practically any dish, whether referring to Asian culinary art or another.

Turmeric is rich not only in flavor, but also in health-promoting properties. The most valued qualities of this spice include its anti-inflammatory and immune-supporting properties, but in terms of health, turmeric has many more advantages.

Turmeric is one of the leading botanicals helping to stimulate the immune system to more efficiently capture and neutralize harmful bacteria, fungi and viruses. This remarkable Asian spice effectively strengthens the body, adds vitality and helps build high immunity against various pathogens and allergens.

Thanks to curcumin present in turmeric, the process of multiplication of microorganisms is inhibited, which results in nipping infections in the bud and their much milder course. With equally high effectiveness, curcumin reduces inflammation occurring within various organs and tissues and having multiple causes. Thanks to these properties, turmeric can be helpful in fighting pain and arthritis, hepatitis, colds, flu, inflammatory lesions on the skin, respiratory infections, rheumatism, among others.

Turmeric, also thanks to the presence of curcumin, is a strong antioxidant, which means that its regular consumption constitutes an additional defense barrier against various civilization diseases, such as cancer (ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, intestinal cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, etc.), cardiovascular diseases, stroke, neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer, Parkinson, dementia).

As an antioxidant, turmeric eliminates harmful free radicals that destroy healthy cells in our body and contribute to faster aging processes and disease development. At the same time, it supports the process of regeneration of the body.

Turmeric acts prophylactically, reducing the risk of cancer, but also inhibits its development, if it has already appeared. It actively participates in the capture and destruction of cancer cells, prevents the growth of tumors and the formation of metastases.

Turmeric is known for its positive effects on digestion and its beneficial effects on the liver, pancreas and bile ducts.

It increases bile secretion, improves liver function and at the same time protects liver cells from damage (hepatoprotective effect). It is also extremely helpful in the process of detoxification of the liver, when it is overloaded and malfunctions (e.g. as a result of unhealthy or fatty diet, excess of alcohol or other drugs, etc.).

Due to the valuable properties of this plant, turmeric extracts are an important ingredient in many preparations improving liver function and supporting its regeneration after damage.

Turmeric also supports the functioning of the pancreas and improves food digestion. It stimulates the secretion of pancreatic enzymes and hormones regulating gastric and intestinal function, such as secretin and gastrin. By improving digestive function, turmeric prevents unpleasant ailments such as indigestion, constipation, flatulence, gas, lazy digestion, heartburn, belching, hyperacidity, diarrhea, stomach pains.

Moreover, turmeric prevents gallbladder disorders, relieves symptoms of Helicobacter pylori poisoning (effectively destroying this bacterium) and supports fighting digestive system diseases, such as stomach ulcers, Crohna disease, ulcerative colitis.

Turmeric regulates fat metabolism and normalizes blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Moreover, turmeric guards the proper carbohydrate metabolism in the body. It eliminates the phenomenon of sudden spikes in blood glucose after meals and increases cell sensitivity to insulin. Therefore, it is valuable for diabetics and people with insulin resistance.

An important area of turmeric’s health-promoting activity is its beneficial effect on joint structures. Ailments related to poor functioning of joints and excessive wear of some of their parts, e.g. cartilage, are nowadays a very common phenomenon resulting from overexertion, overload, frequent adoption of incorrect body posture, but also from overweight and obesity, sedentary lifestyle, lack of physical activity.

Regardless of the cause of joint ailments, turmeric can bring us great relief in pain and contribute to the reconstruction of damaged joints or cartilage. It fights inflammation within the joint, relieves swelling and redness, helps return to good physical fitness, improves joint mobility, reduces their stiffness and improves flexibility.

In addition to anti-inflammatory effects, turmeric has a protective effect on chondrocytes, i.e. cells guarding the proper functioning of cartilage and its efficient regeneration. Natural treatment with turmeric can be helpful both in case of degenerative changes, in case of strains and overloads, excessive exploitation of the joint, as well as during convalescence after injuries and traumas.

Turmeric also has great effects on the skin. It exhibits anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, light exfoliating, pore-cleansing, antiseptic, and antibacterial properties that can help us better deal with problematic skin. Regular use of turmeric can reduce or even completely cure acne lesions. It is also very helpful in the fight against hyperpigmentation. It reduces unsightly redness, spots, pigmentation changes and normalizes skin tone.

It also helps in problems such as acne scars, frequently appearing blackheads, rashes, eczema and psoriasis. The invaluable qualities in fighting skin ailments is a turmeric paste, which can be easily made by combining a little water with ground turmeric. Such a home-made specification will accelerate the regenerative processes and shorten the time of wound healing or the disappearance of eruptions.

Applied to the face, turmeric (especially in combination with other valuable ingredients) will also help us to generally improve the condition of the skin, make it brighter, firmer, and even visually take away a few years.

A good example of a homemade cosmetic is a mask with turmeric, kefir and oatmeal with a smoothing, nourishing, cleansing and wrinkle-reducing effect.

Other effective combinations of ingredients when it comes to homemade face or body masks are:

For those complaining of weak, lackluster, dull, damaged hair and an unbalanced scalp, turmeric can be an effective remedy!

Turmerichair mask is an easy and instant homemade cosmetic to prepare. Just mix some ground turmeric with some oily component such as olive oil, flaxseed oil, coconut oil, argan oil, jojoba oil or other. So obtained concoction apply to the hair and scalp, rinse in half an hour, then wash the hair.

Used from time to time, turmeric hair mask will give us the effect of smoothing, improve color, brighten, strengthen and accelerate hair growth, as well as normalize the pH and thoroughly cleanse the scalp and reduce seborrhea and dandruff, if you have such problems.

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Turmeric is among the most effective ways of natural accelerate metabolism. It helps burn calories supplied in food faster, supports fat metabolism and contributes to more efficient loss of fat tissue.

Whether used in tablets, as a home-made drinking concoction or as a spice, turmeric not only improves metabolism, but also stimulates detoxification of the body, freeing us from all harmful substances. It also stimulates food digestion processes, and most importantly prevents further fat storage.

An interesting property, especially for people with diabetes or pre-diabetes, may be the fact that the frequent use of turmeric in the diet contributes to the normalization of blood sugar levels and prevents its rapid fluctuation. Thanks to this property, we will be able to overcome the phenomenon of sudden attacks of unrestrained appetite and hunger, which makes it difficult to lead a healthy, dietetic lifestyle and demotivates in the pursuit of a dream figure.

Stabilization of blood sugar level is also a way to eliminate the habit of snacking and less frequent use of carbohydrates.

There are many turmeric tablets available on the market, often enriched with other ingredients depending on the type of preparation and the ailment it is supposed to treat. They are generally well effective.

However, if you do not want to take ready-made specifications, you can buy ground turmeric and prepare home-made compositions of it. Undoubtedly, they will bring us many health benefits, but we must remember to consume them regularly. Excellent are vegetable and fruit and vegetable cocktails with turmeric and water with turmeric with the addition of components enhancing its effects.

An extremely effective and proven duo is turmeric with pepper. Since turmeric alone is poorly absorbed and black pepper is known to improve the absorption of valuable bio-substances, including curcumin, it is worth using these ingredients together.

What’s more, curcumin from turmeric and piperine, which can be found in black pepper, are two powerful thermogenics, which should make weight loss sufferers curious. Thermogenics effectively speed up metabolism and allow you to lose unwanted pounds faster.

How to use turmeric? How to get the most effective weight loss and body cleansing properties of harmful substances and unnecessary waste products?

Drinking turmeric on an empty stomach, dissolved in a glass of water is a great way to boost your metabolism. You should use a little less than half a teaspoon of turmeric so that the taste of this mixture is not too intense. You can also add to it lemon juice or a bit of ginger grated (or in powdered form), which will increase the health-promoting effects of the drink. Turmeric as a spice is also good to use in salads and slimming smoothies.

The beneficial effects of turmeric can also be felt by adding it to meals. In its spice form, turmeric has a relatively neutral taste, which can be an advantage if you want to use it often and in different ways. In fact, turmeric can be used in almost any dish, starting with vegetable, meat, and pasta dishes, through soups, stuffings, pastes, spreads, and ending with groats and rice.

Detox, slimming, boosting immunity, improving health in various aspects – no matter for what purpose you want to make a turmeric treatment, it is worth using the following simple recipes:

Dissolve about 1/3 teaspoon of turmeric and the juice of half a lemon in a glass of water. Mix and drink it immediately. Consume in the morning or afternoon.

Boil 400 ml of water. Add 20g of grated ginger. Wait a few minutes, strain. To the cooled liquid add half a level teaspoon of turmeric and a tablespoon of modulus. Divide the drink into 2 portions. One consume in the morning, the second in the afternoon.

Prepare 300 ml of lukewarm water. Pour 1/3 teaspoon of turmeric and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Add the juice of 1 small lemon. Stir thoroughly and drink. Consume in the morning or around noon.