It’s no doubt that spices can improve our lives by adding flavor and fun to our food, but the health benefits found from regular consumption of certain spices are certainly worth considering. While regularly including spices in your cooking can be helpful to your well-being, many people choose to up the ante by taking supplements to get the full effect.

One of our favorite spices for its health benefits is turmeric. This yellow spice is responsible for the signature golden color of curry and often confused with saffron. Turmeric is actually a root plant and considered part of the ginger family. Like ginger, turmeric is particularly notable for its antioxidant and anti inflammatory properties. There are many reasons why people are starting to consume more turmeric - here are a few of them.

Check Out These Benefits Of Turmeric

Turmeric as an Anti Inflammatory

Turmeric has a long history of medicinal use, particularly in Indian cultures. One of the main components of turmeric is the compound curcumin, which is notable for its powerful anti inflammatory properties. Inflammation has been linked to numerous diseases, including heart disease, cancer, and metabolic syndrome, to name just a few. Western medicine is beginning to study certain spices, such as ginger and turmeric, for the potential impact their anti inflammatory properties can have on sufferers of joint pain and osteoarthritis. 

Turmeric for Pain Relief

Because turmeric has such strong anti inflammatory properties, some people prefer turmeric for pain relief, instead of aspirin or ibuprofen! One study even showed evidence that turmeric may work as well for knee pain relief as typical over-the-counter treatments. Additionally, while ginger is often used to relieve stomach discomfort, the anti inflammatory properties may have even more of an impact on a variety of stomach and digestive disorders. 

Turmeric for Antioxidants

In addition to its anti inflammatory properties, the compound curcumin is known for its ability to neutralize free radicals. Free radicals are found naturally in the body, but their production is impacted by such factors as age, environmental pollution, smoking, and certain diseases. Free radicals create oxidative stress on the body and can lead to diseases such as cancer and heart disease. People try to combat these effects by consuming foods high in antioxidants, including spices such as turmeric, ginger, and cloves. In addition to its own antioxidant properties, studies have shown that curcumin found in turmeric may stimulate the activity of your body's own antioxidant enzymes.

Turmeric Benefits for Skin

Women in India have been using turmeric as a not-so-secret beauty hack for centuries. Turmeric is loaded with antioxidants, which helps keep your skin healthy and looking fresh. The anti inflammatory properties may also help wounds to heal faster with less scarring, and reduce redness from acne and other skin ailments. There is also evidence that curcumin found in turmeric may boost collagen production in the skin - the protein that gives skin its elasticity and reduces the appearance of wrinkles!

Turmeric for Your Brain

A recent study suggests that curcumin found in turmeric may help to improve memory and protect the brain in aging individuals. Furthermore, curcumin may increase levels of BDNF, a growth hormone that functions in your brain. Lower levels of this hormone have been linked to depression, Alzheimers and other brain disease. Further research is needed on the link between curcumin and the brain, but it’s encouraging to see positive results so far. 

Turmeric is one of the most powerful components of Ayurvedic medicine, a holistic healing system used in India for over 3,000 years. While proponents of natural medicine having been praising turmeric for its healing properties for centuries, modern medicine is now starting to take a closer look. While there is still a lot to learn about the benefits of turmeric, the evidence so far is promising, and it may be worth it to you to see if turmeric supplements might have a positive effect on your life. 

Zaffrus is proud to announce that we are starting to sell our very own line of supplements, including turmeric, ginger, and saffron. You can be confident that we put the same level of care into our supplements that you’ve come to expect from our saffron and saffron infused products. Our saffron supplement is available for purchase now!