What’s The Deal With Turmeric?

Whats The Deal With Turmeric?

In recent years, turmeric has become the love child of health enthusiasts and amateur chefs alike. Often used in Indian food, and a long part of Ayurveda medicine (traditional Indian medicine) the spice has a wide range of medicinal and culinary uses.

However, as with any new health craze, there is a lot of scepticism. But there really shouldn’t be. Multiple studies show the key ingredient in turmeric, curcumin, can offer many different health benefits. The issue is when people expect turmeric to do things it really can’t So, then, what can turmeric actually do? And what are its limits? Let’s take a look at what people are saying.

It Can Improve Your Mood

This was one of the original Ayurvedic applications of curcumin and turmeric, and it’s easy to see why. A recent study from UCLA found curcumin, when taken regularly, can help improve memory and attention, as well as mood, largely by reducing the amount of amyloid and tau signals in the areas of the brain responsible for memory and emotional functions.

It Helps with Brain Regeneration

Most of the research done on the health effects of turmeric isolate curcumin and study the effects of this one substance found within the spice. However, recent research has taken a more holistic approach. Turmerones give curcumin its distinct aroma, and when combined with curcumin, turmeric can improve brain regeneration, largely by encouraging the proliferation of neural stem cells. This suggests taking complete turmeric, and not just curcumin supplements may be the best way to include this spice in your diet.

It Can Help Reduce the Impacts of a Stroke

Last but not least, turmeric, curcumin, can reduce the impacts of a stroke. It helps to control some of the processes in your brain that start after you’ve suffered a stroke. For students of science, it promotes M2 microglial polarization and microglia-mediated pro-inflammatory responses. Increasing turmeric intake can help slow these processes down and mitigate the effects of a stroke.

But It’s Not a Silver Bullet

However, for as beneficial as turmeric can be, one should not take it as a cure for everything. Whenever a new health trend starts, people take it too far, thinking adding or subtracting one thing from their diet will completely change their health.

This is just as false for turmeric as anything else. A healthy, balanced diet, plus exercise, plus turmeric will bring you good health. Focusing on just one won’t work, so don’t think it will.

Add turmeric to your wellness plan and start experiencing its tremendous benefits.