Top 10 Benefits of Incorporating Turmeric into Your Diet

Turmeric has been used by humans for thousands of years, with the oldest known use dating back to Indian Vedic culture almost 4000 years ago.¹

A member of the ginger family, this plant is native to Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. The part of the plant used for culinary, medicinal, and spiritual purposes is rhizomes.

Containing a natural anti-inflammatory compound known as curcumin, there have been promising studies displaying the potential efficacy of turmeric concerning a long list of health conditions.

Let's look at ten benefits of incorporating turmeric into your diet.

1. It's Anti-Inflammatory

Inflammation is your body's natural response to metabolic, microbial, autoimmune, or physical transgressions. This means it can be a pivotal aspect of your body's healing ability. When inflammation becomes chronic rather than acute, it can lead to a long list of diseases.

Low-level, chronic inflammation plays a role in conditions like heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, type 2 diabetes, and depression. Autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis occur because chronic inflammation can destroy the body rather than heal.

Curcumin, the anti-inflammatory chemical compound in turmeric, has been found to be just as effective as other anti-inflammatory medicines but without the same side effects.² Known to suppress many molecules that are understood to play a vital role in inflammation, curcumin is believed to have the potential to help prevent a long list of chronic Western diseases.

2. It Might Protect Against Heart Disease

The number one cause of death in the world is heart disease.

It is believed that curcumin could potentially reverse steps in developing heart disease. One of the most promising benefits of curcumin concerning heart disease is its ability to improve endothelium function. Since endothelium dysfunction is one of the major drivers of cardiac disease, taking curcumin could be a step towards avoiding heart disease.

3. It Might Support Cancer

There are many different types of cancer, but generally, it is characterized by the uncontrolled growth of cells. Curcumin might be able to help treat and prevent cancer.

One study found that curcumin impacts the growth, development, and spread of cancer at the molecular level.³ Others have found that it can help kill cancerous cells and reduce the spread of cancer and the appearance of new blood vessels in tumors.

4. It Might Prevent and Help to Treat Diabetes

Research on the effect of curcumin on diabetes is incomplete. Many studies on curcumin's impact on diabetes have only been done on animal subjects and not human subjects.⁴

That being said, the studies that have been done have been promising. Curcumin appears to be able to improve many of the contributing factors to diabetes, including high blood sugar, hyperlipidemia, and insulin resistance.

5. It Might Help to Delay or Reverse Alzheimer's Disease

Another benefit of incorporating turmeric into your diet is that it could potentially delay or reverse Alzheimer's disease. Some studies have shown that turmeric can increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels. BDNF is a protein located in both the spinal cord and brain that plays an important part in the health of nerve cells.

Many studies on the relationship between turmeric and Alzheimer's disease have been done in mice. Researchers believe that more studies need to be done to confirm the efficacy of turmeric for this particular purpose.

6. It May Help to Treat Depression

Depression is associated with lower BDNF levels, just like Alzheimer's disease. Researchers believe that turmeric displays promise as an anti-depressant because of its ability to raise BDNF levels.

One human study found that patients had comparable results after six weeks when given curcumin or fluoxetine (the common brand name for which is Prozac).⁵ More studies need to be done to understand the potential for turmeric to treat depression, but it's promising for people who are looking for natural health solutions to mental health and mood disorders.

7. It Might Help Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disorder. It most commonly affects an individual's joints, but it sometimes will spread to other parts of the body such as the heart, skin, lungs, eyes, and blood vessels. People with rheumatoid arthritis experience painful joint swelling, which can lead to bone erosion, deformities, and physical disabilities.

Because of turmeric's anti-inflammatory properties, it is believed that it might help improve the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. One study showed that a group of patients given curcumin showed significant improvements in swelling and tenderness of the joints compared to a group taking a prescription anti-inflammatory.⁶

8. It Might Help Alleviate Osteoarthritis Symptoms

Some studies have shown that curcumin might be an effective and safe long-term treatment for osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis affects millions worldwide and is the most common form of arthritis. It's caused by the cartilage around the ends of your bones wearing down and can cause damage to any joint.

9. It May Help Make Your Skin Healthier

Since turmeric has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties, it might help treat skin conditions like psoriasis, eczema, and photoaging. There has yet to be enough research on this topic, but one study has suggested that it could be effective in treating psoriasis.⁷

10. It Might Help Prevent Eye Degeneration

One of the leading causes of blindness in people over 60 years old is glaucoma. Some preliminary research suggests that curcumin might help prevent eye degeneration when applied topically.⁸

How to Incorporate Turmeric Into Your Diet

Tumeric is a vital ingredient in many dishes from Asia. It's also used regularly across the Middle East and South Asia.

There are many delicious and healthy ways to incorporate turmeric into your diet. Some of those include:

Adding Turmeric to Rice

The bright yellow color of turmeric can add a splash of color to a boring pot of rice. This is commonly done in South Africa and served alongside a spiced minced meat and egg dish called bobotie.

Adding it to Roasted Vegetables

Turmeric has a peppery and warm flavor that generally compliments vegetables like potatoes, cauliflower, and root vegetables. Mix turmeric with olive oil, cumin, ginger, and black pepper. You can then pour this mixture over vegetables before roasting at 400 degrees.

Adding it to Frittatas and Egg Scrambles

If you want to incorporate turmeric without being overpowered by the flavor, try adding it to an egg dish. The color and the flavor will be subtle, so your kids might be okay with it.

Sauteeing it With Greens

Eating dark leafy greens is essential to a healthy diet. Add turmeric to braised or sauteed greens like collards, kale, swiss chard, or cabbage.

Throwing Some into Smoothies

You can use the fresh root or the ground spice in smoothies. This is another great way to mask the taste if you or your family find it too strong.

Using it in Soups

Turmeric can add a wonderfully comforting and warm flavor to soups. Consider adding some to chicken soup or vegetable soup. You can also make a delicious carrot, ginger, and turmeric soup, which is perfect for a cold winter night.

Making Tea

One common way of ingesting turmeric is by making golden tea. You can make golden tea by heating milk on your stove and stirring in turmeric, ginger, black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, and honey. If you're eating a dairy-free diet, you can use a dairy-free milk substitute.

Remember, whenever you're incorporating turmeric into your diet to gain health benefits, you should add some black pepper. This is because the bioactive compound known as piperine in black pepper enhances your body's absorption of curcumin by up to 2000%.⁹

Turmeric is also fat-soluble. This means ingesting turmeric and fats makes curcumin more bioavailable.

Incorporating Turmeric Into Your Diet May Support Your Health

There is still a lot of research to be conducted regarding the efficacy of curcumin in treating various long-term health conditions. However, evidence suggests that incorporating turmeric into your diet is good for your overall health. The absence of negative turmeric side effects makes it a promising natural remedy.