The main spice in curry dishes is perhaps one of, if not the most, powerful herb on the planet at fighting and potentially reversing disease.  Turmeric is a highly studied herb, exploring its many healing properties, especially its compound curcumin. In fact, many studies have shown that curcumin is more advantageous than certain prescription drugs.  Along with the growing depth of knowledge, it is clearly beneficial to begin including this herb into your regular diet.  Let’s go through a few proven benefits.

1. When examining the research turmeric can go above and beyond the following drugs potentially.  Anti-Inflammatory Drugs, Anti-Depressants (prozac), Chemotherapy, Anti-Coagulants (aspirin), Pain Killers, Diabetes Drugs (Metformin), Arthritis Medication, Inflammatory Bowel Disease Drugs, Cholesterol Drugs, and Steroid Medication. I’d highly recommend Dr. Axe’s article where he explores the specifics of each aforementioned drug substitute potential. https://draxe.com/turmeric-benefits/ 

2. Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory agent.  All disease begins with inflammation making this particular affect of turmeric extremely beneficially in disease prevention. Curcumin actually targets multiple steps in the inflammatory pathway at the molecular level.

3. Contains Bioactive Compounds with powerful medicinal properties. These main compounds are called curcuminoids, the most powerful curcumin.

4. Turmeric increases the body’s antioxidant capacity.  Curcumin has powerful antioxidant effects on the body.  It neutralizes free radicals on its own, then stimulates the body’s own antioxidant enzymes.

5. Curcumin helps to boost the levels of the brain hormone BDNF, which increases the growth of new neurons.  It also helps to ward off various degenerative processes in the brain.

6. Curcumin has beneficial effects on several known factors that play a role in the development of heart disease.  It improves the function of endothelium, which can be a potential anti-inflammatory agent and antioxidant.

7. Turmeric can help prevent and perhaps even treat cancer.  Curcumin leads to several changes on the molecular level that may help prevent and perhaps even treat cancer.

8. Turmeric can potentially help treat and prevent Alzheimer’s disease.  Curcumin can cross the blood-brain barrier and has been shown to lead to various improvements in the pathological process of the disease.

9. Turmeric has been shown to help those with arthritis and has also been linked to prevention of the inflammatory disease.  Many studies show that curcumin can help treat the symptoms of arthritis and in some cases has proven to be more effective than anti-inflammatory drugs.

10.  Curcumin may help delay the aging process in the body and the diseases that can come with it.  Since, one of it’s main powers is anti-inflammation and disease begins with inflammation it’s apparent that longevity could be linked to this powerful herb.

While the spice is pleasant and extremely beneficial, if you’re after treatment of disease or for true preventative measures look to supplementation.  Turmeric/Curcumin can be found online or in health food stores.  Look for the ingredient bioperine (another name for piperine) which is a substance that enhances the absorption of curcumin by 2000%.  Without this substance most of the curcumin passes through the digestive tract.