Benefits of Turmeric

The benefits of turmeric have been known for many years by some civilizations. In India and Southeast Asia, where the plant originates (although it is now cultivated in many other warm and humid regions).

It has been used for over 4,000 years in gastronomy and also in medicine for various diseases. Learn much more about turmeric in the following article.

Turmeric may be the most effective nutritional supplement that exists. Many scientific studies show benefits for our body. Below we show you the 10 most relevant benefits of turmeric based on scientific evidence:

10 benefits of turmeric

Below we break down the 10 scientifically proven benefits of turmeric:

Powerful medicinal properties

Science has begun to support what was said in India thousands of years ago regarding its medicinal properties and the compounds it contains (1). These compounds are called curcuminoids, the most important of which is curcumin.

Curcumin is the main active ingredient in turmeric and has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is also a very potent antioxidant. However, the curcumin content of turmeric is not that high… it is around 3% (2).

In most studies on this herb, turmeric extracts containing mainly the so-called curcumin are used, with doses generally exceeding 1 gram per day. It would be very difficult to reach these levels simply by providing turmeric only with normal food.

Therefore, to experience effective effects, it is necessary to take some extract that contains significant amounts of curcumin.

A natural anti-inflammatory compound

As we have already discussed in other occasions in Mundo Entrenamiento, inflammation is a process that helps our body fight invaders and plays a fundamental role in damage repair. Without the inflammation process, pathogens like bacteria could easily take over our bodies.

Short-term inflammation is beneficial, however, if it lasts too long, it can cause a problem. Curcumin has a great anti-inflammatory power.

So much so that it has an efficacy similar to some anti-inflammatory drugs (3). Therefore, one of the benefits of turmeric is that it is a bioactive substance that fights inflammation at the molecular level (4, 5, 6).

Powerful antioxidant

Oxidative damage is one of the mechanisms behind aging as we addressed in previous publications. Curcumin is a powerful antioxidant that can neutralize free radicals due to its chemical structure (7, 8).

Additionally, another of the benefits of turmeric is that it increases the activity of the body’s own antioxidant enzymes (9, 10, 11).

Reduces the risk of brain diseases

Animal studies have identified that BDNF is a crucial factor mediating beneficial effects in the human brain (12).

BDNF is a member of the neurotrophin family that plays an important role in various aspects of adult brain development: brain plasticity, neurogenesis, synaptic plasticity, and cognitive functions (13).

Turmeric can increase brain levels of BDNF according to several studies (14, 15). By achieving this, it can be effective in slowing the progression of certain brain diseases (16).

Benefits of turmeric: it may reduce the risk of heart disease

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the world. Another benefit of turmeric would be that it can help us reverse many steps in the heart disease process accompanied by an appropriate physical activity program.

When it comes to the heart, turmeric seems to improve endothelial function. Some studies show that they are as effective as some drugs designed for this function (17, 18).

In another scientific study, 121 patients underwent coronary artery bypass surgery. They were randomized to placebo and another group taking 4 grams of turmeric per day, a few days before and after the operation. The results showed that the group that took curcumin had a 65% lower risk of having a heart attack (19).

May help prevent cancer

Researchers have extensively studied curcumin as a beneficial herb in cancer treatment. Studies have shown that it can reduce angiogenesis (growth of new blood vessels in tumors), metastasis (spread of cancer), and contribute to the death of cancer cells (20).

Some other studies have shown that curcumin can prevent cancer cells from growing and inhibit the growth of certain tumors in animals (21, 22).

May be useful in preventing and treating Alzheimer’s

Alzheimer’s is the most common neurodegenerative disease in the world, currently without an effective treatment. It is known that inflammation and oxidative damage play an important role in Alzheimer’s. And as we have already seen, curcumin has beneficial effects on both.

However, a key feature of Alzheimer’s disease is the accumulation of protein tangles called amyloid plaques. Studies show that curcumin can help clear these plaques (23). However, to draw firm conclusions, further research is needed.

Patients with arthritis respond very well to turmeric supplementation

Arthritis is a common pathology in Western countries. Since curcumin is a potent anti-inflammatory, it could help with arthritis and would be another of the benefits of turmeric. Several studies show that this can be beneficial.

In a study with rheumatoid arthritis, curcumin was even more effective than an anti-inflammatory drug (24). Many other studies have examined the benefits of turmeric on arthritis and noted improvements in various symptoms (25, 26).

Shows beneficial effects against depression

Curcumin has shown certain positive effects for treating depression. According to a study conducted in 2014 (27), curcumin is as effective as taking an antidepressant like Prozac.

Additionally, there is some evidence in the scientific literature showing that curcumin can increase serotonin and dopamine neurotransmitters in the brain (28, 29).

“Turmeric is as effective as Prozac for treating depression”

May delay aging and combat age-related chronic diseases

If curcumin can help prevent heart disease, cancer, or Alzheimer’s… then it has a direct relationship in terms of beneficial effects on longevity. For this reason, turmeric has become very popular as an anti-aging supplement (30).

Conclusions about the benefits of turmeric

As we see, the benefits of turmeric are numerous. This spice used for thousands of years in India and Southeast Asia is increasingly popular for the following health benefits:

• Turmeric contains curcumin, a substance with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
• Curcumin increases the levels of the BDNF hormone in the brain, promoting the growth of new neurons and combating various degenerative processes that occur in it.
• Curcumin seems to improve endothelial function and therefore play an important role in heart diseases.
• Curcumin leads to certain molecular-level changes that could help prevent cancer.
• Several studies show that turmeric can treat arthritis symptoms, and in some cases, be more effective than drugs.
• A study with 60 depressed patients showed that turmeric was as effective as the drug in relieving depression symptoms (27).

However, scientific literature must continue to advance and investigate to establish more reliable and rewarding conclusions. But in the reviewed studies, the benefits of turmeric are numerous.

Bibliographic references

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3. Jurenka, J.S. (2009). Anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin, a major constituent of Curcuma longa: a review of preclinical and clinical research. Altem Med Rev, 14(2): 141-53.
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