Turmeric, hmmm...my journey with this plant had been on for quite a while and I haven’t regretted it. Its one of the most under utilized herb according to research. It has a brown back just like ginger but a yellowish interior that isn't harsh but it can tend to leave a yellowish effect on your hands though lolzzz... From its health benefits that are far more stronger than certain drugs without the side effects according to research, to its spiciness in foods and even its skin benefits, this plant is a gift. And the thing is this that this spice isn't scarce, its more common in our markets these days and very cheap too, so we actually don't have much of an excuse to not participate in this gift of God.
This summarized article is based on its health benefits to the body, but not just to concentrate on that fact alone but to have the mind set of making use of nature's foods and herbs for cooking, most of them make really good spices for food and good teas too. Turmeric sometimes could be bought grounded or you can also buy them as a plant in it's tuber form, i do make use of the 2 types.
Most of us have already heard a lot about it but do you know that certain simple or light sicknesses like the flu ( cold, catarrh, cough ), sinus infections etc, can be easily eradicated by the constant intake of it or even as a quick a home remedy with a dosage,without taking so much drugs. Just by doing simple things like using it for your meals as a tea an occasional cleanser or combining them with other spices and herbs can do wonders. ( You can check out my recipe on this blog for a simple homemade turmeric tea recipe by clicking here and a turmeric cleanser recipe by clicking here )
I used to be a victim of sinus infection like a very strong one,(sinus infection in summary means an infection around your sinus ie your nasal areas and cavity which gives some sort of discomforts like quick allergies due to dust,cold etc. also facial pains, catarrh, cough etc.). But then gradually I started noticing it reducing and with time almost didn’t feel the whole nasal discomfort, and now it only happens on rare occasions and i totally most times forget that i usually do have allergies.
First things first, I am a strong believer in Jesus Christ and true a christian, by the grace of God, so it was something that I always prayed about for him to heal and he eventually did because I believed. Another wisdom he gave me towards that was to make me have love for natural plants and spices, constantly taken them innocently without not focusing on sinus just worked on me.
God opened my eyes to the secrets hidden in nature through a lot of people and I haven’t regretted it because its also been helpful and also fun and tasty too lolzzz. That’s why I don’t stop at every opportunity to preach it…
So, I will do my best not to bore you with medical and scientific terms and explanations, that’s not the focus of this blog, but i will be solely taking one very compound present in turmeric and really do an in depth analysis about because this compound carries more of the power in turmeric that gives more of the benefits, the compound is called CURCUMIN.
Curcumin is the main active compound in turmeric which is anti-inflammatory and also an anti-oxidant.
Anti-inflammation is important to the body because it is through this way that the body can fight foreign bodies, anti-inflammation can also help your body repair damages.
Curcumin in Turmeric is what fights inflammation in the body, and its been found out that curcumin is so strong in fighting inflammation that even equals the strong drugs used to fight inflammation related sicknesses without causing side effects.
This compound is one of the reasons its called a power plant, that’s why it can combat sicknesses caused by inflammations like heart diseases, cancer, arthritis, flu (catarrh, cold) sinus issues or even cold etc. Most of these diseases are caused by chronic inflammation and curcumin in turmeric can suppress or eradicate the molecules that cause these diseases.
The anti-oxidant characteristics of turmeric makes it strong in combating free radicals (radical molecules that is caused by certain chemicals that cause oxidation) in the body caused by certain chemical substances in the food we eat and what we drink. Oxidation in the body according to research is one of the causes of ageing and some diseases. Curcumin also helps build your bodies anti-oxidant defenses. Our bodies naturally have anti-oxidant defenses or enzymes also, so curcumin helps in building those enzymes in your body, while also combating the oxidation in your body.
Curcumin also has the ability to reduce the risk of brain diseases by increasing the generation of the levels of an enzyme called BDNF (Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor) that generates a certain hormone. I am not going to bore you with medical and scientific terms, but just know that this compound in turmeric prevents the risk of brain disease like Alzheimer, dementia and even depression
Curcumin in turmeric has been tested on lab animals and humans and has been proven to affect the growth of cancer, studies have shown according to healthline.com that, it reduces and stops the growth of cancerous cells and molecules in tumors.
Research has also proven that it can even prevent cancer in the first place especially with digestive systems and colorectal cancer. So, its been proven so far that it prevents the growth of cancerous cells in the body firstly, with the right dosage. right living and eating attitudes and also most times with the combination of some other compounds and herbs. If it can reduce and stop the growth which means it can also possibly cure cancer.
Curcumin in turmeric because of the anti-inflammatory nature can help prevent or stop arthritis. Arthritis is caused by the inflammations of the joints, so regular intake of turmeric can help with arthritis.
Age sensitive diseases, ie diseases that come from ageing, the larger compound in turmeric which is curcumin, has shown to play a large part in preventing, reducing the risk of getting them and also help cure them.
Well,I think I am going to stop there for now about turmeric, like I said at the beginning I am not or my main focus isn’t on the scientific and medical terms and effects. I concentrated on curcumin because according to research it’s the compound that has the largest effect in turmeric, that does a lot of work within the body.
Now using turmeric for your food, for a tea, for a system cleanser etc., shouldn’t be based on the fact or focus on curing or preventing certain diseases. Yes, that matters an added bonus to the beauty of the plant. I tried to give the above benefits so that we all appreciate the beauty of nature and what it tends to offer even better than drugs.
Now not only is it tasty and very flavorful it is also full off so many healthy, body benefits. And this is just a natural plant we really do ignore and that has been under utilized a lot. Even research has said that turmeric is among the most under utilized plant or spice that we have ignored. I can’t even begin to talk about the skin benefits because this article is based on food and health. May I also mention that what you eat also reflects on the on your skin. Constantly eating good and healthy foods would make your skin also smile to you.
This is just my little summary on one of the best natural spices in the world, we would be talking more about spices on this blog and plants too especially the ones I have personal handled with and experience their loveliness.
Meanwhile remember nature is God and God is nature, because he is the creator of nature. One of the ways you can see or experience Gods love through nature and the food it produces and you could really discover how God knew our names before we where created more than we think. So many solutions to the worlds problem had already been created by God, we just need to discover them…cheers.
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