Turmeric, although an ingredient in lots of dishes, has a 4000-year history. It is considered as one of the most beneficial spices, but that’s not the extent. Turmeric can also be used in other products as well, such as skin care ointments and medicines. But you may ask, “how can a spice be used in so many things?” it because of the nutritional value it has.
If we look at heart health benefits, turmeric supplement has excellent anti-inflammatory properties. So, it can be great for treating several cardiovascular problems. The dosage and appropriate usage depend on the condition and your age; however, it has proven to hold minimal side-effects.
Still, to understand this magical herb’s heart-related benefits, let us dive deeper into this topic.
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How Does Turmeric Have Heart Health Benefits?
Doctors and supplement makers confirm that turmeric is great for people with inflammation, and those who need antioxidants. There are other benefits of turmeric as well such as preventing heartburns, gallstones, diabetes, and some claim that it has digestive benefits.
Moreover, since we mentioned turmeric prevents inflammation, it can be used against many heart health benefits. Inflammation is the root cause of most of the heart-related diseases. This is the reason behind why turmeric is a big part of a patient’s diet who has any heart conditions. Although you can add and even find turmeric in many foods, it is still challenging to get the recommended turmeric doses to get heart health benefits. As a result, you can get turmeric supplements to meet those ends.
But what are the benefits and some of the diseases that turmeric can be useful against? We know it has the nutrients and abilities to do quite a lot, but saying it can cure any heart condition is a stretch. All herbs and medicines have their capacity and limit, so you can only get so much from one thing. Nonetheless, it is still an excellent medicinal herb, and also quite tasty in food.
Hearth Health Benefits of Turmeric
Inflammation is the root cause of many cardiovascular diseases. Also curcumin’s (an active ingredient within turmeric) anti-inflammation abilities are wonderful. Some of the benefits include:
● An Antioxidant
Our body contains free radicals and antioxidants, which need to be balanced for maintaining health. The free radicals fight off the pathogens that somehow enter the body. But if the balance between both was to-somehow go wrong, it can cause oxidative stress. The free radicals start attacking the protein and fatty tissues in your body. According to a 2010 study, patients with b-thalassemia have less oxidative stress after 500mg doses of curcuminoids every day.
● It’s Also an Anti-Inflammatory
The burning sensation you feel when your body is injured is called inflammation. This burning sensation tells that the WBCs are around the wound and working as a shield. However, sometimes when inflammation occurs without any stimuli, it can develop into a chronic condition. This leads to serious chronic diseases, such as heart problems, and diabetes. Turmeric is anti-inflammatory, and it can prevent those excessive inflammations.
● Turmeric Boosts Heart Health
There was a recent study where people took turmeric curcumin supplements in the doses of 80-4000mg. The purpose of study was to check turmeric’s ability to boost heart health. The participants who had the doses showed a significant increase in their heart health. They even granted a decrease in the level of fat in their blood, and also total cholesterol drop in a healthy way.
● There Are Barely Any Side-Effects
One of the best parts of that study was the discovery that even people who took 4000mg of turmeric (which is considered a lot) showed no signs of side-effects. We need more experiments to further this claim. However, it’s safe to say that barely any side-effects are present.
But if you are on blood thinners, you need to consult with doctors before consuming high doses. Because curcumin is a blood thinner, and can lower blood clotting.
Does It Work?
After reading the benefits, there is hardly any need of asking such a question. Most of the claims are backed by scientific evidence. It’s even proven that turmeric contains over 300 natural components. Some of them include fibers, zinc, niacin, potassium, flavonoids, and calcium. Not to mention, it has vitamin c and much more, and they are all needed by our body. Since turmeric supplies a steady amount of it to us, it’s only logical that we put turmeric in our foods and daily diet. It does not lessen or ruin the foods because it is considered a spice in many countries. You can put it in a smoothie, sprinkle on salad, or even put in spicy foods.
But it should be noted that turmeric contains only 3% curcumin, which holds some of the better benefits. That is the reason we need to eat a fair amount of it in our food and make sure we don’t lack any.
People with low or high blood pressure should consult doctors because it can lower blood sugar and blood pressure.
How Much Turmeric Should You Consume?
Turmeric provides a lot of benefits. The doses may not even cause a side-effect for most people. However, if you still wonder to yourself, “how much turmeric should I take?” then the best answer is to follow a diet expert or a nutritionist.
Turmeric does many of the things we want, but there are some conditions we need to be careful with. Because some benefits could be suitable for some, while bad for others. People with high blood pressure can consume it for balancing their blood-pressure. While those with a low blood pressure need to be careful. So, there are no side-effects, but you need to ask an expert for the right amount of dose, so no benefit backfires on you.
In Conclusion
Turmeric contains many of the nutrients that our body needs and some of the health benefits favor our heart. You can prevent many diseases while keeping yourself healthy. So, whether you use it as a spice or a supplement, make sure you get the right amount and think of it like your diet.
Our body needs many nutrients, and if turmeric provides us with those, it’s okay to have a bit more than usual. There won’t be any side-effects, but make sure your body favors its use, and no benefit can cause you harm.
Other than that, it’s a perfectly healthy medicine/spice for you, and we recommend you make sure you are getting enough of it.