5 Reasons To Treasure Turmeric

In “Heal Your Heart” and in previous posts, I’ve featured a number of herbs and spices to improve your health and overall well-being.  But there are only a select few that have such wide-ranging benefits that you simply cannot afford to miss out.  Among these is turmeric, India’s “golden spice” and one of the world’s top natural health treasures.

Just a spoonful of turmeric (each day) and you won’t need any medicine to go down!  But make sure to add ~1/4 teaspoon of black pepper per teaspoon of turmeric to allow proper absorption and processing of turmeric.

Here are 5 reasons why you should treasure turmeric.

1. Reduces Aging: Curcumin, the active compound in turmeric root is a powerful anti-oxidant with anti-inflammatory properties that help to slow down aging of blood vessels that otherwise promote adverse heart, kidney and brain conditions.
2. Improves Skin Health: Recent studies suggest that ingestion or topical application may improve skin health.  However, because research with topical applications is limited, I would recommend that you discuss such measures with your physician/dermatologist before you consider this route of administration.
3. Boosts Memory & Mood:  A newly published study found that the near equivalent of 1 teaspoon of turmeric (200 mg) each day not only improved memory and mood but also slowed buildup of compounds that promote Alzheimer’s.
4. Slows Age Related Eye Changes: A number of age related eye changes such as macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy may improve when turmuric is added to the diet.
5. Reduces Weight & Belly Fat: Another recent study found that the equivalent of 4 teaspoons of turmeric daily for 30 days resulted in reduction of belly fat and weight loss of up to a 5%.
6. Dr Michael Miller is Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore where he takes care of patients, conducts  original research and teaches medical students.  His latest book is  “Heal Your Heart: The Positive Emotions Prescription to Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease” with book proceeds donated to the American Heart Association.