Spices Pack Health

One amazing benefit of herbs and spices is that they’re very low in calories while being dense in vitamins and minerals. It is with this nutrient-dense status that they enrich your overall well-being with antioxidants more potently than many fruits and veggies. Herbs and spices promote health and repair throughout your entire body, not in just one particular area. This “whole person” or “whole system” approach is why I believe these spices and herbs can benefit you so tremendously. I consider one particular spice the ultimate super-food, because its benefits are amazing and endless. That spice is Turmeric.

Picking the one best thing that Turmeric does for the body was difficult. It has anticancer activity, it helps support liver health, and it’s a powerful antioxidant. The one property of Turmeric that really stands out though, and likely helps support its other healthful activities, is its enormous power as an anti-inflammatory. Inflammation, if left untreated, is now known to be a component of a baker’s dozen of chronic health diseases. And unlike aspirin or tylenol, turmeric’s active ingredient curcumin reduces inflammation naturally, without damaging the liver or kidneys. Healthier Talk reports:

“It has been found especially helpful in treating conditions like arthritis, sports injuries, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn's disease, tendonitis and various autoimmune diseases. Some research even suggests that curcumin may also help those suffering asthma, inflammatory bowel disease and, yes, even cancer.”

Turmeric’s curcumin has been shown to inhibit the production of cyclooxygenase (COX 2) and 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX); 2 potent enzymes involved in the implication of inflammation. Furthermore, in a study published in the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism, researchers found that turmeric extracts prevented the activation of a protein called NF-kappa B, which controls the expression of genes that produce an inflammatory response.

The majority of the studies are done on curcumin since it’s easy to isolate chemically and therefore study scientifically. But there’s every reason to believe there are dozens of other healthy compounds in turmeric spice itself that can benefit you in addition to the curcumin. The Spicy Gourmet’s Turmeric is easy to use and tastes great on everything. I use it on everything I cook (well, almost). Try it on eggs!

“May you live Long, live Strong, and live Healthy”
~ Dr. Schweta Kasbekar, DC, MBA

Resources:

• Funk, Janet et al. November 2006. Arthritis and Rheumatism Journal. ‘Efficacy & mechanism of action of turmeric’s supplements in treatment of experimental arthritis”
• Mercola, Joseph. February 2009. “Super spice secrets: can this miracle spice stop cancer, alzheimer’s, and arthritis”
• Wiley, Mark. April 2011. “Turmeric: nature‘s powerful anti-inflammatory”