Five Good Reasons to Consume Turmeric

2016-09-28

Widely-used in Indian cooking, this powerful spice offers a multitude of health benefits. Turmeric is the health spice par excellence. Here are five good reasons to put it on your menu.

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Turmeric and Healthy Aging

Also known as Indian saffron, turmeric boasts many health benefits, one of the most established being its high content in antioxidants. In a US study conducted in 2006, turmeric was rated the fifth most antioxidant-rich food from a list of 1,000 foods. Antioxidants (especially flavonoids and polyphenols) have powerful effects, helping with, in particular, the free radicals responsible for cellular aging.

Turmeric and Cellular Wellness

Turmeric has attracted significant scientific interest over the past several decades, particularly due to curcumin, its main bioactive polyphenol. Curcumin has been widely studied for its potential role in supporting cellular balance and helping maintain healthy cell function.

Preclinical research has explored curcumin’s interaction with various biological pathways related to oxidative stress, cell signaling, and normal cell cycle regulation. While many of these findings come from laboratory and animal studies, they have contributed to ongoing scientific interest in turmeric’s broader role in supporting overall cellular wellness.

Turmeric and Digestion

Turmeric has also been used for centuries in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic systems of medicine. One study found that taking 250 mg of curcuma four times a day may help with digestive challenges.

Turmeric and Joint Comfort

Much of turmeric’s research interest centers on curcumin, its primary active compound. Curcumin has been studied for its potential role in supporting the body’s normal inflammatory response and helping maintain balanced cellular signaling processes.

Because of this, turmeric is often explored as part of a wellness routine aimed at promoting joint comfort, flexibility, and mobility. Individuals who engage in regular physical activity may be particularly interested in ingredients that help support recovery and maintain joint resilience under physical stress.

While research is ongoing, preliminary findings suggest curcumin may contribute to maintaining comfortable movement and overall joint wellness when combined with a healthy lifestyle.

Turmeric is Easy to Consume

It can obviously be consumed simply as a spice in certain dishes (mainly Indian, turmeric being a key ingredient in curries) and by regularly adding it to your cooking (in sauces, stews, marinades, etc.).

Try to buy the fresh roots (from speciality delis or Asian stores) or a small amount of ground turmeric (so that all its qualities are preserved) and eat it with pepper and a little oil to enhance its bioavailability, as the piperine in pepper acts in synergy with the turmeric. You can also find it in powder or juice form. If you do not like the taste (you need to take 2-3 g a day to obtain its health benefits), dietary supplements (such as Super Curcuma and Curcumin Solution) offered by herbal medicine are an option worth considering.

You can also read our article about turmeric benefits.

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