Turmeric Health Benefits

Turmeric is widely used as a spice in South Asia and is the predominant ingredient in curry and is part of the ginger family. One of its most noticeable traits is its bright yellow color which was the original attraction to the spice: it was used as a dye thousands of years ago before it was discovered to have certain Ayurvedic (ancient Indian) medicinal properties.

What are the Benefits?
The primary component of turmeric is a natural phenol called curcumin (not to be confused with the familiar sounding spice cumin). Curcumin is actually the culprit for the distinctive yellow coloring, and it is also responsible for most of the health benefits of turmeric. Most notably, curcumin has been shown to be a potent herbal remedy as it possesses many antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Why is Turmeric (and Curcumin) Important?
After going through the trauma of surgery, the body needs time to recover from the stress of being cut open.

By supplementing your intake of turmeric, you help your body recover from the trauma. After surgery, free radicals are even more abundant as the body is using its primary defenses to focus on healing from surgery.

Increased anti-oxidants can come to the rescue to ensure that your body is fully protected from intruders that can cause further cell damage. Additionally, the anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric help support recovery of inflamed post-surgical tissue.

Turmeric also supports a healthy digestive system, which after surgery is especially important given the fact that pain medications often cause digestive issues. As an added bonus, when incorporated into a balanced diet, turmeric also has been shown to help maintain a healthy weight.

Bioavailability & Black Pepper Extract

Turmeric is a key ingredient in nutritional supplements that support brain health. When considering the purchase of such a supplement, we recommend that, in addition to finding one with a high dose of turmeric, that you also find one with at least 4mg of black pepper extract.

What gives black pepper its kick, and also provides its nutritional punch, is called piperine. Piperine is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, and it helps support overall digestive health. One of its most important benefits, however, is that it enhances the bioavailability of nutritional compounds. More simply, piperine supports nutrient absorption in the intestines.

It has even been shown to increase absorption of curcumin and its source, turmeric, by 2,000%. Otherwise, curcumin would simply pass through the body and we would miss its ability to improve brain function.
C Prusmack is the author of this article on Curcumin. Find more information, about Nutritional Supplements here
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=C_Prusmack
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