Why Your Turmeric May Not Be Working
Have you ever tried turmeric for its anti-aging benefits, only to be disappointed? You’re not alone—many people find that turmeric falls short, often due to poor absorption in the body.
But here’s the good news: there’s a way to boost turmeric’s effectiveness and fully unlock its age-defying potential.
Did you know that there are 53 different names and meanings for turmeric in the Sanskrit language?
Some of these meanings include, “a killer of fat”… “giving delight to heart”… and “one that wins over disease.”
The ancients also believed that if you use turmeric, you could experience prosperity and luck. It may even guarantee that you won’t be offered as a sacrifice!
Now, we have no evidence as to the latter… but when it comes to your health, the proof is abundant that turmeric does your body good. In fact, modern science has shown that turmeric can affect more than 150 biochemical pathways and provide benefits to almost every part of the human body.
A recent review of studies related to turmeric was published in the journal, Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects. The authors pored over 3,000 publications, representing 25 years of turmeric research.
They summarized the major activities of turmeric to include: “antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antioxidant, antiseptic, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, radioprotective and digestive activities.”
Now, if that is not a powerful healing food, I don’t know what is…
And who knows, it just might bring you luck and prosperity! But even if it doesn’t, let’s take a look at how it can help your body and why you should be using it daily.
The use of turmeric dates back almost 4000 years. It has been used as a food, a spice, medicine and a religious sacrament. It’s from the ginger family of plants. It even looks identical on the outside!
When you cut it open, you reveal its beautiful golden color, brimming with potent polyphenols. It is the polyphenol known as curcumin that gives turmeric this color. And it is also what drives those mighty health benefits.
For example, turmeric scores an impressive 127,068 on the ORAC scale. The ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) measures the strength of a food to neutralize free radicals. Turmeric is the 6th highest.
But could turmeric really ‘kill fat’ as the ancients proclaimed?
Turmeric Benefits: ‘Killer of Fat’
It might seem strange, but the King of Spices has shown great promise in the fight against obesity…
A recent review in Current Pharmacology Reports explains that the role of epigenetics may have something to do with how turmeric can regulate human pathologies, including obesity. Turmeric seems to exert an influence not just on the health of cell – but also on the DNA messages from within that cell.
Another study conducted at the State University of New York suggests that it is the interaction of the strong anti-inflammatory nature of turmeric on white adipose tissue that may explain how it could not just reduce obesity, but also the health effects of it.
Now, I don’t know about you, but adding turmeric to your diet sure seems like a tasty way to fight obesity.
And if you’re concerned with heart health, you’d also do well to include a daily dose of turmeric.
Curcumin: ‘Gives Delight to Heart’
In 2014, a study by The Center for Cancer Prevention Research found a strong influence by turmeric on cardiovascular complications in the diabetic population.
“A 6-month curcumin intervention in type-2 diabetic population lowered the atherogenic risks. In addition, the extract helped to improve relevant metabolic profiles in this high-risk population.”
During their study, the researchers measured the effectiveness of curcumin on six heart-disease parameters:
- Arterial stiffness
- Markers of inflammation
- Insulin resistance
- Triglyceride levels
- Uric acid levels
- Abdominal obesity
The researchers discovered that turmeric improved all six of these healthy heart markers!
Indian Saffron: ‘Wins Over Disease’
A nine-month study conducted by the American Diabetes Association tested turmeric on subjects with pre-diabetes. What they found was that turmeric had a 100% success rate in preventing type-2 diabetes.
A large review of turmeric studies showed that this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the benefits of turmeric, which cover the entire human body, including:
- Antimutagenic
- Digestive stimulant
- Wound healing
- Anti-arthritic
- Depression
- Kidney
- Cardiac
- Neuronal disease
- Hepatoprotective
- Anti-oxidant
- Skin tumors
- Anti-cancer
- Anti-fungal
- Anti-microbial
- Anti-inflammatory
Do Your Body a Favor … Bathe In This Golden Spice
Some people do bathe in it – but that may get a bit messy for you. Yet, daily turmeric consumption does mean you are bathing your cells in it all the time, getting those amazing health benefits.
There are two rules to follow when using turmeric.
- Add black pepper. Research shows that turmeric is more bioavailable combined with pepper. This shouldn’t be too hard – just add pepper to a curry or any savory dish that contains turmeric!
- Eat it with a healthy fat. Science also shows that turmeric is more available when combined with fat. Spices are best when gently heated in a little oil, so they release their aromas and medicinal properties.
Adding Turmeric to Everyday Meals
Here are some other simple and delicious ways to get turmeric health benefits in your everyday meals:
- Add a teaspoon to scrambled eggs and frittatas
- Mix into free-range chicken or egg salad with some Paleo Mayo for creamy flavor and a boost in bioavailability
- Make an Indian-spiced dressing (try avocado oil, turmeric, fresh ginger, garlic and black pepper) to drizzle over steamed veggies or use with stir-fries
- Make a healing marinade using turmeric, sea salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and fresh herbs (like cilantro or rosemary) and avocado oil. Marinate your favorite cuts of meat and fish like pastured pork tenderloin, wild salmon or grass-fed beef steaks and roasts. (Be sure to save some for drizzling!)
- Make a Golden Chimichurri. Use a bunch of fresh parsley and cilantro, lemon or lime juice, avocado oil, turmeric, sea salt, black pepper and other spices of your choosing. Blend in a food processor or Magic Bullet and spoon over roast lamb, grass-fed flank steak, grilled pastured chicken legs and much more.
Or try this ancient health elixir – Golden Milk
Combine the following ingredients.
½ tsp organic turmeric powder, ½ tsp organic ginger powder along with a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom in one cup of hot almond milk or coconut milk.
If you’re using “light” milk that’s lower in fat, be sure to add a little coconut oil to enhance the absorption of turmeric in your body.
How about Supplementation?
There is no shortage of turmeric and curcumin supplements available in stores and online. However, many of these supplements may offer minimal benefits due to poor absorption.
But here’s the good news: Research shows that you can increase the body’s absorption of curcumin by up to 46 TIMES versus standard curcumin.
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