WHY YOU NEED TO EAT MORE TURMERIC
By Selene
Most of us know turmeric as just a vivid orange
spice, something we might add to curries for an extra
flavour boost, or use to colour rice a magnificent yel-
low. But there is far more to this humble plant than
first meets the eye.
Recent research has proved what countries in South
Asia have known for thousands of years: that turmeric
has multiple health benefits and can be used to prevent
both dementia and cancer. So why is turmeric, a plant
in the ginger family, so good for our health?
The key ingredient in turmeric is curcumin, and this
is also the compound that gives turmeric its deep or-
ange colour. Used for hundreds of years in Ayurveda,
Unani, and Siddha medicines, it is only now that the
link is being made with preventing cancer and de-
mentia. The World Alzheimerʼs Report of 2009 found
that only 3.6% of South Asians over 60 suffer from
dementia, compared with 7.2% of Western Europeans.
Likewise, cancer rates in India are vastly lower those
in the west.
CANCER & ALZHEIMERʼS
So how can turmeric prevent diseases like cancer?
Turmeric helps to maintain healthy cells by fighting
free radicals, and curcumin stops enzymes that can
potentially grow cancerous. Multiple studies suggest
that curcumin may be able to reduce the number or
size of cancerous tumors, or even prevent them from
developing altogether. It should be noted that these
studies used animals as their subjects, but nonethe-
less, a 2006 study showed that curcumin prevented the
growth of colon cancer in humans, too.
As for Alzheimerʼs disease, many scientists believed
that the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties
found in curcumin are so powerful that they are able
to break down the amyloid plaques in the brain that
cause Alzheimerʼs. If blood vessels are clear, more
oxygen can be fed to the brain, and this could signifi-
cantly improve overall brain function.
OTHER HEALTH BENEFITS
The health benefits certainly donʼt stop there. Stud-
ies on animals have shown that curcumin helps lower
cholesterol and stop the build-up of plaque that blocks
arteries. Its natural anti-inflammatory properties allow
curcumin to help treat issues such as inflammatory
bowel disease, multiple sclerosis and eye inflamma-
tion. Further, it fights colds and flu, promotes healthy
indigestion, reduces symptoms of bloating and gas,
and may help diabetes suffers by improving glucose
control.
It seems as though turmeric is about as close to a
miracle spice as there is. Golden in quality as well as
color, adding more turmeric to your diet is an easy
way to enhance your health with minimal effort. If you
donʼt eat the type of meals that go well with turmeric,
you can take it as a supplement or grate it, like ginger,
to make a warming turmeric tea.
Prescott Valley Public Library presents
AN ORAL HISTORY PROGRAM
Veteran Memories
Thurs., November 9, 2017
10:00 - 11:30am
Prescott Valley Public Library
Crystal Room
7401 E. Civic Circle
This event will feature three veterans who
will share memories of their time as members
of the U. S. military during war time. Each
veteran will speak for approximately 20-30
minutes. This is a free event. Please be aware
this will be a recorded event. For more info:
928-759-3042.
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pccnews
November 2017
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