Turmeric: Benefits of the Golden Root
Turmeric: The Many Benefits of the Golden Root
At TerVita, we wholeheartedly believe in the goodness of Mother Nature's ingredients. It is our deepest conviction that she provides wondrous benefits for those who know where to look. And one of the best places to look is the turmeric rhizome, a root that has been used in traditional medicine for centuries.
TerVita is keen to bring the benefits of turmeric to our CBD products. But what exactly are these benefits?
Origins and Uses
Turmeric, also known as Curcuma, after its most important component, is a plant of the ginger family native from South and Southeast Asia.
The rhizome of the turmeric, easily recognizable by its bright orange flesh, has many uses. It was first used in India as pigment to dye the robes of monks and priests. To this day, holy men still wear yellow robes (check out the holiday pictures of every single yoga enthusiast who has visited India for confirmation). The use of turmeric became more widespread throughout Asia as Hinduism and Buddhism expanded.
Turmeric is an important spice in many Asian and Middle-Eastern cuisines, such as Indian, Chinese, Thai, Lebanese, Iranian, and Israeli. It is renowned for its bright yellow-orange color and its warm, earthy, and slightly bitter taste. For instance, it is one of the main ingredients in curry powder. Although it's mainly used in savory dishes (like in many declinations of your Saturday nights curry), turmeric can also be used for sweet dishes such as the Indian patoleo or the Lebanese sfouf.
Its use in cuisine is closely linked to its use in many traditional schools of medicine, such as the Ayurveda and Siddha in India, the Persian-Arabic Unani, and traditional Chinese medicine. The fascinating properties of turmeric have been used for centuries in these regions, and in recent years, this knowledge has begun to spread to Western countries.
The health benefits of turmeric
So why has turmeric become so popular? As it turns out, consuming turmeric in your daily diet can improve your quality of life in many ways.
Anti-inflammatory
The foremost health benefit of turmeric is its anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation is the body's natural response when submitted to infection or stress.
Short term inflammation can be very beneficial, but if left uncontrolled in the long term, it can have harmful, sometimes severe, consequences throughout the entire body. Chronic inflammation plays an important role in many diseases, therefore it's important to keep it in check.
Curcuma, the most important component of turmeric, is recognized for its anti-inflammatory properties, thus helping to improve daily comfort and to prevent more severe diseases by improving immunity system for those who suffer from inflammation.
Joint pain
Arthritis is quite a common disease, particularly in Western countries.
Most versions of it involve joint inflammation. And that is where turmeric comes in. Once again, its anti-inflammatory properties work well to relieve the chronic pain associated with the disease and improve joint function. It may even be useful for athletes who seek to relieve the soreness of a tough training session or after a competition event.
Digestive aid
Although turmeric is often associated with spicy dishes, such as curry (who doesn't enjoy a good vindaloo?), the rhizome itself is not spicy and can help heal your gut. Thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties, it can appease an irritated and inflamed bowel. It can protect the digestive tract and help improve overall digestion.
Antioxidant
Not only does turmeric have a direct antioxidant role in your body, but it also promotes your own production of antioxidant enzymes. It's a combo punch against pesky free radicals. Antioxidants help to prevent excessive ageing (from visible signs such as wrinkles to more subtle effects such as the deterioration and death of cells).
They also help the body avoid accumulating heavy metals. They promote longevity and help reduce the probability and the effect of age-related disorders. Antioxidants can help you live longer, more comfortably, and with smoother skin (who doesn't want to be 60 yo but looking like a 40 yo!).
Improves brain function
Turmeric might be able to help along with cognitive functions. There is no need to gorge on turmeric the night before an exam you haven't prepared for, it will not help you. But in the long term, regular consumption of turmeric might help to boost brain health, stimulate cognitive functions, and improve memory.
In some cases, thanks to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, it might even protect the brain and delay the onset of age related or neurodegenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s or dementia.
Antidepressant
The effect of turmeric on cognitive functions also affects dysfunctions that play a part in depression. It's no alternative to professional assistance, but it might help lessen the symptoms of depression and anxiety, improving the daily quality of life for people suffering from these disorders.
Helps prevent cancer
Eastern medicine is based on prevention (reinforcing the body to avoid catching diseases) while Western medicine is turned towards curing (fighting a disease once it's present in the body). That's why Eastern medicine has been using turmeric for so long.
Cancer is the result of damaged cells multiplying uncontrollably. Thanks to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, turmeric might be able to protect the cells from damage, thus reducing the risks of cancer, particularly in the digestive tract.
Helps prevent heart disease
Heart diseases are the leading cause of death in the world. But turmeric may have a stimulating effect on the function of your blood vessels, helping to improve blood flow and reduce blood pressure, thus diminishing the risks of blood clots, strokes, and heart diseases. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties also help protect the heart muscles from inflammation and free radical damages.
Why TerVita Uses Turmeric in Our CBD Products?
The incredible list of great benefits cited above should be a big clue as to why TerVita firmly believes in the natural goodness of turmeric. Its extraordinary anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties are a wonderful addition to our Ease CBD tincture. By combining turmeric with white willow bark, nature's painkiller, glucosamine, and the relaxing properties of CBD, we can offer you an efficient, all-natural product to appease your sore muscles and your stiff joints.
Whether for punctual use or against chronic pain, TerraVita takes the natural road to bring you relief and comfort. So start shopping and feel better soon!†