Commonly used in Asian cooking, turmeric is so much more than a delicious way to season food. You may have even heard it called “Indian saffron.” Turmeric has been used in Asian medicine to treat many conditions for centuries. Today, it is being proclaimed as a natural source of healing and treatment for a variety of conditions, including eyes as Turmeric extract in eye drops could treat the early stages of glaucoma and help with eye inflation, as informed by Schaeffer Eye Center.
In addition to seasoning food, turmeric can be found in teas, tablets, capsules, and pastes depending on the reason it is being used. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, studies support turmeric as an effective treatment for the following:
- Reducing the number of heart attacks in post-surgery bypass patients.
- Controlling arthritis-related knee pain.
- Reducing skin irritation that commonly occurs post-radiation treatment among breast cancer patients.
- Reducing dental plaque (when used in a mouthwash ingredient).
The NCCIH goes on to report that no strong studies have yet supported the claim that turmeric can be instrumental in reducing inflammation, other studies have supported its use in controlling arthritis pain with the NCCIH itself conducting studies to support claims that turmeric can be used to treat Alzheimer’s disease, prostate cancer, and colon cancer, in addition to rheumatoid arthritis.
Turmeric and Inflammation
Despite the NCCIH’s claims that there have been no strong studies to support a notable reduction in inflammation, Healthline reports that turmeric is instrumental in fending off foreign invaders that would harm your body and in repairing the damage they do to your body.
Turmeric and Cancer
Antioxidants are vital for helping to protect your body against various types of cancers. Whether it’s a preventative mechanism, preventing damaged cells from multiplying in the first place, or reducing the rate at which they can multiply, the more antioxidants you have in your body, the better.
Turmeric increases your body’s antioxidant capacity while increasing its supply of antioxidants at the same time. It can be a powerful knockout blow that prevents cancer from ever becoming a problem for you.
Other studies have explored the use of turmeric to treat a variety of conditions, including:
- Diabetes
- Surgical pain management.
- Colitis.
- Various types of cancer.
- Skin conditions.
- Gallbladder problems.
- Stomach problems.
- Fatigue.
Turmeric may not be the “wonder” cure that treats all ailments, but it is certainly presenting itself as a Jack-of-all-trades when it comes to positive health benefits.
