A yellow-colored powder ground from the root of the turmeric plant. The turmeric plant grows in India and Indonesia and is related to the ginger family (it is a common ingredient in curries). Curcumin is a key chemical in turmeric.

Turmeric supplements are popular these days, but for one woman in Arizona, taking a turmeric supplement may have triggered an uncommon liver problem, according to a new report of the case.

The spice has been used for more than 5,000 years, and to this day it plays an important role in traditional cultures throughout the Eastern world.

Curcumin is the active ingredient in turmeric, and it has powerful biological properties. Ayurvedic medicine, a traditional Indian system of treatment, recommends turmeric for a variety of health conditions. These include chronic pain and inflammation.

What is Curcumin?

Curcumin is the main ingredient or most active component of turmeric, accounting for 2 percent of the spice. Curcumin has been used in traditional Indian and Ayurvedic medicine for its powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Turmeric has natural anti-inflammatory compounds called curcuminoids, and these curcuminoids have been associated with a positive effect on various diseases, says Anya Guy, a Mayo Clinic dietitian.

Those diseases include Type 2 diabetes, obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, and cancer.

Some people apply turmeric to the skin for pain, ringworm, sprains, and swellings, bruising, leech bites, eye infections, acne, inflammatory skin conditions and skin sores, soreness inside of the mouth, infected wounds, and gum disease.

What Is Turmeric?

Turmeric is a spice that comes from the turmeric plant. It is commonly used in Asian food. You probably know turmeric as the main spice in curry.

It has a warm, bitter taste and is frequently used to flavor or color curry powders, mustards, kinds of butter, and cheeses.

Turmeric is also used to stimulate digestion, boost liver function, and regulate menstruation. Additionally, some proponents suggest that turmeric can help prevent cancer.

As if its antioxidant, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective properties and resistance to harmful organisms aren’t enough, turmeric shows strong potential in many other applications. It’s a legitimate superfood, and researchers are studying it for dozens of possible health benefits. Here are just a few.

What Medical studies Say Related To Turmeric?

Several recent studies show that turmeric/curcumin has anti-inflammatory properties and modifies immune system responses.

A 2006 study showed turmeric was more effective at preventing joint inflammation than reducing joint inflammation.

There are several chemical compounds found in turmeric, known as curcuminoids.

The active substance in turmeric is curcumin. Curcumin is what makes turmeric a “functional food,” defined by the Mayo Clinic as “foods that have a potentially positive effect on health beyond basic nutrition.”

Curcumin Could Lower Your Risk of Heart Disease

The antioxidant properties of turmeric have a direct effect on the cardiovascular system. Curcumin reduces the toxic effects of aggressive medical therapies, especially the way they affect the heart.

Heart disease is the number 1 cause of death in the world. Researchers have studied it for many decades and learned a lot about why it happens. Unsurprisingly, heart disease is incredibly complicated and various things contribute to it.

To date, the majority of curcumin studies in humans have been in populations with existing health problems. Perhaps this is because studies on healthy people can be challenging in that benefits may not be as immediate and measurable if biomarkers are normal at baseline.

Studies have shown that it may be helpful for memory, cholesterol and menopausal symptoms if taken by mouth.

Turmeric As An Antioxidant

Many of us know that antioxidants are beneficial, but what exactly do they do? Antioxidants promote cellular health by reducing free radicals and oxidative stress.

Helps Prevent And Manage Diabetes

Traditional medicines have used turmeric for diabetes for thousands of years. Several studies using animal and human models have shown that curcumin supplementation may have anti-diabetes properties.

Memory And Dementia

Turmeric is also being investigated to see if the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of curcumin may help support memory. So far, the evidence is mixed.

Another reason to supplement with turmeric curcumin is its immune-boosting benefits.4 Think of turmeric curcumin as your immune system’s health-promoting buddy.

BOOSTS THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

Curcumin is not just an anti-inflammatory compound but also an immunomodulator[ix]. This means that it can modulate or modify how the immune system defends the body.

Oxidative stress is an imbalance between the body’s production of harmful free radicals and its ability to counteract their adverse effects. Antioxidants help restore this balance by inhibiting the oxidation of other molecules, allowing your body’s natural healing mechanisms to repair the damage.

You might be getting more sodium than you need, even if you never pick up the salt shaker. That’s because more than 70 percent of the sodium we eat comes from packaged and restaurant foods.

Sodium is a mineral that is important for maintaining normal fluid balance in the body. It is found naturally in foods and is also added to certain foods. The daily recommendation of sodium is 2,300 mg per day.

Sodium is an important mineral that performs many essential functions in your body. It’s found naturally in foods like eggs and vegetables and is also the main component of table salt (sodium chloride).

Fresh and frozen vegetables are both good choices. When buying frozen and canned vegetables, choose those labeled as low sodium or without added salt.

Look For Foods Labeled “Low Sodium” Or “No Salt Added

At first, you will find that it will take you a little longer to find the brands and foods that contain the lowest amount of salt when you are shopping. But once you have discovered them, then your shopping trip will take no longer than usual.

Take the list below with you the next time you go food shopping to help you choose foods that are lower in sodium.

It’s estimated that at least half of people with hypertension have blood pressure that is affected by sodium consumption. In addition, your risk of salt sensitivity increases with age

The American Heart Association (AHA) reports that because the average American consumes more than 3,400 milligrams of sodium every day, “cutting back just 1,000 milligrams of sodium a day can significantly improve blood pressure and heart health.”

What Is A Low-Sodium Diet?

Sodium is an essential mineral involved in many important bodily functions, including cellular function, fluid regulation, electrolyte balance and maintaining blood pressure.

It’s no secret that eating too much sodium is bad for your health. Research has shown time and again that a high-salt diet can up your odds for health problems like high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.

The top 15 low sodium foods are:

• Grass-Fed Beef
• Wild-Caught Alaskan Salmon
• Free-Range Eggs
• Brown Rice
• Quinoa
• Oats
• Fresh Vegetables
• Fresh Fruit
• Avocados
• Yogurt
• Coconut Kefir
• Goat Cheese
• Dried Beans
• Dried Lentils
• Unsalted Nuts and Seeds

Taste is not always a good indicator of how “salty” something is. For example, many pieces of bread, breakfast cereals, and bakery products contain sodium even though they don’t taste salty.

Use Fresh, Rather Than Packaged Meats

Fresh cuts of beef, chicken or pork contain natural sodium, but the content is still much less than the hidden extra sodium added during processing in products like bacon or ham.

These foods are often some of the worst offenders, says Gradney:

• Pickles
• Spaghetti sauce
• Ketchup, steak sauce, hot sauce, and other condiments
• Processed Meats
• Bread
• Sports drinks
• Salad dressing
• Boxed mac & cheese or ramen noodles
• Fast foods, or “anything you get at the drive-through”

Use oil and vinegar on salads. Add fresh or dried herbs. Eat fresh fruit or sorbet for dessert, when you have dessert. Take the salt shaker off your table. Replace it with a salt-free seasoning mix.

Again, sodium can crop up where you least expect it so Angelone says it’s important to read the labels on all packaged foods you buy—at least until you get familiar with some options that are lower in sodium.

Eating Less Salt Can Be Difficult At First

Your taste buds are accustomed to a certain level of sodium, and less-salty foods initially seem bland. But your taste buds adapt to eating less salt, and soon food will taste just as flavourful with less salt added.

Over 75 percent of the sodium we eat comes from processed foods such as cheese, deli meats, pizza, sauces, and soups. Packaged and ready-to-eat foods, fast foods, and restaurant meals are often high in sodium.

Salty snacks inherently encourage overindulgence and enjoyment; they’re delicious, usually portable and easy to pick up on the go. Salt is also often added to low-fat formulations to recapture some of the flavors lost when reducing fat.

Try Making A Simple Vinaigrette At Home

Mix together a splash of olive oil with a splash of balsamic vinegar. You can keep it that simple, or you can add in a few herbs, such as an Italian seasoning mix.

That’s why it is important to read labels closely. Sodium content is listed per serving size; to be considered a low-sodium serving, it should read 140 mg or less.

Assuming, however, that you’re in good health, a more effective way to balance the sodium in your diet—and increase the nutritional quality of your diet at the same time—might be to increase your potassium intake.