Turmeric For Inflammation & Depression

Turmeric rocks. Period!

Do you know that beautiful yellow colour that you often see in Indian food? Well, that’s turmeric. Some say it’s a spice, others call it a herb. Either way, it adds a beautiful flavour to food while also providing some medicinal properties.

Seriously, there have been over 500 peer-reviewed studies on this root that have revealed hundreds of potential therapeutic applications for turmeric, such as treating depression naturally, inflammation, arthritis and so much more. And a lot of turmeric’s success has a lot to do with a special compound, curcumin.

I’m going to focus on turmeric’s anti-inflammatory and anti-depression benefits.

What is Curcumin?

Curcumin is a bioactive compound that is the main ingredient of turmeric. It’s been shown to contain great anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Which in turn, have some great health benefits from helping with chronic pain to depression.

I should note, curcumin has a low absorption rate (referred to as bioactivity), but adding some pepper to your turmeric will assist with absorption.

Best Known as an Anti-Inflammatory

Now it’s been known for a pretty long time that turmeric is awesome for inflammation and hands down is as efficient as aspirin, ibuprofen and a bunch of other anti-inflammatory drugs. Thank you, Curcumin. A study conducted has shown curcumin to be the most effective anti-inflammatory in the world. That’s a big call!!

And seeing as inflammation can be a cause for many health conditions, such as heart disease, Alzheimer’s can cancer, turmeric is also assisting with these conditions.

Reducing Symptoms of Depression

What is less well known is turmeric’s ability to treat depression. It turns out turmeric is superior to Prozac in treating depression. A groundbreaking study in Phytotherapy Research has shown that the bioactive component in turmeric, known as curcumin, “is both safe and effective in treating serious states of depression,” according to GreenMed Info.

As an added perk, curcumin actually provides “side benefits” such as protective and healing attributes that go far beyond the management of depression.

When using turmeric powder to enhance mental function and health, as mentioned above, adding a small pinch of non-irradiated black pepper will massively improve bioavailability and absorption. Researchers have found that up to 8 grams of turmeric can be consumed per day without adverse effects. Mixing turmeric with healthy fats, such as coconut oil, is another option to help boost how much turmeric the body takes in.

Enjoying Turmeric

I like a root juice of carrot, beet, ginger and turmeric. If you haven’t tried turmeric before I just want to let you know that it has a pretty strong taste, so a little goes a long way. You may like to start off with a small chunk and build up to the size of about half your pinky finger.

Another hot Tyler Tolman tip is to add an apple to take the edge off.

Turmeric is also fantastic to use as an essential oil. It’s amazing for the skin, showing some anti-aging properties, giving skin a softer, more even complexion, also assisting with acne, wrinkles and fine lines. Adding this essential oil to our regular nighttime skin treatment regime will see your skin glowing.

Of course, the best way to boost your mood is to start living according to the 7 Principles Of Health. Deep breathing, drinking water, getting out in the sun, exercising, eating whole food, being in nourishing relationships, and finding your passion.

So if you want to boost your mood, here is an awesome smoothie that includes turmeric and coconut oil and tastes amazing! Drink it out in the sunshine and fresh air for maximum benefits. 😉

Thanks for reading!