7 Ways Drinking Turmeric Tea Improves Your Health
Turmeric is commonly used in flavoring and spicing up food with numerous health benefits. Turmeric tea is both enjoyable and healthy.
In this post, you’ll learn about the health benefits of turmeric tea and why it should be drinking more of it.
Let’s dive in.
What is turmeric tea?
Turmeric, Curcuma longa, is a member of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae). It is a yellow-orange spice obtained from the root of the turmeric plant and is found majorly in India.
Turmeric tea is simply tea made of turmeric. You make it by boiling turmeric for some minutes and straining the tea. Yeah, it’s that simple.
The primary way people consume turmeric nowadays is through spicing in foods, but why limit the intake of something as beneficial as turmeric to just a few sprinkles. Turmeric tea gives the whole package.
Taking turmeric tea is a straightforward way of reaping the health benefits of turmeric. How much of it you can take, though, is not as clear-cut.
Anything between 0.4 to 0.6 grams of pure and powdered turmeric is safe. As much as one to three grams of dried turmeric root can be taken daily.
Health benefits of turmeric tea
1. Reduces the symptoms of arthritis
Arthritis is a rheumatic condition that causes the inflammation of the joint. People with arthritis tend to experience chronic joint pain and stiffness.
The principal component of turmeric is curcumin. Some studies report that Curcumin helps to reduce pain in people with arthritis.
Curcumin, found in turmeric, is also anti-inflammatory. The implication of this is that turmeric tea can reduce inflammation in people with arthritis.
Reduction in inflammation corresponds to a reduction in the severity of arthritis symptoms.
2. Lowers the risk of cardiovascular conditions
Asides from its anti-inflammatory properties, turmeric tea also has antioxidant properties. Both of these factors are beneficial to the heart.
Antioxidants protect the body against free radicals, which are implicated in heart diseases.
Anti-inflammatory substances prevent inflammation in the heart, and this reduces the risk of heart illnesses.
3. May help prevent Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disease that causes degeneration of brain cells, which leads to memory loss and deterioration of overall mental health.
Studies into turmeric show some promising preventive effects. The antioxidants in turmeric can inhibit the damage that causes Alzheimer’s disease.
What’s more, research shows that turmeric reduces the loss of the synaptic marker and deposits of amyloid, which are both implicated in the progression of this disease.
(Also read: 7 Foods Will Boost Your Brain Health)
4. Helps in the treatment of lung conditions
Turmeric tea is also useful in treating and managing lung diseases. One thing you must have learned at this point is that turmeric tea has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Well, experts believe these properties may lower the symptoms of lung conditions, especially chronic and lasting ones.
A review in 2017 concluded that curcumin might be useful in the treatment of lung conditions like asthma, COPD, and even cancer. More research needs to be conducted in this field, though.
5. Reduces the risk of cancer
One cannot mention the health benefits of curcumin without talking about cancer. It plays a vital role in fighting and preventing cancer.
Curcumin has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that may help prevent and treat cancer. It is believed that curcumin reduces the risk of damage to body cells, which in turn reduces the risk of cancer.
Curcumin also has anti-tumor properties. This implies that it prevents and limits the growth of tumors and cancerous cells.
6. Helps in the management of irritable bowel syndrome
Irritable Bowel Syndrome, IBS, is a gastrointestinal condition where you experience chronic pain in the abdomen, and alterations in bowel habits without any organic cause.
The use of turmeric as a medicinal herb to treat digestive conditions dates several years back. Studies have shown that curcumin can help in managing the symptoms of IBS, especially pain.
A study showed that curcumin increased gastric emptying time.
In simpler terms, it decreased the time it took for the food to leave the stomach into the abdomen, and this is a welcome property in people with IBS.
7. Reduces LDL cholesterol level
Not all cholesterol is necessarily bad. There is good and bad cholesterol. High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) is the ‘good’ cholesterol. And Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) is the ‘bad’ cholesterol.
LDL contributes to the buildup of fat in the arteries which may increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Turmeric is effective in lowering the level of LDL in the body. Research shows that even small quantities of curcumin can cause lowered LDL and total cholesterol levels.
Takeaway
Turmeric tea, with its unique flavor, is not only appealing to the taste buds, but also to many parts of the body.
Its active component, curcumin, is useful in preventing and treating many health conditions, including cancer.
But as with all herbs and spices, moderation is essential. Don’t go above the recommended limit of 0.4 – 0.6g of pure powder per day and 1 – 3g of dried turmeric root daily.
