Z. Johnson
In these recent times, turmeric has gained more popularity for its numerous health benefits. For decades, turmeric has been one of the primary herbs used for cooking, seasoning and even claimed to have medicinal properties. This root, just as other natural foods, has many health benefits. But, what about turmeric for weight loss? Is it really effective? As a nutritionist, I think it’s important for me to address the topic about turmeric. Today, I’ll let you know about it’s powerful benefits and some good advice to get you going on your journey.
What is turmeric?
The scientific name of turmeric is curcuma longa, and it belongs to the Ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is native to South Asia, majorly India. However, you can easily find it in many parts around the world, even here in America. Turmeric is a rhizome, or commonly called “root”. If you have no idea what that looks like, it’s similar to ginger (it actually looks like ginger, in appearance). You can find it in its natural state, as well as in powders (bright orange), as part of spices or even as supplements.
Turmeric has been used for ages in a lot of recipes, especially indian cuisines, just like curry powder. People know it for its spicy flavor that it gives to most foods. Turmeric has a component called curcumin, which is responsible for many of its beneficial health properties. As well, this plant contains some nutritional value, mostly minerals like potassium, iron, antioxidants and fiber.
Turmeric is widely known as a powerful anti inflammatory food, that’s why many people have used it as a natural medicinal treatment of chronic diseases like Crohn’s disease, arthritis and even some types of cancer. Some studies even show that you can even find some benefits from turmeric in treating Alzheimer. But, wait, it’s not only with internal diseases that scientists have found turmeric beneficial. Also, this plant has some powerful antioxidants that can help with skin health, as well as depression. Now, let’s get into the facts about turmeric for weight loss.
Disclosure: Weight loss is a matter of lifestyle choices
As I’ve always said, there is no magic pill, superfood, or special technique that will make you lose weight for good. It’s important that you remember how valuable it is you make proper food choices, that you learn about balanced eating, and develop a healthy relationship with food. Intuitive eating also plays a big role here. The way how your metabolism behaves depends on how you feed your body as a whole. Therefore, don’t believe the hype that taking supplements or superfoods will boost your metabolism exclusively. And this is especially true if you don’t take advantage of healthy eating. The same goes with exercise, sleep patterns, stress management, anxiety, all these factors are a big clue when it comes to improving your metabolism. Like I said, balance is key baby!
Benefits of turmeric for weight loss
Well, going back to the topic in question, is turmeric for weight loss a fact? There are many benefits and recent studies that show how adding turmeric to your eating regimen can benefit in weight loss. Let’s dive into the details!
Turmeric for weight loss fact #1: Reducing metabolic inflammation
There is evidence that including turmeric in your daily eating regimen can help reduce the risk of metabolic inflammation. Well, what does this really mean? As I mentioned, turmeric works a powerful anti inflammatory agent in the body. Inflammation is a complex process that happens when you’re overweight. It’s what makes you accumulate more fat, have increased blood sugar levels, have higher blood pressure, and other health problems. In other words, the inflammation in obesity is what causes you to develop metabolic syndrome.
There was a study in which experts found that people including turmeric regularly saw results in: enhanced weight loss, reduced waistline, hip reduction and BMI (the relationship between weight and height overall).
Turmeric for weight loss fact #2: Reducing the bad blood cholesterol
Having high amounts of bad cholesterol (LDL) in your body is another thing that helps you gain weight fast. Experts found that the curcumin in turmeric can help the body’s process of getting rid of bad cholesterol. Remember that accumulating too much bad cholesterol causes inflammation in your body, damages your heart and blood vessels. So, curcumin in turmeric can help in reversing that effect.
Fact #3: Reducing the amount of fat cells
When you’re overweight, the fat cells in your body not only increase in amount but also in size. This, of course, makes matters complicated, as fat cells spread like cancer cells and can cause the risk of getting those heart diseases and inflammatory conditions. That’s why, when you go to a dietitian, your local gym or even your doctor, they monitor your fat %. Well, doctors found out that turmeric’s components play an important part in reducing the growth of fat cells in your body. Interesting hah?!
Turmeric for weight loss fact #4: Fat burning effects
Just as how turmeric helps in the process of reducing fat cells, so it does in helping to burn fat. There are still more studies that need to be done to prove entirely this, but curcumin has an effect in the metabolism of fats. It helps to enhance the liver in the process of detoxification. Thus, it is an important process for fat burning.
Turmeric for weight loss fact #5: Help to lower blood sugar levels
Another aspect that is related to overweight is the increased amount of blood sugar. Well, one study shows how blood sugar levels were controlled better by including turmeric in foods. This is a sure fact! As this not only happens with curcumin, but other herbs and spices. Some good examples are cinnamon and ginger. These herbs have powerful anti diabetic properties. So, if you suffer from diabetes, it is good that you start adding more natural spices to your food, and less sugar, table salt and artificial seasonings.
How should I consume turmeric to get the most of its benefits?
Now that you’ve learned some of the important facts of turmeric for weight loss, let’s just keep it simple. Just as you add other natural herbs, include turmeric as a natural spice in your foods. If you notice, not only your meals will taste better, but also, you’ll naturally consume less sodium (salt, and artificial seasonings), as well as less table sugar. Less is more here, my friend! By reducing the amount of these components in your eating regimen, you’ll have less risk of getting not only overweight, but suffering from heart disease and other health conditions.
Some people recommend dosage, but I won’t. Since it is a natural food, the best way to consume it is by adding it as a spice to your meals. You can also use it in teas alone or combined, or even add it to your drinks and supplements. There is no evidence of toxicity found yet. You may add it to your foods, just as you use ginger.
Finally: Is turmeric for weight loss effective?
As you noticed, I just made a review of the top facts about turmeric for weight loss. These are evidence based. As I mentioned before, no food or herb for itself has powerful effect over weight loss. However, if you have a balanced eating and active lifestyle, you’ll see effective results. It is true, therefore, that including herbs and natural spices like turmeric can add great benefits to your metabolism overall. Have you used turmeric in your diet? If you need further assistance in learning how to eat better and feel better, let me know. Comment your thoughts below. Remember also that sharing is caring!
