What Does Turmeric Do For Your Health?

I had never been one to compare the relative health benefits provided by a range of herbs and spices I was using on a regular basis. But, when I noticed some health experts banging on about something called turmeric, I thought I should take a moment to check it out.

So what does turmeric do for you? It seems that it's more than just something we add to spice up our food when we make a curry dish. If you were to invest some time and energy looking into this herb plant you'll come across some intriguing facts.

But, that knowledge of the various healing properties of herbs like turmeric was known about by even the ancient cultures in places like India. They too saw it had the potential to cleanse and detoxify the body. Whilst the range of herbs is vast, modern medicine and techniques are quickly discovering some of these herbs extracts and utilizing them in modern treatments and drugs.

Where it scores highly against other herbs is in it's properties such as being anti inflammatory and in the levels of antioxidants it has. I know a lot of health information goes on about these antioxidants as being important in the fight against free radicals. The resulting damage to our body is evident in such things as wrinkles. Whilst we get antioxidants from the the things we eat and drink, some foods simply have more than others.

Other studies have indicated it's potential to help those who suffer from osteoarthritis, digestive disorders and in lowering the levels of bad cholesterol.

That rather inconspicuous jar of brown looking powder in my spice rack has taken on a whole new meaning and I'll definitely be adding it my list of must have ingredients in the future when I shop for supplements.

Peter Foremski is an avid researcher and consumer of nutritional supplements of natural origin that provide optimum health. To examine his findings and opinions and which products to look out for, go to http://www.natural-nutritional-supplement.com

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By Peter Foremski

The Truth About Turmeric Extract and It's Health Benefits

Turmeric extract has become a fairly popular choice for supplementation, but if you want the most benefits, you need to choose the right supplement. Even some of the better and more expensive brands are not formulated to insure proper absorption.

When we learn about the healing powers of herbs and botanicals, we may be tempted to run right out and buy some. With the internet, it is even easier to order something as soon as you hear about it.

But, if you don't do a little research, you could be wasting your money.

The news reports that you see about turmeric and its active component curcumin only tell part of the story. They don't get into the details. They talk about how curcumin research is exploding. It has even been referred to as "Indian Gold". What they don't tell you is that the compound has low bioavailability.

The bioavailability of a drug or a nutrient is determined by measuring blood serum levels after consumed, allowing time for it to reach the upper intestine.

You could eat as much as 10 grams or 10,000 mg of turmeric extract and very little curcumin would end up in the bloodstream. It is quickly changed and degraded by digestive acids.

Some of the health benefits of turmeric have been known since ancient times. It has been used to prevent and treat infections. Modern research has shown that it has antibacterial activity.

In some countries, it has been used to treat irritable and inflammatory bowel disease.

It has been shown to have anti-inflammatory activity. It is widely used in Asia as a digestive aid.

Although in large quantities it can cause stomach upset, nausea and diarrhea.

But, the recent research concerning turmeric extract has to do with reducing the risk of cancer and other diseases, because of its antioxidant activity. In order to be beneficial for this purpose, it must enter the bloodstream.

So, if you are thinking of buying the supplement for a digestive problem, there is no need to be concerned about the low bioavailability.

It should have its effect as it passes through the GI tract. If you are looking for a health supplement that will help reduce your risk of disease, you need to be sure that the manufacturer has taken precautions to protect the turmeric acid from digestive acids and enhance its bioavailability.

In order to do that, they need to use a tablet that has an enteric coating and combine the curcumin with another spice called piperine.

Piperine has natural anti-inflammatory activity of its own and it enhances the bioavailability of other nutrients, including beta-carotene, selenium, vitamin B6 and curcumin.

It should be used with caution, however, by people taking prescription drugs, because it enhances their bioavailability as well, which could cause a problem.

There are many plant extracts that can help prevent some of man's biggest killers.

The more that we know about them, the better, but it's always a good idea to do a little research before you buy anything.

Now, you know a little more about turmeric extract, there's always more to learn.

Living longer and healthier takes a little more effort, so start taking the best multi-nutritional supplement which can reward you with optimum health and well being because your health is worth it

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Joan Gosselin is passionate about maintaining good health by taking quality synergistic products. Visit her website now to read what she has to say about the cutting edge multi nutrient products she recommends after extensive research: http://www.radiant-health.info

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By Joan Gosselin

How to Build Health and Personal Wealth

PROVEN Fact! 98% of most all 'Fad Diets' FAIL! This doesn't mean that they don't work. To some extent SOME DO. But not for very long. At least not very long lasting anyway.

Another fact! 80% percent of the people that walk our earth today are either overweight or obese. Obesity, it's been reported, today is one of the major contributors of high cholesterol, eating disorders, heart attack, stroke, nervous disorders, hypertension and some cancers. And in some cases early and premature death.

While we may lose pounds initially, weigh ourselves regularly and find we are losing weight, we often wonder why after we get to a certain goal weight, or almost to it, nothing continues. And try as we may, what we hoped for from those great pictures we looked at and all the hype we read or listened to, everything seems to have stopped happening and we wonder why! We don't really feel better and start asking what's going on here?

It's mainly because our bodies are not getting important nutrition, natural vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants essential to both protect and rid our bodies of harmful toxins and impurities that are so prevalent in our daily lives. The nutrient deficient foods we eat. The fast foods and processed foods. Our generally contaminated water and the poisons from smoke, exhaust of all kinds and other airborne elements that invade the air we breathe. And lack of proper, regular exercise. All of these factors can contribute to our general ill health, discomfort and life's frustrations.

Today, through powerful fat-burning gentle nutritional cleansing, a renowned dietary formulator who has formulated and produced literally thousands of dietary products for hundreds of companies, has put together the very finest, richest natural ingredients from all over the world, to richly nourish our bodies resulting in optimum health providing quick, effective and long lasting weight loss control, great energy, vitality, stamina and restful good sleep like many of us have not experienced.

Top successful executives who have helped to create thousands of 6 and 7 figure income earners have joined in with this formulator in recent years to establish and build what is now an international leader in nutritional cleansing, to aid in and promote optimum health and wellness.

You owe it to yourself to learn more about this amazing breakthrough! How you can benefit by both using the information in this article and sharing with others toward the way to recovery from both physical and financial pain and distress, leading you to being healthier, happier, more productive and prosperous. You can. You can be the miracle that you were intended to be.

Did you enjoy and find this article helpful? If you Did, take a look at the 3 main informative videos here, using your computer's back button to view and listen to each video. Make a wonderful change and get back to me. By: Chuck Marx. chuckmarx@gmail.com

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By Chuck Marx

Optimum Health Foods

It is a widely accepted idea that some foods do more good to your body than others. In other words, some foods are "healthier" to eat than others. In this article, I set out to examine some of the natural nutrition sources that experts consider to be exceptionally "healthy" for your body. Remember, you are what you eat!

The Apricot is number one on my list. Apricots contain beta-carotene which helps to prevent free radical damage and gives protection to the eyes. An average sized apricot gives you 17 calories, 0 fats, and 1 gram of fiber. They may be eaten dried or soft.

Next, I'll strongly recommend the mango fruit. Accounting for approximately 50 percent of all tropical fruits produced worldwide, mango is one of the most extensively exploited fruits-for good reasons. A medium sized mango packs 57 mg of vitamin C-almost your entire daily dose. Considered a model "superfruit", it boosts your immune system and helps prevent arthritis.

The average sized cantaloupe contains 177 mg of vitamin C-almost twice your recommended daily dose. Half a melon contains approximately 853 mg of potassium, 97 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 2 grams of fiber. The potassium in the cantaloupe helps to lower blood pressure.

Tomatoes, according to a review published in the "Journal of the National Cancer Institute" has been linked (although by limited evidence) to the prevention of certain types of cancer. One medium sized tomato contains 26 calories, 0 fat and 1 gram of fiber.

In the vegetables category, I'll choose to start with onions. A cup of onions provide 61 calories, 0 fat and 3 grams of fiber. Onions are known to prevent cancer, according to studies. They have been used in Chinese medicine to treat coughs, angina, bacterial infections and breathing problems. The World Health Organization (WHO) supports the use of onions for the treatment of poor appetite and to prevent atherosclerosis. Onion extracts are also recognized by the World Health Organization for providing relief in the treatment of coughs and colds, asthma and bronchitis.

Next in my vegetables list is broccoli. One cup of chopped broccoli contains 25 calories, 0 fats and 3 grams of fiber. Broccoli is rich in a wide array of nutrients with a substantial amount of vitamin C and beta-carotene. Half of the fiber in broccoli is soluble, and half insoluble, helping to meet your needs for both types of fiber. Broccoli belongs to the family of cruciferous vegetables-- which are known for reducing the risk of many types of cancer.

Spinach is recommended for its high calcium and iron content. In addition, spinach is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A, manganese, magnesium, iron, vitamin C, vitamin B2, calcium, potassium, and vitamin B6. It is a very good source of dietary fiber, copper, protein, phosphorous, zinc, and vitamin E. This vegetable also contains omega-3 fatty acids in a fairly good proportion. The carotenoids in spinach helps fend of macular degeneration, which is a major cause of blindness in elderly people. One cup of spinach provides 7 calories, 0 fats and 1 gram of fiber.

In the "grains, beans and nuts" section, I'll choose to start with "peanuts". Peanuts, and other nuts, can lower your risk of heart disease by 20 percent. One ounce contains 166 calories, 14 grams of fats, and over 2 grams of fiber.

The pinto bean is another highly recommended potassium rich health food. Half cup of pinto beans provides more than 25 percent of your daily folate requirement, which protects you against heart disease. Half a cup gives 103 calories, 1 gram of fats, and 6 grams of fiber.

Skim milk is a great source of vitamin B2, which is important for good vision and, along with vitamin A, could protect against allergies. It also gives calcium and vitamin D. One cup contains 86 calories, 0 fats, and 0 fiber.

In the "seafood" category, the salmon is strongly recommended. Like all cold water fish, salmon is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids have been proven to help reduce the risk of cardiac diseases. A 3 ounce portion of salmon contains 127 calories, 4 grams of fats, and 0 fiber. Two other great sources of omega-3 fatty acids in the "seafood" category are mackerel and tuna.

Patrick Carpen, the author of this article, is the developer and owner of the website: http://www.platinumrecipescollection.com. The Platinum Recipes Collection lists thousands of recipes in hundreds of categories

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By Patrick Carpen

By Not Taking Curcumin Supplements You Could Be Missing Out

The growth in health related advice we're exposed to is relentless and is feeding our appetite for even more. Looking after yourself need not take a radical shift in your lifestyle.

I recently switched to a different brand of curcumin supplements and I'll explain why later.

Many people worldwide have recognized the fact that our western diet is lacking in nutritional value, and the reasons are many. Witness the huge growth in the choice of dietary and nutritional supplements across the whole spectrum of vitamins and minerals.

There's no doubt that much of it is also fueled by the marketing methods employed by those who make the products. But, others say it's fulfilling a need as we seek to find ways in which to stay in optimum health. There may be a grain of truth in both statements, but a good deal of us swear by these pills. One in particular that contains curcumin supplements has some rather important health giving benefits worthy of a mention.

It's derived from the herb spice turmeric, which today is a staple ingredient of curry powder. Long ago, as far back as 2,000 years it was used extensively to heal and treat various sicknesses and ailments by ancient cultures like the Indian and Chinese.

Today it's being linked to helping to ease and prevent certain conditions like type 2 diabetes, alzheimer's, acne, liver and digestive functions in cases where people are on a high fat diet. As a potent antioxidant it can also assist our bodies own immune system in fighting infections.

I'm all for taking easy, natural preventative steps like taking curcumin supplements, perhaps you should take some time out to look into it yourself.

Peter Foremski is an avid researcher and consumer of nutritional supplements of natural origin that provide optimum health. To examine his findings and opinions and which products to look out for, go to http://www.natural-nutritional-supplement.com

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By Peter Foremski

Nutritional Supplementation for the Health Conscious Person

For the health conscious person, there is often a maze of confusion regarding the best approach to dietary supplementation. To help navigate this complex and often confusing nutritional landscape for the growing number of people who know that they have to be proactive, but are not sure what to do, there are some basic principles to consider.

Start with a full-spectrum multivitamin and mineral supplement from a company that has a long track record of research and development. Because our food supply has been so overly processed and many foods are grown on nutrient-depleted soils, it is essential to get the foundation of good nutrition with a superior quality multivitamin and mineral supplement.

Pure fish oil, again from a company with very high standards for purity and standardization, is a foundation for optimum health because these oils are essential and cannot be made by the body and have to be present in adequate amounts in the diet or through dietary supplementation.
These fish oils provides the system with the essential fatty acids, EPA and DHA, which are important anti-inflammatory factors and help the body to reduce the low-grade chronic inflammation that is considered the cause of heart disease and many other chronic degenerative diseases. They can help support healthy cholesterol levels and will help to keep your skin soft and moisturized.

Since about 70 percent of our immune system depends on a health gastrointestinal tract, the use of a probiotic with friendly bacteria can help protect against infection and aid in digestion and assimilation of important nutrients from the food.

Because most of us will not get the full recommended servings of fresh fruits and vegetables, the health conscious person will be well served in adding a green drink containing wheat grass juice and alfalfa, among others, which help to insure that one is getting adequate amounts of anti-oxidants to deal with the free-radicals that occur through many biological processes, especially within the cells and through the process of detoxification occurring within the liver.

Finally, providing supportive nutrition for our adrenal glands, which are often depleted through stress, is of great significance. Because we are all subjected to many stressors in our modern world, adding to the usual challenges many face in raising a family and meeting their financial obligations, it is advisable to learn some system of stress relief and add the stress-relieving nutrients such as a B-vitamin complex and magnesium.

The domain of nutritional supplementation can be confusing and often the information available is inconsistent and contradictory. The science regarding many of the issues involved is still being debated. On the other hand, a consensus is developing regarding the fundamental principles that govern the prudent use of quality dietary supplements, and by avoiding the latest fads and getting good nutritional advice from a qualified health professional, the path towards optimum health can be discovered.

more on nutritional supplementation Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rolf_Rasmusson

By Rolf Rasmusson

Discover Important Health Benefits of Curcumin Or Tumeric

The benefits of curcumin or tumeric are no secret to those ancient civilizations in far off India or China. They used it as part of their herbal remedies for centuries, proving it to be effective in a wide range of health disorders.

The Turmeric plant, a close relative of the spice ginger is used in many ways today, and is still a large component of curry powder which features on many of our kitchen spice racks. It's curcumin, the extract that's taken from th plant which has been gaining many accolades.

Numerous studies and research by various scientific bodies have been charting how it plays a part in the treatment of many diseases and ailments, both at a pre and post symptom stage. That makes for interesting reading.

Many agree that it has excellent powers as an antioxidant, an anti bacterial and anti inflammatory to name a few. So how the benefits of curcumin or turmeric equate to the common man is easy to see once you read some of these study conclusions.

For example, one such study carried out by Indian neurologists had plenty to say about how it improved the cognitive function of Alzheimer's patients. Another was quick to pint out that it had a positive effect in sufferers with osteoarthritis, a big worry amongst the elderly.

Still more data has shown early promise in the field of diabetes and even in the treatment of acne, when applied as a paste onto affected skin areas. Whilst we continue to watch and wait for more good news, a good many of us are taking matters into our own hands and have started to take this fine herb extract. Maybe you should too.

The reason is pretty clear, the benefits of curcumin or tumeric can also be translated into both a protective and preventative effect, something your own immune system could well do with.

Peter Foremski is an avid researcher and consumer of nutritional supplements of natural origin that provide optimum health. To examine his findings and opinions and which products to look out for, go to http://www.natural-nutritional-supplement.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Foremski

By Peter Foremski