Is Turmeric Worth Adding Into Diet?

Is Turmeric all hype? Or is it worth adding to our diets?

We’ve heard much about the spice known as turmeric, also known as curcumin. Numerous studies done on the Indian yellow spice have led to the spice being labeled as a “superfood”, a title that will be carrying over in 2018 based off of recent consumer reports. The hype has driven the sales of the spice and doesn’t look like it’ll be stopping anytime soon. You can find turmeric almost everywhere. You can find it in tea, foods, and much more.

However, is turmeric truly a miracle spice that can cure all ills? Or is it another food that the media has overhyped after hearing studies speculate over the spice’s health properties?

It’s difficult to say.

Numerous studies have been done on the effectiveness of turmeric in relation to a variety of medical conditions. The spice has been connected to possibly being able to reduce inflammation, help our boost our immune system, and being able to maintain the health of our joints. Because of the positive results received in the variety of studies, researchers are expanding the scope of how turmeric can further benefit our bodies.

However, not all results have been conclusive.

A new scientific review released earlier this year serves to remind us not to overhype things. During the review, researchers looked at scientific research that covered turmeric. Researchers say that the yellow spice may not be a superfood. The health benefits of the spice may be more limited than originally thought.

What was the biggest problem found in the review?

The biggest problem that was discovered in the scientific review was that curcumin is not easily absorbed by the body. This definitely brings into question how effective turmeric is to the human body if it is difficult to absorb.

Another item of note was that many studies that were reviewed had conflicts of interest. In some of the studies that were reviewed, researchers owned supplement companies that could benefit from selling turmeric specific items. This shows a conflict of interest in some research studies. The review also casts a shadow on how useful curcumin is for our bodies.

However, don’t toss out your turmeric yet.

The research review forces us to recognize that we’ve been swept up on by the hype surrounding turmeric. However, it did show the spice having some health benefits. And, we can’t ignore previous research. There has been a lot of research done on both animals and humans showing the health benefits.

The most important takeaway is not assuming that the yellow spice is a cure for all ills. We can’t rely on it to fix everything. However, adding it to your meals can still deliver some benefits. It won’t hurt to incorporate it into your diet.

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