A popular kitchen ingredient, turmeric is not just your ordinary spice. Turmeric spice popular as a part of curry dishes is almost always found in superfood lists because of its many health benefits ranging from its antibiotic properties to boosting memory to even combating some types of cancer.
As per a recent study, there is one more benefit we can add to the already long list: turmeric can improve your cardiovascular health as much as physical exercise !
The study, which was published in the American Journal of Cardiology, claims that turmeric extract can lower risks of heart attack by upto 56%. This recent study supports the earlier research published in 2012 in the Nutrition Research journal in which it says that eating the spice or taking supplements can be as effective as an aerobic exercise in improving your heart’s health.
Just imagine a pinch of turmeric and its effects to the cardiovascular system can be compared to an hour of brisk walking or jogging. If your main goal for exercising is to improve your health, this may be what you have been waiting for.
The health benefits of turmeric can be attributed to its primary polyphenol, known as curcumin. Not just responsible for the spice’s colour, curcumin has active properties that can improve vascular function, particularly in postmenopausal women. At this time of a woman’s life, heart problems could easily arise and thus become a real health concern.
Here are some important points to bear in mind if you plan to use turmeric for your heart health:
While turmeric does help improve the health and function of the cardiovascular system, you shouldn’t rely on the spice entirely and forget about exercising. Even experts, including the researchers of the study, agree there is nothing that can replace being physically active no matter how many supplements you take and how much curcumin you consume.