Turmeric Supplement Guide: Uses & Benefits
Turmeric is a gorgeous yellow spice known to be a powerful superfood. One of the most researched herbs around, Turmeric also has centuries of traditional use. Let’s dig deep into the remarkable health benefits of Turmeric
What is Turmeric?
Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a flowering plant native to Southeast Asia. The part of the Turmeric used for cooking and health is the rhizome, a word that comes from the Greek for “mass of roots.” A rhizome is actually different than a root—it’s like a long tuber that grows horizontally underground. While the dirt-bound Turmeric rhizome may seem unassuming at first glance, generations of cooks and healers have found that it hides bright gold. Turmeric’s distinctive saffron color and earthy taste give many curries, pickles, and condiments their sunny look and complex character.
Benefits of Turmeric Supplements
Turmeric is yummy, sure, but there’s a lot more to love about it. The reason Turmeric is considered a superfood is because it has important health benefits.
Anti-Inflammatory: Turmeric is traditionally used in herbal medicine as an anti-inflammatory to help relieve joint pain.
Digestion: Turmeric is used in herbal medicine to aid digestion and can act as a carminative (relieves flatulence).
Liver Support: Turmeric is traditionally used in herbal medicine as a liver protectant and helps increase bile excretion by the liver.
Antioxidants for Cellular Health: Turmeric has powerful antioxidant properties helping to maintain overall health.
What is Curcumin?
You may have heard about one compound in Turmeric known as Curcumin (no relation to the spice cumin). Curcumin supplements are extremely popular, and they follow drug development trends of isolating and intensifying a single herbal component for medicinal use. Curcumin tends to steal the limelight and has often been called the “active ingredient” in Turmeric. Many published articles look at the action of curcumin alone, rather than studying the symphony of compounds found in whole Turmeric.
However, the Curcumin compound is only 5% of what whole Turmeric has to offer. On top of that, isolated Curcumin is difficult for the body to absorb. The truth is, Turmeric has a range of 100s of other active compounds. For example, it’s rich in volatile oils, such as Turmerones. Recent research suggests these actives may be just as valuable as Curcumin. The non-curcuminoids in Turmeric ,like those oil-based Turmerones, actually enhance the bioavailability of Curcumin and help the body to absorb Curcumin properly.
The moral of the story is that the wisdom of the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The dynamic potential of the whole plant cannot be captured in just one constituent, because all of the compounds in Turmeric work together to deliver nature’s wisdom and the full spectrum of antioxidant activity.
Does a Turmeric Supplement Need Black Pepper?
If you shop for curcumin supplements you may notice some contain additives like black pepper or piperine. Why is that? Well, curcumin has notoriously low absorption and “use-ability” in the body, so companies add black pepper or its derivative, piperine, to many standardized curcumin supplements. But while research has shown that piperine may enhance absorption of curcumin, a whole-herb Turmeric supplement that’s been formulated for absorption doesn’t need black pepper to do the job.
New Chapter believes nature got it right the first time. Our Turmeric Force products are made with two types of whole Turmeric extracts to deliver the hundreds of compounds in the balance that nature intended, complete with Curcumin, Turmerones, and many more. Our Turmeric is expertly formulated for optimal absorption, to unlock multiple health benefits. Think of curcumin as a star player on your favourite sports team. No matter how valuable that player may be, you need the whole team to win a game.
So, the answer is—Curcumin-only supplements may need black pepper, but our whole-food Turmeric supplements do not. What’s needed for optimal absorption is the synergy delivered in whole Turmeric!
Where Does Turmeric Come From?
When you are committed to sourcing the highest quality botanicals, you go around the globe to find them. It makes sense that the heart of Turmeric’s tradition is where it grows best, in the rainy tropics, particularly in India. Here the soil conditions and climate are ideal for growing the most phytonutrient-dense Turmeric on the planet.
New Chapter partners with sustainable and organic farms with a high regard for soil integrity to source the highest quality raw materials, expertly extract them, and deliver them to you. We also partner with Rodale Institute, a leader in organic and regenerative farming practices to achieve our goal of a regeneratively farmed future for all.
Tips for Taking Turmeric Supplements
Here’s a quick guide to our favourite Turmeric products. New Chapter also include Turmeric in many of our multivitamin formulations—it’s just that beneficial.
Turmeric Force™
Anti-inflammatory joint pain relief & liver protection
Whole-herb approach for optimal absorption
Dual extracts of pure & potent whole Turmeric
Turmeric Force™ NIGHTTIME
Supports deep and satisfying sleep
Supports anti-inflammatory joint pain relief
Pure Turmeric plus Holy Basil, Hops & Valerian
Whether you are a novice or an expert to the world of Turmeric, there are a lot of reasons to include this hard-working spice in your daily regimen. It has multiple wellness benefits that make it a time-tested solution for the challenges and concerns of the modern world.
© 2021 New Chapter Canada, Inc.
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