Turmeric Root, Turmeric Spice, Turmeric Supplement - The Differences You Need To Know

Turmeric's popularity stems from the widespread knowledge of its ability to promote dramatic health improvements in individuals who use it regularly. The inclusion of this herb as a medical remedy dates back as far as four thousand years ago. A large percentage of today's research backs up the belief that the curcumin found in turmeric enhances one's health by offering relief for a wide variety of maladies. It is important to note that the effects of these health improvements varies according to the form of turmeric ingested as part of a dietary routine. Three primary varieties of turmeric exist for human consumption - raw, spice, and supplement.

From a standpoint of convenience, choosing turmeric spice or supplements is definitely easier than opting to add raw turmeric into your dietary intake. You simply take a pill or sprinkle some spice into your food when you choose these options. However, this is where the similarity ends. Turmeric spice and supplements deliver two entirely different results regarding enhanced health due to daily consumption of this herb.

On the other hand, choosing raw turmeric as part of your strategy to alleviate negative medical conditions involves a larger time commitment. Not only does it take more time when you choose the raw form of this herb over a processed one, but it also involves a higher level of planning.

Including raw turmeric in your daily meal strategy requires several steps, including:

• Purchasing firm, unblemished roots
• Washing the roots with cold water
• Preparing the roots, which involves peeling and chopping
• Cooking your turmeric to the desired level of tenderness

However, convenience isn't the only reason not to choose raw turmeric as your first option to include more turmeric into your dietary intake. The health benefits offered by this root clearly vary depending on the form of turmeric you use. By far, turmeric supplements carefully manufactured using scientific guidelines offer greater health benefits than either turmeric spice or root.

Scientific research shows that turmeric contains a powerful grouping of bioactive compounds scientifically proven to produce beneficial health enhancements. These bioactive compounds are known as curcuminoids, and curcumin is the most beneficial of these compounds. It is also the primary curcuminoid found in turmeric's grouping of bioactive compounds. Curcumin is credited with producing the health benefits accompanying the use of turmeric. 

Scientific studies show that turmeric's curcumin is helpful in alleviating symptoms associated with inflammation, joint pain, high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, nerve pain, prostate issues, heartburn, indigestion, GERD, Alzheimer's disease, memory issues, depression, and arthritis. A cursory exploration of turmeric spice, rhizomes, and supplements readily suggests that the differences in each one's ability to produce beneficial results are tremendous. The success in achieving these beneficial aspects is clearly linked to the ability to absorb the curcumin contained in the product you select.

Turmeric Cooking Spice and Its Benefits

Turmeric spice comes from the root of Curcuma longa, a plant typically grown in the hottest parts of Asia. It is found in the spice aisle of most grocery stores, and it is often contained in curry powders and dishes. 

This spice comes from pulverizing turmeric root into a fine powder. You can recognize this spice easily from its bright orange color, which makes it a popular addition in many dishes. While turmeric spice provides an easy way to include this herb in your diet, it delivers only minimal health benefits.

Unfortunately, turmeric spice doesn't contain a sufficient allotment of curcumin to produce significant health benefits. In fact, the root powder used to make turmeric spice has an extremely low percentage of curcuminoids. This percentage typically ranges between 2 and 4%, a quantity too small to offer advantageous improvements in common maladies experienced by people. 

It is also important to note that the body's digestive system has difficulty absorbing both turmeric and curcumin. Without the addition of a high quality grade of black pepper extract, approximately 99% of the ingested turmeric is not absorbed by the human body. Despite this lack of bioavailability, the low quantity of curcuminoids in turmeric spice negates any potential for positive improvements in health issues. If you include turmeric spice in your dietary regimen, it is important to do so solely for the pleasure of its taste and color.

Raw Turmeric Root and Its Benefits

Raw turmeric is brightly colored and flavorful. Fresh turmeric rhizomes or roots typically offer a stronger, more distinctive taste than processed spice. The root is fleshy and unevenly shaped, making it similar in appearance to ginger root, but its distinctive taste is completely different. It can even be described as peppery and strong. Therefore, people often enjoy chopping it and adding small pieces to casseroles, stews, and soups for flavor. Not only does this option require that you have raw turmeric root on hand, but it also means that it is less convenient to use. 

More importantly, the health benefits of eating raw turmeric root are minimal, particularly when they are compared with the advantages of taking turmeric supplements. In the first place, raw turmeric is extremely difficult to absorb, making it nearly impossible to obtain any health benefits at all. Moreover, in its raw form, turmeric contains only the tiniest amount of curcuminoids. 

Together, these circumstances decrease your odds of achieving any of the known advantages offered by turmeric's curcumin. Any health benefits you achieve ingesting raw turmeric are going to be minimal. If you are looking for the health benefits offered by turmeric, you may not want to rely solely on raw turmeric.

Turmeric Supplements and Its Benefits

Turmeric supplements manufactured with the highest level of quality offer the greatest potential for health benefits. If the supplements haven't been properly created, they offer little to no benefit at all for health purposes, and we'll explain why. 

As previously stated, the human body cannot readily absorb turmeric or the curcumin it contains. Therefore, a turmeric supplement must be processed with the highest quality in black pepper extract (BioPerine®) in order to enhance its bioavailability.. 

Currently, BioPerine® is the black pepper extract recommended by scientists for inclusion in turmeric supplements. BioPerine® has achieved the status of being fully capable of inducing the bioavailability of certain compounds, such as turmeric's curcumin. Furthermore, research shows that the inclusion of BioPerine® increases the level of curcumin absorption by as much as 2000%.

In order for the supplement to deliver improvement in an individual's health, it needs to contain a standardized turmeric extract with 95% curcuminoids along with the BioPerine®. This is the type of turmeric supplement that offers positive results when studied scientifically. 

Anyone looking to include turmeric as part of a healthy regimen should select a supplement providing a minimum of 1000 MG of 95% concentration of curcuminoids along with BioPerine®. Doing so gives you access to the best opportunity to induce improvements in your health, particularly in areas where turmeric has been proven to be useful.

Turmeric supplements offer the opportunity to alleviate symptoms associated with a wide variety of health concerns. Not only should you ensure you select a product with BioPerine® and a 95% concentration of curcuminoids, but you should also consider other elements affecting the quality of your supplemental product. For the best results, you may want to consider choosing supplements that are also labeled as organic, GMO-free, filler-free, and vegan.

As you can see, only high grade turmeric supplements offer the potential to enhance one's health. The poor bioavailability of turmeric spice and raw rhizomes makes it impossible for the human body to achieve any positive results from its inclusion in daily dietary regimens. Only quality turmeric supplements produced with the highest percentage of curcuminoids and the inclusion of black pepper offer real potential in creating health enhancements. 

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