7 Benefits of Drinking Turmeric Tea
on Mar 31, 2024
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Turmeric tea is a warm, spicy drink that’s caffeine-free. It has many health benefits, including reduced inflammation and allergy relief.
Table of Contents
What Is Turmeric Tea?
Turmeric is a tropical plant that grows underground. It’s related to ginger and cardamom. Used as a spice, turmeric has a bright yellow color and strong spicy taste. It’s a traditional ingredient in Asian, Caribbean, and East African cuisines.
Both fresh and dried turmeric can be used for tea. To make it, the turmeric is boiled in water, then strained. The final tea will have an earthy, spicy flavor that works well with lemon juice and ginger. It’s also naturally caffeine-free.
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7 Turmeric Tea Health Benefits
1. Lowers Inflammation
A top health benefit of turmeric tea is its anti-inflammatory effect and it’s one of the best ingredients for fighting inflammation.
Turmeric contains curcumin, an antioxidant with powerful anti-inflammatory properties. It works by lowering proteins and compounds involved in inflammation.
This is key for good health because inflammation is involved in many conditions. Examples include Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, cancer, asthma, and arthritis.
Inflammation is also behind pain, swelling, and allergic reactions. But regularly drinking anti-inflammatory teas like turmeric tea can help manage these conditions.
2. Provides Antioxidants
Turmeric tea can fight oxidative stress in the body. This is a process that happens when cells become damaged.
If it continues for too long, oxidative stress can increase the risk of conditions like cancer and type 2 diabetes. It can also lead to heart disease and other sicknesses.
It’s due to curcumin, the main compound in turmeric. Curcumin is an antioxidant, meaning it protects cells from oxidative stress and reduces disease risk.
Curcumin works by finding and destroying harmful molecules that cause cell damage. Additionally, it stops reactions that contribute to oxidative stress.
3. Increases Hydration
When it comes to staying hydrated, you don’t need to stick to plain water. Drinks like turmeric tea can keep you hydrated too. It will contribute to your daily fluid intake, especially if you drink it regularly.
It’s so important to stay hydrated. Your body needs fluids to support proper digestion, blood flow, and metabolism.
4. Boosts Heart Health
Oxidative stress and inflammation can increase the risk of heart disease. But as turmeric tea fights both, it can prevent the condition.
The curcumin in turmeric might also reduce cholesterol levels. This will protect the heart because high cholesterol can lead to heart disease.
Also, curcumin may reduce LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and increase HDL (“good”) cholesterol, helping the heart even more.
Curcumin is good for managing high blood pressure, or hypertension, as well. Hypertension is another risk factor for heart disease, so it’s crucial to control.
5. Enhances Gut Health
Your gut contains trillions of bacteria. These microorganisms, called the gut microbiome, affect many aspects of your health. The anti-inflammatory effects of curcumin protect the gut bacteria. They also help prevent inflammatory bowel disease.
When curcumin interacts with the gut, it also ensures there are many types of bacteria. This is important for efficient digestion.
Plus, curcumin supports the walls of the intestine, known as the intestinal barrier. This helps bacteria stay in the gut instead of leaking out, which would cause digestive issues.
6. Improves Mood
Regularly drinking turmeric tea will naturally support your mood. The curcumin in turmeric has been shown to benefit anxiety and depression.
It works by increasing neurotransmitters involved in mood. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that affect how you think and feel. This includes neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. Serotonin balances your mood and dopamine makes you feel happy.
The gut health benefits of curcumin is beneficial for anxiety and mood too. That’s because the gut is related to mental health.
7. Promotes Brain Function
For a natural way to protect your brain, drink more turmeric tea. It’s so good for cognitive function, or the way your brain works. Both inflammation and oxidative stress can damage brain cells. This can lead to brain disorders and problems thinking.
Curcumin prevents these disorders by reducing neuroinflammation, or inflammation of the nerve cells. It also lowers oxidative stress.
In addition, curcumin prevents certain proteins from building up in the brain, which reduces the risk of conditions like Alzheimer’s disease.
