Taking This Much Turmeric Daily Can Reduce Your Diabetes Risk, Scientists Say

This year on April 7th, the World Health Organization (WHO) will hold its annual World Health day. This year’s campaign is focusing on what WHO forecasts as the 7th leading cause of death by 2030: diabetes.

What is Diabetes?

With how widespread this chronic disease is, you may know of people around you who have diabetes or at risk for diabetes. Diabetes happens when the pancreas either does not produce enough insulin or the body does not make use of this insulin. Insulin is important as it regulates your blood sugar levels and burns it as energy.

There are 2 main forms of diabetes: type-1 and type-2. This article is concerned with the most prevalent form, type-2 (this makes up around 90% of cases). People with type-2 diabetes produce insulin but are not able to take advantage of it.

Over time, having a high blood sugar can impact every system in your body. With the diabetes epidemic expanding, there’s a great sense of urgency – but what is there to do? You might want to consider looking to some of the spices you may be preparing meals with!

Turmeric and Diabetes

One thing that has emerged time and time again as a preventative of diabetes is the spice turmeric. In the past few years, many studies have emerged finding more evidence of turmeric’s health benefits. Best known as an ingredient in curry, turmeric has long been used in Chinese and Indian medicine as an anti-inflammatory to treat bruises, toothaches, and more. This healing power comes from turmeric’s volatile oils.

But the spotlight is not on the volatile oils but the pigment that gives turmeric its orange-yellow color: curcumin.

Curcumin Benefits and it’s Effect on Type II Diabetes

Curcumin has been found to be an effective treatment for high blood sugar. It also addresses many of the symptoms associated with diabetes such as frequent urination, increased thirst, and high fat. One study conducted in India showed that dietary curcumin brought high fat and cholesterol levels down in diabetic animals.

On the human side of things, in a study carried out among a prediabetic (people who have the tendency to develop diabetes) population, curcumin was found to be effective in delaying the development of diabetes. The study published in the journal Diabetes Care divided prediabetic participants into two groups.

One group took curcumin capsules, while the other took a placebo. After 9 months, 19 (16%) people in the placebo group developed diabetes while none of the curcumin group developed diabetes. The researchers taking part in the study concluded that curcumin is suitable for treating prediabetes.

One study published in the journal Nutrition found that fat levels in meals decreased when prepared with spices like turmeric. This highlights just how big of an impact a simple dietary change can have on your well-being.

How to Take Turmeric

I like making dried turmeric into a tea mix. It’s an easy way to incorporate this miracle spice into my daily life. The University of Maryland’s Complementary and Alternative Medicine Guide, suggests turmeric daily as:

Cut root: 1.5-3 grams per day
Dried, powdered root: 1-3 grams per day

Fluid extract (1:1): 30-90 drops per day
Tincture (1:2): 15-30 drops, 4 times per day

Turmeric has been shown to fight cancer, promote weight loss, reduce the risk of heart disease, help the skin, and treat diabetes. With all the benefits of this spice, consider adding it to your next meal. Turmeric is a delicious way to keep on top of your health!

Try these great recipes to include turmeric in your daily life!