Turmeric Health Benefits
Although there is not a lot of discussions on male health concerns, this article will attempt to shed some light on it. They include a broad range of health issues that affect young and old men. These concerns are not just limited to the male reproductive system, but the overall health of men and how it affects them physically and mentally.
Today, we will go over some various health concerns regarding the common health issues affecting men and talk about how including turmeric in their diet can benefit each health concern. As you may know, turmeric is blessed with numerous antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. These characteristics are responsible for its therapeutic effects on many diseases.
Has Positive Effects on the Male Reproductive Organ
One of the common health concerns that middle aged to older men suffer from is erectile dysfunction or impotence. What causes male infertility is usually the exposure to toxins, smoking and the use of certain health medications.
If you are taking medicines such as dexamethasone, chloroquine, cyclophosphamide, aflatoxin, metronidazole, turmeric curcumin can help protect your testicles from drug induced toxicity.
If you are feeling chronic pain in your groin, you might be experiencing prostatitis. It is the inflammation of the prostate gland which can cause trouble in urinating.
There was a recent clinical study done on individuals suffering from bacterial prostatitis. They were given some herbal extracts along with curcumin supplements. It was found that the anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin have helped 90% of the group within 6 months. After the treatment, their prostatitis never came back.
Drinking alcohol constantly, smoking cigarettes and tobacco can also cause infertility. Turmeric has therapeutic effects for that as well.
Turmeric can also treat a benign prostate enlargement which affects men. It can reduce pain and inflammation in the urinary tracts.
Helps With “Beer Belly” And Other Metabolic Syndromes
Metabolic syndromes like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar and abdominal obesity can cause damaging effects on a man’s health. In fact, abdominal obesity, or as we call it “beer belly”, is a major health concern among men. This enlargement of the abdomen due to fat deposits is actually a sign of poor health and possible development of heart disease.
Curcumin exerts anti-obesity actions by inhibiting fat cells to accumulate in the abdomen and the surrounding organs. Dietary turmeric curcumin is found to improve sugar levels and cholesterol as well. Because of these characteristics, it can prevent obesity induced diabetes and other metabolic disorders.
Fights Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Curcumin has a very broad spectrum of antibacterial and antiviral properties which makes it effective in treating STDs. Chlamydia, syphilis, and gonorrhea are among the STDs that curcumin can have a positive effect against.
Gonorrhea is particularly characterized by urethral inflammation and discharge caused by the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Because curcumin can inhibit the growth of bacteria, it can reduce the infection of this STD. Its anti-inflammatory effects can also ease the inflammation and alleviate pain during urination.
Viral STDs such as genital herpes is also one disease curcumin can take on. Because it has strong anti-viral properties, it inhibits the ability of the virus to multiply.
Treats Health Damages Caused By Smoking
Smoking doesn’t just affect your lungs. It affects every organ in the body too, and usually, it’s the oral cavity, food pipe, respiratory tract, lungs and pancreas that gets affected first. If the problem is not addressed right away, it’s possible for a man to get cancer.
A cancer-inducing compound called Benzo[a]pyrene found in many cigarettes can activate the nuclear factor kappaB – a protein that initiates tumor formation. Recent studies have shown that curcumin has the ability to suppress the activation of this protein thereby preventing smokers from induced lung cancer.
Smoking can also cause a rise of blood lipids. This means there is a higher chance for smokers to get high blood pressure and high blood sugar levels. If these aren’t prevented, it can lead to other detrimental diseases like diabetes, stroke or heart attack. Because taking curcumin can help stabilize the blood sugar in the body, it can directly help reduce blood lipids as well aid insulin production in the pancreas.
Acts As A Natural Anti-Diabetes Agent
There are millions of men who are affected by diabetes worldwide. It’s stated that curcumin prevents insulin resistance by increasing the body’s sensitivity to sugar. This means that using curcumin is an effective blood sugar stabilizer and can help improve the body’s ability to utilize energy.
When a man’s body more effectively uses blood glucose as energy, his body stores less fat and therefore blood lipids count go down. So if you are experiencing high cholesterol, turmeric curcumin can help you dial it down.
Protects Your Heart Health
One of the leading causes of death among men in the US is heart disease. But according to proven studies, there are ways to protect your heart from many damage by making sure that you have a low cholesterol number and maintain a healthy blood sugar level. Unfortunately, doing so is easier said than done.
Curcumin is known to have anti-atherogenic effects. This means it can help reduce cholesterol in your blood and prevent heart diseases like atherosclerosis – the plaque deposits in your arteries that causes obstruction due to fat build-up. When the obstruction is not treated, it can cause major health concerns like heart embolism and stroke.
Protects Your Liver
Cirrhosis, hepatitis infection, and other liver complications can happen to any man. Remember that the liver is responsible for filtering toxins in your blood. Without it, you can die from sepsis. In order to prevent liver failure, you must make sure that you detoxify your liver as much as possible.
Hepatitis is the inflammation of the liver caused by a viral infection. Since curcumin exerts antiviral effects, it can reduce the inflammation on your liver and help eliminate the infection.
Cirrhosis on the other hand is a little bit more difficult to treat. Because this disease is caused by liver tissue scarring, it would take time for it to heal. You can help treat the scarring by using turmeric curcumin while continuously taking health medication advised by your doctor. Its antifibrotic and anti-inflammatory properties can prevent further damage and support the healing process.
Because curcumin is also a strong antioxidant, it helps fight oxidative damage in your liver and protects it from further tear. Taking curcumin while living a healthier lifestyle will detoxify the impurities out. Since your liver cells are self-generating, it will find ways to heal itself, just as long as you work with it along the way.
Fights Kidney Disorders
Fatigue, frequent urination, lack of sleep, reduced appetite, and swelling of the ankles and knees are the symptoms of kidney disease. But the obvious symptoms are change in urine color, consistency and smell. Blood in urine also indicates kidney failure.
For men, kidney damage is usually associated with age. As you grow older, your kidneys are more likely to get damaged earlier than women due to different health and lifestyle choices.
Clinical studies suggest that supplementing with curcumin pills can help improve the antioxidant defenses and can reduce inflammation among individuals suffering from chronic kidney disease.
Curcumin’s antioxidant properties demonstrate positive effects on kidney disorders like ischemia, reperfusion, and diabetic nephropathy. It also helps protect your heart from the damages it can cause chronic kidney disease can cause.
How To Include Turmeric In Your Diet
You’re probably asking yourself, “How much curry do I need to eat?”. Though including turmeric in your meals is a good way to go about, such an amount of curcumin is just not enough to get the health benefits you are looking for. In fact, there is only an estimated amount of 5% in every bag of turmeric powder you buy in your local grocery stores. And because the potent compound curcumin is what you need to get, sprinkling turmeric powder in all of your meals is simply not enough.
Several companies have created techniques to extract curcumin from turmeric. In fact, many of them have found different formulations to help the body absorb curcumin better. These different formulations enhanced curcumin extracts to work better in fighting different male health concerns, so it is vital to do some research to know which one is best for you before buying one as curcumin benefits and side effects will vary from one man to another.
Another note to remember when taking curcumin supplements is its dosage. Since curcumin supplementation is still in its early research stage, there are no definitive rules on how much you can take. But 500mg to 1000mg of 95% curcumin is deemed safe to take. If you’re taking other medications and you would like to include turmeric in your diet, talk to your physician first to make sure that none of your medications will contradict with it.
Bio:
Katrina Rice is a mom and a freelance writer. She strongly believes in the concept of holistic wellness through healthy and natural living, travelling and immersing one’s self in new activities. A self-proclaimed health enthusiast, she hopes to inspire more people to do the same.
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