What is turmeric?
Turmeric is a plant native to India and Asia. It produces an orange rhizome that, once ground, is used as a spice, food coloring and natural preservative. It is also part of traditional Indian medicine (Ayurveda).
Indeed, the rhizome contains an active molecule called ‘curcumin’. This polyphenolic pigment is responsible for the main properties of turmeric.
Thus, it is known for its anti-inflammatory action, antioxidant and detoxifying properties (it helps eliminate toxic substances from the body). It also contributes to better nervous system balance, prevents cardiovascular diseases, and may have anti-cancer properties.
Read also | How to choose the best curcumin ?
Researchers have looked into turmeric’s beneficial effects on weight loss. Its consumption seems promising for keeping in shape, losing a few kilos as part of a diet or fighting obesity.
On the one hand, it acts as a natural fat burner and limits the storage of lipids in adipose tissue. On the other hand, it contributes to better digestion and relieves digestive disorders. Finally, it reduces inflammation associated with obesity.
How does it promote weight loss?
It burns fat
Turmeric is one of the fat-burning foods. By stimulating thermogenesis (heat production by the body), it prompts the body to “work” and to use fats as an energy source.
It thus promotes the breakdown of fat, as shown by this study. It notably reduces fat mass in the abdominal area.
At the same time, curcumin limits the storage and accumulation of fat in adipose tissue and in the liver. In this study, it helped reduce hepatic steatosis, a disease caused by an excess of fat in the liver and often associated with obesity.
It improves digestion
Another advantage of turmeric for weight loss: it improves digestion. Difficult digestion results in inadequate absorption of nutrients. In addition, waste and toxins in the body are less effectively eliminated and accumulate.
This leads to bloating, feelings of heaviness and a bloated belly. Good digestion is therefore essential for controlling your weight and regaining a flat stomach.
Turmeric helps digestion by stimulating bile secretion. This viscous substance facilitates the digestion of nutrients and the expulsion of waste (liver toxins, cholesterol…). In addition, bile salts are involved in the breakdown and elimination of fats.
Finally, turmeric relieves dyspepsia which encompasses stomach aches or sensations of heaviness. It helps restore better digestive and intestinal comfort as shown by this study.
It reduces obesity-related inflammation
Obesity is a disease closely linked to the inflammatory process. Pro-inflammatory substances, or adipokines, such as IL-6 or TNF-α, are more abundant in people with obesity.
Moreover, inflammation promotes the deposition and oxidation of fats. It prevents the body from properly using lipids to produce energy. Thus, it sustains obesity and limits weight loss.
Curcumin suppresses inflammation in fat cells by inhibiting adipokine activity. In addition, it regulates the secretion of adiponectin, a hormone involved in fat and glucose (sugar) metabolism.
In this study, curcumin reduced inflammation associated with obesity. It also interacts with white adipose tissue, which stores fat and secretes numerous inflammatory substances.
