5 Reasons to Start Turmeric for Your Child

Children are more prone to infections and disorders since their immune system has not sufficiently been exposed and developed. Their nutritional needs are different to ours since they are growing, which is why they need the best of nutrition the world has to offer. Most of their organs are still in developmental stage such as bones, brains etc and this phase demands proper nutrition and protection.

Turmeric is one of nature’s best that make our kids stronger, and I greatly recommend you add this to your child’s diet. Curcumin is principal curcuminoid that righteously performs its duty as a bioactive ingredient of turmeric.

It has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-microbial, anti-cancer, anti-coagulant and many more pharmacological properties. Turmeric contains a number of molecules other than curcumin which have medicinally valuable properties too.

Strengthens Immunity

The best health benefit that turmeric can offer you is a balanced, strong immune system (1).

At low doses curcumin enhances immune system’s responses to infections and is considered an immune booster. Turmeric extract’s immune enhancing activity is said to be beneficial for cancer patients who have compromised immunity.

However at high doses, it controls immune responses, prevents migration of immune cells, and lowers production of pro-inflammatory chemicals and all other proteins that could initiate inflammatory response.

This is how turmeric treats and guards against autoimmune diseases.

2. Strong antioxidant

Antioxidants are compounds which prevent oxidation by other molecules and this activity prevents spread of diseases and tissue damage.

Turmeric is as good as or even better than natural antioxidants like vitamin E and C.

A few ways by which it displays its antioxidant activity are:

It increases production of antioxidant enzymes
It reduces what is called oxidative stress which is an imbalance between prooxidants and antioxidants
It collects and eliminates reactive species that contribute to tissue damage due to oxidation.

These properties of turmeric are useful in treating diseases which are characterised by oxidative damage (2).

Antioxidant properties are not limited to curcuminoids but also extend to turmeric oil. This is why I always advice to have turmeric raw! Raw turmeric has natural oils that helps turmeric to dissolve. Antioxidants lower incidence of cardiovascular, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer.

They are beneficial for eye health and protect the body from immune system and cognitive disorders.

This is a great alternative for those kids who miss on antioxidants as they are fussy when it comes to eating veggies and fruits. You can add whole turmeric to the blender while making smoothies.

3. Anti-inflammatory agent

First, let’s understand what is inflammation.

In case of an infection, your body produces special cells and chemicals to fight it. But sometimes this reaction goes out of hand, this is called inflammation. It is generally characterised by redness, swelling and increased temperature at the local spot. You can have inflammation all through out your body and not even know it.

Curcumin inhibits the activity of COX enzymes which are key players in the inflammation process (3). One of the most important targets that curcumin regulates is nuclear factor-kappa B. This bundle of proteins acts like a switch which turns inflammation on or off.

Curcumin also activates genes that produce anti-inflammatory chemicals. As an anti-inflammatory agent, turmeric is especially useful in controlling pain, fever and most diseases that are marked by presence of inflammation.

4. Natural Anti-Microbial Agent

What would you say if I told you to stop having anti-biotics and start having turmeric? You would think I am crazy. But science says otherwise. Turmeric’s anti-microbial properties make it stronger than most of our anti-biotics (4).

Turmeric is also effective against drug resistant bacteria and parasites which could be a cause of child’s tummy ache (5).

5. Brain Health and Memory

Turmeric has neuroprotecive properties. Study proves that curcumin supplementation protects learning ability and memory even after exposure to sulphite toxicity (6). This indicates that turmeric is capable of influencing cognitive abilities.

Turmeric has a synergistic effect with DHA on brain functioning and is also proven to boost DHA levels in the brain (7). DHA stands for Docosahexaenoic acid – it is an omega-3 fatty acid derived mainly from fish oil. So if you are taking fish oil for you or your kids, it’s a good idea to start having turmeric.

The Easiest Method:

Ok, I know it is rocket science trying to get your kid to have something healthy. It is probably easier to send a man to Mars then getting your child to open their mouth. You have patience and guts, I give you that ! Try this smoothie The Love Shot for the child, and for you too. It has a mixture of powerful spices that strengthen children’s health. Best part is, you can have it too so make it in a large batch for the whole family.

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