Turmeric For Weight Loss: Doses And How To Use It To Lose Weight

Turmeric can also be exploited for its slimming properties as it helps to activate metabolism and burn fat. But how to use turmeric for weight loss? Here are the proper doses and recipes to lose weight. Turmeric, also known as Indian saffron, is a herbaceous plant of the Zingiberaceae family, native to Southeast Asia and used for the most part as a spice in Indian, Thai, and Middle Eastern cuisines. These cultures were among the first to use turmeric for weight loss.

Both the spice and a yellow substance are obtained from the rhizome of turmeric, mainly used in dyeing plants to color fabrics. If it is an excellent ingredient in the kitchen, the textile department cannot say the same since the color tends to lighten if exposed to too much sun. To obtain the spice, the turmeric rhizomes are boiled and dried in the oven or natural sunlight, after which they are crushed until a fine powder with a sweet taste is obtained. 

Fresh turmeric, on the other hand, has a more intense flavor. The active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin, the substance that gives turmeric a spicy and sometimes bitter taste. Curcumin is precisely the ingredient that makes turmeric an excellent product for weight loss. Among the other properties of turmeric, we find that it is anti-inflammatory, detoxifying, digestive, antibacterial, analgesic, and anti-aging.

Turmeric For Weight Loss: How Does It Work?

If combined with a balanced diet and physical activity, Losing weight with turmeric is possible. Curcumin can attack fat cells in the body, stimulating the release of adiponectin, a protein that causes the body to use or “burn” stored fat for energy. It also helps the liver better process the fats introduced during the diet, especially those that are more difficult to digest, such as processed sugars.

Detoxifying Action

One of the slimming properties of turmeric is linked to the detoxifying power of curcumin. It works to cleanse the body of waste, particularly those derived from consuming particularly fatty foods, thus preventing the formation of fat that accumulates over time. The beneficiaries of this detoxification are mainly the liver, stomach, and intestines, limiting the production of free radicals that turmeric counteracts, increasing the speed of metabolism, and slowing the aging process.

Regulate Your Appetite

Nervous hunger is a significant cause of weight gain. Adding turmeric to meals will also help control appetite. How is it possible? Turmeric controls and stimulates the functions of leptin, a protein hormone that regulates weight and stimulates hunger. When leptin levels rise, metabolism accelerates and leads to less eating.

Check Your Blood Sugar Levels

The hypoglycemic property of turmeric helps to control the blood sugar spikes that occur after meals and cause hunger pangs. In the presence of glycemic peaks (mainly due to the consumption of simple carbohydrates), the body produces insulin to bring blood sugar levels back to normal. When this is lowered too much, the secretion of glucagon is stimulated, a hormone that increases the sense of hunger to bring blood sugar back to normal levels. The consumption of turmeric avoids the onset of this process.

Counteracts Cellulite

Cellulite is rather annoying and challenging to eliminate ailment . When it is very pronounced, it is good to take measures to avoid blocking cellular metabolism. Cellulite causes an inflammatory state in the cells that cannot get rid of toxins and fluids. Turmeric benefits both the lymphatic and circulatory systems, counteracting the stagnation of liquids and helping the cells process waste.

Counteracts Abdominal Swelling

Intestinal fermentation of some foods can lead to abdominal bloating and pain. The slimming properties of turmeric also aim to counteract these symptoms by stimulating bile production and speeding up the digestive processes.

How To Use Turmeric For Weight Loss

Turmeric makes you lose weight if used every day, within the limits of the recommended doses. Using turmeric in cooking is extremely easy once you know the different use areas. It is recommended to use turmeric powder for weight loss, as its shape makes it versatile and easy to incorporate into dishes prepared every day. The recommended daily doses for maximum results vary according to their format:

1. Turmeric powder: the minimum daily dose is 1.5 gr. If you do not have particular pathologies, the maximum amount can reach 3 gr.
2. Fresh turmeric: In this case, the dose that should not be exceeded is 3 grams of fresh root per day.
3. Dry Turmeric Extract: Those who don’t like the taste of turmeric can resort to supplements containing the daily dose in pill form. It is possible to find them in standard supermarkets, herbalists, or online retailers. Turmeric supplements differ in the percentage of curcumin they contain, often associated with other substances. The doses are indicated on the package, but it is advisable to seek medical advice in any case.

Here are some quick and easy recipes for introducing turmeric into your diet.

Golden Milk

Golden milk is probably one of the best-known methods of using turmeric. To prepare it, mix the turmeric powder with water until you get a paste. In 250ml of milk, add a level teaspoon of turmeric paste, then mix well. This drink can be consumed in the morning instead of coffee or tea or in the afternoon, accompanied by fruit.

Turmeric And Ginger Herbal Tea

Another rather popular recipe is the combination of turmeric and ginger. In this case, the two ingredients should be fresh, in the form of a root. Cut the roots into small pieces and leave to infuse for about ten minutes. As an alternative to ginger, you can use lemon.

Turmeric Potatoes

To get crunchy turmeric-flavored baked potatoes, season them with oil, salt, pepper, and a couple of teaspoons of turmeric powder before baking.

More Ideas For Using Turmeric

One of the fastest ways to use turmeric for weight loss is to use it like salt on vegetables or in soups and velvety to flavor them. Add a teaspoon or two of turmeric powder to broccoli, zucchini, peppers, and legumes as they are stir-fried. It is also possible to add turmeric powder to risottos, vegetable and fruit smoothies, sauces, and even cakes and biscuits.

Turmeric And Black Pepper For Weight Loss

The combination of turmeric and black pepper is one of the most effective when it comes to weight loss diets. Black pepper helps the body assimilate curcumin, usually absorbed in quantities no greater than 3%, a percentage that can increase by 2000% with the help of piperine, the active ingredient of pepper. When consuming turmeric, it is good to add a pinch of black pepper when possible.

Turmeric And Fats

Being a fat-soluble spice, turmeric gives its best when dissolved in a fatty substance as the body can absorb it better. Therefore, it is recommended to combine it with a source of lipids such as vegetable oil (olive, coconut oil, etc.) or with “fatty” foods such as avocado and dried fruit.

Turmeric For Weight Loss: When To Avoid It

We have seen how to make the most of the slimming properties of turmeric, but it should be remembered that there are some cases where taking this spice can cause more harm than good. Here is a list of people who should be especially careful with the turmeric they ingest.

1. Those who suffer from gallbladder problems, thanks to its ability to stimulate the production of bile and other fluids, could lead to excessive saturation of the organ, causing the formation of stones and the appearance of a gallbladder.
2. People suffer from gastroesophageal reflux or stomach problems such as acidity or gastritis.
3. People who use anticoagulants may notice bruises on the skin and internal bleeding in the worst cases.
4. Hemophiliacs and those who have difficulty in blood clotting, since the active agent in turmeric, curcumin, tends to thin the blood by preventing the formation of blood clots.
5. People with a history of kidney stones. Turmeric is a spice rich in oxalates, compounds that, together with calcium, could form crystals, becoming stones when deposited in the urinary tract.
6. Pregnant women may see early contractions induced or a menstrual cycle return. There is no precise information regarding the breastfeeding phase.
7. In case of allergy. Like all foods, turmeric could lead to side effects such as swelling of the face, eyes, tongue, stomach pain, headache, and all symptoms of an allergic reaction.

In each case, medical advice is highly recommended before embarking on a turmeric-based slimming treatment.

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