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Isolated curcumin is taken from the root and many people often take this as a remedy since it is more potent than turmeric powder. Health Benefits of Turmeric Largely due to its curcumin content, Turmeric is often credited with these benefits: 1  Fighting inflammation. 2  As an antioxidant. 3  Protects the heart in various ways. 4  Helpful for arthritis. 5  Brain boosting. 6  May be helpful for fighting diabetes and cancer.
The root is harvested, cleaned, dried, and powdered to be used as a spice (turmeric gives curry its beautiful golden yellow color) and as a medicine. Traditionally, turmeric was used for nearly every health condition known - from smallpox to a sprained ankle. The reason for its health effects is the compound known as curcumin. Just as oranges are a source of vitamin C, turmeric is a source of curcumin. Today, we extract curcumin from turmeric to use as a natural medicine. But, a typical turmeric root contains about 2-5% curcumin, so taking an unstandardized, powdered turmeric root product means that very large amounts would be required to get a beneficial amount of curcumin. Additionally, curcumin is poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract.