Have you ever seen turmeric that is black inside? Although black turmeric is not as popular as yellow or white turmeric, there are many health benefits of black turmeric, you know. In addition to preventing infection, black turmeric is also useful for reducing the risk of developing cancer.
Turmeric, including black turmeric, is still included in the ginger family so that its shape looks similar to ginger. Black turmeric has a brown skin surface with blackish purple flesh.
Rhizome type plant with the Latin name Curcuma caesia Roxb is also known as haldi times and has been used as traditional medicine in several countries, including Southeast Asia.
Black turmeric contains camphor, ar-turmerone, (Z)-ocimene, ar-curcumene, 1,8-cineole, element, borneol, and bornyl acetate. The similarity between yellow turmeric, white turmeric, and black turmeric is that they both contain the chemical compound curcumin which is very good for health.
Benefits of Black Turmeric for Health
There are various health benefits of black turmeric, including:
1. Fight free radicals
Black turmeric contains high levels of antioxidants. Antioxidants are important compounds needed to protect body cells from damage caused by exposure to free radicals, such as cigarette smoke, pollution, and vehicle fumes.
By eating foods that contain antioxidants, you can be better protected from heart and liver disease.
2. Relieves pain
Black turmeric extract is believed to act as an analgesic. When processed in the right way, black turmeric is useful for relieving pain due to toothache and sprains, and can reduce fever.
3. Reduce the risk of infection
Similar to yellow and white turmeric, black turmeric also has antibacterial and antifungal properties. This makes black turmeric can be used to inhibit the growth of bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus, and the fungus Candida albicans, which can cause infections in the body.
4. Helps prevent inflammation
Consumption of black turmeric is believed to be able to help the body prevent inflammation or inflammation. However, you still need to balance it with a healthy diet, because a poor diet can also trigger inflammation.
5. Reducing the risk of getting cancer
Cancer can occur when cells in the body experience abnormal growth, caused by genetic changes or mutations in cells. A study showed that black turmeric extract has antimutagenic compounds that can prevent cancer in the body.
There are various benefits of black turmeric for health that are very dear to miss. However, don't rely on black turmeric alone, because the benefits mentioned above still need to be investigated further.
If you want to use black turmeric as a medicine or a drug companion, you should first consult with a doctor.