Turmeric has been herb of choice to keep our bodies healthy as well as being used as natural remedies for many physical ailments. That is of course not without reasons. Turns out, curcumin, the special compounds naturally found in turmeric has some kind of anti-inflammatory effects that is beneficial for many medical purposes.
One of the many severe cases of inflammations takes place in lungs. Naturally, inflammations causes swelling and also heat in various body parts. When the inflammations occur in lungs, that’s where things get serious. In most medical cases, inflammations in lungs contract the respiratory tracts and consequently makes it difficult for us to breathe.
But how do inflammations happen in the first place? Generally, inflammations occur as responses by our immune systems which flood our body with immune system cells and proteins to dealt with injury, toxins, allergens and infections. When the flood of immune systems is overtaking the body, however, is when inflammations start.
Curcumin as well as other compounds found in turmeric work hand-in-hand as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant not only to increase our immunity but also regulating the present immune system. Handful of researches suggested that the usage of turmeric can help prevent as well as alleviate the symptoms of many lung problems. In the following paragraphs we will discuss the benefits of turmeric for lungs.
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1. Alleviates the Symptoms of Asthma
Asthma is arguably the most common respiratory problems known to people. It is basically caused by mucus or phlegm that get trapped in the respiratory tract, makes it difficult to breathe and might cause inflammations on the lungs as well as the airways. The symptoms of asthma include shortness of breath, chest tightness, coughing and wheezing.
Presently, there isn’t really any cure for asthma. However, there are many alternatives available for people to alleviate its impact as well as its frequency. Inhalers for asthma are widely available in the market in increasingly small and practical packagings, handy for people with active and mobile lifestyles.
2. Relieves Lung Irritation
The good thing is, there is another natural alternatives to choose. Turmeric is known to have anti-inflammatory properties which help cleaning up the mucus in the lungs and relieving the irritation caused by the blockage in the respiratory tract.
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3. Treatment for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD)
Not many people are aware of this respiratory disease. However, the symptoms are probably quite common which is difficulty in breathing, similar to that of asthma. COPD generally consists of two conditions, which is bronchitis and emphysema.
The symptoms started with inflammation, which consequently followed by mucus buildup and swelling in the airways in turn causing difficulties in breathing. The symptoms, if goes untreated will lead to coughing, green sputum and infections. As COPD is a progressive condition, prolonged conditions might lead further to pneumonia, lung cancer and heart disease.
The scary thing is, COPD is caused by things which are not unusual to us and thus might pose some risks to us living in the urban environments. Records suggested that cigarette smoking is the main cause of COPD. Other pollutants such as smoke, chemical fumes and dust are also the main offender.
4. Prevents Lungs Inflammations
By using turmeric, inflammations in lungs can be treated and thus alleviating the present symptoms, potentially preventing the more dire complications from happening. However, it goes without saying that the best prevention is to quit smoking altogether or to wear air pollution face mask whenever we’re outdoor.
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5. Relieves Shortness of Breath (Emphysema)
As discussed in the earlier paragraphs, many of the lung diseases are indicated by shortness of breath, or in medical terms known as emphysema. The shortness of breath itself is caused by so many factors, therefore it is helpful to identify the complete symptoms before taking the necessary actions.
However, the most common thing about emphysema is that the symptoms basically take place in nose and lungs. Turmeric has unique compound known as curcumin which has anti-inflammatory effect as well as decongestant. The most tangible effect is the warm feelings we get when we drink turmeric tea or use it as nasal drop, which can control the immune cells in the lung airways and relieving nasal congestion by cleaning up the mucus inside our noses.
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6. May Prevent Pneumonia
There are many lung diseases caused by infections, either caused by microbes, bacteria or other infectants. One of them is pneumonia which is caused by streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. Fortunately, turmeric is also known to have anti-septic and antibacterial properties therefore might help in killing bacteria and protecting our lungs from further infections.
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7. Works Well with the Immune System
So far, we have learned that apparently some of the lung diseases are caused by the adverse effect of our immune systems. Asthma, for instance, caused by the overreaction of the immune systems which instead of protecting the lungs from harm, play the bad guys part by causing even more harmful conditions.
8. Nutrients Sources for Lungs
Completely armed with its antioxidants, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties, turmeric can help controlling the immune systems from going rogue and also complementing them with beneficial minerals such as iron, potassium, manganese, vitamin B6 and fiber.
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9. Cure Chest Pain Causes by Pleurisy
Some of us, especially in our middle-ages might experience chest pain every once in a while. One of the symptoms of chest pain might include the sharp pain especially when taking deep breath. Chances are pleurisy be the main cause of the chest pain.
Pleurisy is actually a symptom of inflammation which takes place in pleura, a membrane wrapping around the lungs and the inner side of chest cavity. By consuming turmeric, the inflammations, including the one taking place on pleura can be alleviated and thus relieving us from the sharp, agonizing chest pain.
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10. Protect from Lung Injuries
There are many ways our lungs can get injured. It can be from heart arrhythmia, drugs used on chemotherapy, and other causes. Heart arrhythmia is the disruption taking place in our heart, making the regular rhythm of cardiac actives such as blood-pumping disturbed and goes out of order. The disruption in heart rhythm might further harm other bodily functions such as digestive, nervous system and also respiratory systems.
The injuries in lungs might eventually lead to a dangerous condition known as lung fibrosis. This condition is indicated by the scarring in the pulmonary tissues, making it progressively difficult to breath. The scary thing is, as the conditions worsen, the breath to take get shorter and shorter, leading to some other symptoms such as fatigue and loss of appetites. Eventually, after 3-6 years, prolonged conditions of lung fibrosis lead to death in most people suffer from it.
11. Natural Remedies for Lungs
Therefore, by taking turmeric as natural remedies, the chance of suffering pulmonary injuries might be lessened, if not eliminated altogether. As we have already learned from earlier paragraphs, turmeric can boost and support our immune system which in turn can protect our lungs from injuries. Not only that, turmeric can also prevent the oxidation of cholesterol in blood vessels by its ability to cross blood barrier. The cleaning up of cholesterol can prevent deadly consequences such as atherosclerosis and heart arrhytmia, which might lead to lung fibrosis.
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12. Might Prevent and Treat Lung Cancer
In various studies, curcumin in turmeric is revealed to have degenerative effect on tumor cells, which means it can prevent tumor cells from growing and also slowing down the growth of the currently present tumor cells. The prevention of abnormal cells growth consequently might prevent and treat lung cancer.
There are two kind of lung cancers, primary lung cancer and secondary lung cancer. Primary lung cancer takes place starting in the lung cells and tissues, while secondary lung cancer is the result of cancer cells spreading from another part of the body.
13. Serves Antioxidant
Curcumin in turmeric is not only serve as antioxidants which prevent free radicals, but also can reverse the mutagenic effect of genotoxic which in turn preventing the alteration and damage on our DNA. DNA mutations is one of the common cause of cancer growth, which are mainly caused by the carcinogens found in environment such as cigarette smokes and pollutants, and exposure to radiations.
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Alright, so those are the preventive and curative benefits of turmeric for our lungs. Turns out, turmeric packs some highly beneficial substances which can protect our lungs from deadly diseases and keep our present respiratory systems healthy. This is important because we live in an increasingly polluted environments and by keeping our lungs healthy, we keep our bodies functional and able to reach its fullest potential.
Thank you for reading, we hope by reading this article our awareness of the importance of natural remedies increases, and therefore help people around the world maintain their health with more natural and affordable measures. Keep on learning and staying healthy.
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