turmeric and Men – a closer look
You’ve probably been to a coffee shop and seen turmeric lattes on the menu board. It’s the superfood spice that gives curry dishes their signature yellow color.
Maybe it looks a bit too exotic for your palette but here’s some info on turmeric that you should read.
I first got turned on to turmeric by my wife. She’s from Burma and she’s been around the golden spice all her life. She adds half a teaspoon of turmeric to almost all her ethnic dishes.
When she had a difficult time delivering our son back in 2017, she practically doused herself in turmeric every single day during recovery.
At first, I was annoyed by all the yellow stains. It was getting everywhere. She used it topically, orally – the stuff was everywhere. But she was actually onto something. Turmeric has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties on par with prescription medication.
That’s largely due to the active ingredient called curcumin.
There have been thousands of studies on curcumin and its medicinal properties. It’s been linked to heart health, a lower risk for cancer, and a natural way to beat depression.
My wife recovered in just a couple of weeks and that sparked my own interest in turmeric’s health benefits for men.
Turmeric Based Treatment for Erectile Dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction is something men don’t like to talk about, but turmeric could help. There are medications that you can take for erectile dysfunction.
Cialis and Viagra are two of the most popular ones, but they only have about a 70% success rate. Still, erectile dysfunction is big business in the pharmaceutical sector and trials are constantly ongoing.
New topical gels and creams for erectile dysfunction are just over the horizon. Vitaros cream has been available by prescription since 2013 and Futura Medical is in their final stage of trials on a new topical gel.
These creams and gels use a chemical called alprostadil which mimics the natural way that your body opens blood vessels in the penis to create an erection.
However, turmeric might provide an all-natural topical treatment for ED or at least boost the effectiveness of other topical agents.
In a study conducted by researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, scientists used turmeric to treat erectile dysfunction without painful injection or pills.
The results of the study were published in the Journal of Sex Medicine in 2018. Scientists isolated the anti-inflammatory compound in turmeric called curcumin. They made an ointment from the curcumin and applied it to the abdomen of male rodents.
The curcumin ointment penetrated the skin and increased blood flow to the sexual organs of the male rats. The most interesting part of this study is that the ointment proved effective for 24 hours. So, it would most likely be more effective than Viagra or Cialis.
This study alone couldn’t prove decisively that a topical turmeric ointment would work in humans, but it does open the door for more detailed research.
Be patient, gentlemen. Don’t go rubbing curry powder on your junk just yet. Let the scientists finish their work.
Turmeric and Prostate Health
The prostate is a walnut-sized gland located behind the bladder in men. Its job is to make protective fluids for the urethra, that tube that carries sperm and urine out of the body. Prostate cancer is one of the leading health concerns for men over the age of 40.
According to the American Cancer Society, roughly one in 9 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. There are medications you can take for better prostate health, but you can also up your intake of turmeric to lower your risk of getting prostate cancer.
Related: Can Drinking Coffee Prevent Prostate Cancer?
The curcumin in turmeric powder can slow down the growth of tumor cells by restricting cell signaling pathways. Curcumin can also stop fibroblasts from forming. These bits of connective tissue cells are thought to contribute to the growth of prostate cancer cells.
One study found that combining turmeric and tomatoes significantly inhibited the growth of prostate cancer cells. A separate study focused on turmeric’s effectiveness during radiotherapy treatments.
Researchers in 2016 found that curcumin supplementation protected healthy cells while making cancer cells in the prostate more susceptible to radiation.
Before you start taking turmeric for its medicinal value, be sure to talk to your healthcare provider to make sure that its safe for you.
Related: Should Men Eat Less Red Meat?
How to Take Turmeric for Health Benefits
When you consume turmeric, you don’t ingest large quantities of it. Just about half a teaspoon will do in nearly all its dishes and foods. However, the active ingredient curcumin can be found in concentrated forms.
If you’re cruising the aisles of a health food store, you should look for Meriva curcumin phytosome. It’s a more concentrated version of curcumin that’s easier to absorb in the body. You shouldn’t exceed 160 mgs a day though.
If you want to buy Turmeric online, check out Amazon.
Turmeric Lattes
It’s easy to make your own turmeric lattes. It only takes about 10 minutes. Turmeric lattes are wonderful as post workout drinks and they can help reduce inflammation and pain.
Just put about 21 ounces of coconut milk, plus a dash of honey and vanilla, with a teaspoon of turmeric on the stovetop to boil. After about 3 to 5 minutes, it’s ready to drink. You can even sprinkle some cinnamon or nutmeg on top.
How to Cook with Turmeric
Here’s a recipe link to a turmeric chicken and rice dish that I like to make. This is a great recipe because you can add ingredients or take away what you don’t like, and it all goes in one pot.
You just put it onto cook, enjoy a glass of wine and serve everyone a big scoop for dinner.
You can even make turmeric salmon.
The Wrap Up
Turmeric has been part of Chinese and Indian natural medicine and cuisine for hundreds, if not thousands of years. It has numerous health benefits.
It’s got anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It can target prostate cancer cells and improve erectile dysfunction.
You can take curcumin supplements to get more turmeric into your diet or just explore with some tasty dishes and drinks like the turmeric latte.
You don’t want to overdo it though. Turmeric is best enjoyed in small amounts and works well when you include it as a regular part of your healthy and balanced diet.
