姜黄惊人的健康益处

Turmeric, an orange-colored spice imported from India, is part of the ginger family and has been a staple in Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian cooking for thousands of years.

姜黄，一种从印度进口的橙色香料，是生姜家族的一部分，几千年来一直是中东和东南亚烹饪的主食。

Inexpensive, mild-tasting turmeric may have health benefits for nearly every system in the body, say some nutritionists. (Photo: Swapan Photography/Shutterstock)

Here are some of the ways turmeric may benefit your body.

下面是姜黄对身体有益的一些方法。

Blocking cancer

阻止癌症

Doctors at UCLA found that curcumin, the main component in turmeric, appeared to block an enzyme that promotes the growth of head and neck cancer.

加州大学洛杉矶分校的医生发现姜黄素，姜黄中的主要成分，似乎可以阻止一种促进头颈部癌症生长的酶。

Powerful antioxidant

强抗氧化剂

While more research is necessary, early studies have indicated that curcumin may help prevent or treat several types of cancer including prostate, skin and colon.

虽然还需要更多的研究，但早期研究表明姜黄素可能有助于预防或治疗包括前列腺癌、皮肤癌和结肠癌在内的几种癌症。

Lower risk of Alzheimer's disease

降低患老年痴呆症的风险

Researchers had a group of 40 adults between the ages of 50 and 90 take either a curcumin or placebo pill for 18 months. At the end, the memory and attention of participants who took the curcumin pill improved by 28%.

研究人员让40名年龄在50到90岁之间的成年人服用姜黄素或安慰剂，为期18个月。最后，服用姜黄素丸的参与者的记忆力和注意力提高了28%。

Potent anti-inflammatory

有效的抗炎

Some research shows that curcumin might ease symptoms of uveitis — long-term inflammation in the middle layer of the eye. Other research shows that taking turmeric daily for several months may improve kidney function for people with kidney inflammation.

一些研究表明姜黄素可能减轻葡萄膜炎的症状——眼睛中层的长期炎症。其他研究表明，连续几个月每天服用姜黄可以改善肾病患者的肾功能。

Turmeric comes from the curcuma longa plant. (Photo: Skyprayer2005/Shutterstock)

Osteoarthritis pain relief

骨关节炎疼痛

Turmeric may also be helpful with another type of arthritis. Some research has shown that taking turmeric extract can ease the pain of osteoarthritis.

姜黄对另一种关节炎也有帮助。一些研究表明，服用姜黄提取物可以缓解骨关节炎的疼痛。

Indigestion and heartburn aid

帮助消化不良和胃灼热

Curcumin works with the gallbladder, stimulating it to make bile, which may help with digestion. In Germany, turmeric can be prescribed for digestive problems.

姜黄素作用于胆囊，刺激胆囊产生胆汁，有助于消化。在德国，姜黄可以用来治疗消化问题。

Heart disease

心脏病

Studies have suggested curcumin may help prevent the buildup of plaque that can clog arteries and lead to heart attacks and strokes.

研究表明姜黄素可能帮助防止堵塞动脉的斑块的累积,导致心脏病和中风。

Impact on diabetes

对糖尿病的影响

Early studies suggest that taking turmeric daily can cut down the number of people with prediabetes who develop diabetes.

早期研究表明，每天服用姜黄可以减少患糖尿病前期的人数。

Raw is best

生姜是最好的

“It’s inexpensive, mild in taste, and benefits every system in the body,” Kling says. "Adding this powerful plant to your diet is one of the best things you can do for long term health.”

克林说:“它价格便宜，口味温和，对身体的各个系统都有好处。”“在你的饮食中添加这种强大的植物是你能长期保持健康的最好方法之一。”

Quality matters

质量问题

Turmeric is for sale at a market. (Photo: ChiccoDodiFC/Shutterstock)

Safety can be an issue with turmeric, recent research finds. The pigments added to turmeric in Bangladesh may contain lead, which contributes to cognitive issues and other serious issues. A Stanford University study found that the spice is sometimes laced with lead chromate to enhance its brightness. Lead is a neurotoxin that has long been banned from food for safety reasons.

最近的研究发现，姜黄的安全性可能是个问题。孟加拉国姜黄中添加的色素可能含有铅，会导致认知问题和其他严重问题。斯坦福大学的一项研究发现，这种香料有时会加入铬酸铅，以增强其亮度。铅是一种神经毒素，长期以来由于安全原因一直被禁止在食品中使用。

However, the researchers caution, “the current system of periodic food safety checks may catch only a fraction of the adulterated turmeric being traded worldwide.” Since 2011, they point out, more than 15 brands of turmeric – distributed to countries including the U.S. – have been recalled due to excessive levels of lead.

然而，研究人员警告说，“目前的定期食品安全检查系统可能只捕获了全球交易的掺假姜黄的一小部分。他们指出，自2011年以来，包括美国在内的15个品牌的姜黄因铅含量超标而被召回。