Turmeric is well-known for endorsing a good health due to its myriad medicinal benefits. Its oil is derived from the rhizome (roots) of the turmeric plant, Curcuma longa, which is indigenous to Asia.

You may know turmeric as the infamous spice used in most Asian cuisines, but its roots come packed with extensive nutrients and active compounds that provide numerous health benefits to those who continually use it!

Turmeric essential oil has been used in Ayurvedic medicine too, as it is believed to support and remedy the imbalance of the Kapha body type! So now you know that turmeric is not just a good herb to use in your cooking but also has various health benefits! Read on to find out what exactly are the health benefits of turmeric essential oil!

Health Benefits of Turmeric Essential Oil:

1. Helps Prevent Cancer

Turmeric essential oil actually has anti-mutagenic properties which helps to inhibit the growth and spread of cancer cells within the body and and to impair the energy-generating structures in the cancer cells. As such, these properties in turmeric essential oil help to prevent cancer greatly.

In fact, a 2013 study published in Biofactors found out that the the turmerone (ar-turmerone) and curcumin, which are both present in turmeric essential oil, is actually a strong agent for preventing colon cancer. When administered orally in low dosages, it was found that it helped to significantly abolish the tumor formation within the colon.

Another 2012 study, published in the Journal of Cellular Biochemistry found that the aromatic (ar)-turmerone present in turmeric exhibited inhibitory effects on the chemical compounds present in breast cancer cells, thus affecting the growth and spread of these cancerous cells.

This shows how turmeric essential oil actually has great anti-tumor and anti-mutagenic properties which helps to prevent cancer cells from forming and spreading.

Even though more research needs to be carried out to find how exactly can turmeric essential oil be included in cancer preventive treatments for humans, since these experiments were done on animals, but these initial results are very promising indeed.

2. Helps Treat Arthritis and Joint Issues

The alpha-curcumene present in turmeric essential oil, which is derived from curcumin, the main ingredient in the turmeric herb, actually contains high anti-inflammatory qualities. This means that turmeric essential oil can help to soothe inflamed and stiff muscles and joints, thus providing pain relief to a myriad of conditions such as arthritis, rheumatism, gout and various muscle pains.

A 2011 study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry evaluated the anti-arthritic effects of turmeric essential oil and found that it does possess anti-inflammatory effects on the joints and muscles of the animals that were being tested in the research experiment.

3. Protects the Liver

The ar-turmerone compound present in turmeric essential oil also helps promote strong liver health as it induces detoxification of toxic and unwanted substances. This helps to protect the liver and to prevent various liver diseases, which can be detrimental to your health. Coupled with its antioxidant compounds, turmeric can significantly help to decrease the amount of toxic chemicals found in your body, thus promoting a much healthier body!

A 2015 study published in the BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine investigated the hepatoprotective effects of turmeric in relation to liver toxicity. It was found that the turmeric extract can successfully weaken the MTX-induced toxicity in the livers, meaning that turmeric has the potential to cleanse the liver. In addition, the study demonstrated how turmeric can protect the liver against a strong and harmful chemical that can potentially lead to life-threatening liver diseases.

4. Promotes Skin and Hair Health

Turmeric essential oil has strong antimicrobial, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory compounds, which means it is great for relieving numerous skin problems such as acne, blackheads, psoriasis and eczema. It effectively kills off bacteria lingering on the skin, thus preventing these skin conditions from worsening and spreading to other parts of the face. This helps in promoting better complexion. Due to its antibacterial nature, it can also help to protect your scalp and hair against possible infections and inflammations.

Furthermore, a 2013 study in Pubmed found that the presence of ar-turmerone in turmeric actually exhibited strong anti-dermatophytic activity. Thus, turmeric essential oil is a strong antifungal against dermatophytes, which are a group of fungi that causes various skin diseases.

Coupled with its antioxidant attributes, turmeric essential oil is great in combating free radicals and prevents the onset of premature ageing, as well as the formation of wrinkles. This helps to keep the youthful and radiant glow on your face! Furthermore, the numerous antioxidants present can help to regenerate hair growth and to strengthen hair follicles. Therefore, the oil is a natural remedy for hair loss and baldness.

5. Relieves Stress, Anxiety and Depression

Turmeric essential oil can also help to combat anxiety, depression and other mood disorders as it is known to be an effective relaxant since it induces peace and tranquility in your mind and soul. Not only that, the oil effectively seeks to balance any emotional imbalance that may be a result of increased stress, tension and anxiety levels. As such, it is an effective essential oil to alleviate these negative and harmful feelings to induce positive ones that can uplift your spirits.

6. Improves Cognition

Not only that, turmeric essential oil also greatly helps to improve cognition levels and prevents the onset of various neurological diseases. This is because the presence of the aromatic ar-turmerone actually inhibits and prevents microglia activation, which means it can treat neurodegenerative diseases and supports regeneration in neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

Thus, inhaling this oil is a great way to boost memory levels as it induces focus and concentration in you!

7. To Promote Digestion

The presence of zingeriberene in turmeric essential oil is known to have strong positive effects on the gastrointestinal system. It can help to reduce indigestion, bloating and flatulence. In fact, it can also be used to treat irritable bowel syndromes such as constipation and abdominal pain.

For example, a 2015 study published in the Journal of Basic and Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology found that when turmeric essential oil was combined with ginger essential oil, it helped to inhibit ethanol-induced stomach ulcers in rats, because they both demonstrated anti-ulcer attributes. As such, turmeric essential oil can potentially help to prevent the prevalence of painful stomach ulcers and the hemorrhage of stomach walls.

8. Helps Prevent Diabetes

Turmeric essential oil also greatly helps in controlling and preventing diabetes. A study conducted in 2012 and published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition found that the turmeric essential oil is able to halt the growth of glucosidase enzymes in a more effective manner than the standard prescribed drug of acarbose. This means that the oil can actually help to prevent the drastic increase of sugar levels in the bloodstream after carbohydrate consumption, thus managing blood sugar levels to a healthy and acceptable level.

Not only that, turmeric essential oil also helps to increase glucose and lipid metabolism, as was found in the 2006 study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry when they tested it on rodents. This thus means that it can prevent the onset of diabetes as it manages the sugar level in the bloodstream.

How to Use Turmeric Essential Oil:

As you can see, there is a myriad of health benefits when you use turmeric essential oil, ranging from promoting emotional stability to even being a potential anti-cancer treatment! Therefore, this oil is no doubt a worthy investment (as it is very affordable), one that is worth having in your medicine cabinets in your households! Now, read on further to find out how you can utilize turmeric essential oil in a safe manner!

• Turmeric essential oil actually blends well with ginger, cinnamon, blood orange, ylang ylang, cardamom, vanilla and grapefruit essential oils to create an aromatherapy blend.

• You can diffuse or inhale 2-3 drops of turmeric essential oil for stress relief and for aromatherapy uses.

• To apply it topically for pain relief and to treat inflammation, you can mix 5 drops of turmeric essential oil with another 5 drops of jojoba or coconut oil to create a massage blend and apply it onto the affected areas. Alternatively, you can also add 1-2 drops of the oil into your skin care creams/shampoos to ensure proper dilution before proceeding to use it onto your skin or scalp.

• You can also ingest turmeric essential oil but ensure that you use only high grade, quality turmeric essential oils and only add 1 drop of the oil to a glass of water. Ensure proper dilution before proceeding to ingest it.

Safety Precautions:

• Always ensure proper dilution before proceeding to apply turmeric essential oil topically onto the skin.

• Do a skin patch test first to ensure there are no sensitive or allergic reactions.

• If you are considering ingesting turmeric oil internally, always speak to your medical practitioner or doctor first to seek professional health advice before ingesting it.

• If you are pregnant, nursing or taking any other prescribed medications for your health, consult with your doctor first for professional advice.

• If you are on blood thinning medications, prone to kidney stones/gallbladder problems or taking medications to reduce blood pressure levels, it is best to avoid the oil and consult your doctor before using the oil.

References:

Murakami A, et al., “Curcumin combined with turmerones, essential oil components of turmeric, abolishes inflammation-associated mouse colon carcinogenesis” PubMed (2013); 39(2)

Park SY, et al., “Aromatic-turmerone attenuates invasion and expression of MMP-9 and COX-2 through inhibition of NF-kB activation in TPA-induced breast cancer cells”, Journal of Cellular Biochemistry (2012); 113(12)

Janet L. Funk, et al., “Anti-Arthritic Effects and Toxicity of the Essential Oils of Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.)” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (2010); 58(2)

Adel Rezaei Moghadam, et al., “Pre-administration of turmeric prevents methotrexate-induced liver toxicity and oxidative stress”, BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2015)

Jankasem M, Wuthi-Udomlert M, Gritsanapan W, “Antidermatophytic Properties of Ar-Turmerone, Turmeric Oil, and Curcuma longa Preparations”, ISRN Dermatology (2013)

Liju VB, Jeena K, Kuttan R, “Gastroprotective activity of essential oils from turmeric and ginger”, Journal of Basic and Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology (2015); 26(1)

Joerg Hucklenbroich, et al., “Aromatic turmerone constitutes a promising candidate to support regeneration in neurologic disease”, Stem Cell Res Ther. (2014); 5(4)

Lekshmi PC, et al., “Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) volatile oil inhibits key enzymes linked to type 2 diabetes”, International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition (2012); 63(7)

Honda S, et al., “Effects of ingested turmeric oleoresin on glucose and lipid metabolisms in obese diabetic mice: a DNA microarray study”, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (2006); 54(24)