How Turmeric Speeds Weight Loss — Plus 3 New Recipes to Try

Turmeric has been one of the most popular superfoods on the market for a while now, and for good reason. The bright orange spice traditionally used in Indian cooking has proven itself to be a health-boosting miracle.

Experts everywhere are touting the benefits of turmeric, and it’s become an interest for those trying to lose weight. Why? Powerful compounds in turmeric tame inflammation, regulate gut bacteria, and improve fat metabolism. Read more about how turmeric can help you shed pounds below.

It blocks fat storage.

Enjoying a turmeric-enriched drink daily will help you shrink fat stores by 47 percent in three months, according to researchers at Tufts University in Massachusetts. They explain that curcumin, a polyphenol in the spice, blocks the growth of blood vessels that supply fat tissue, prompting the body to burn fat instead of store it.

Shuts down cravings.

Turmeric helps halt an influx of candida, a yeast that invades the gut, triggering carb cravings and slowing metabolism. That’s because turmeric’s curcumin shuts off the yeast’s self-repair cycle and reduces its ability to adhere to the gut by 74 percent, eliminating the possibility of an overgrowth of the sugar-loving yeast.

Melts a menopot.

Curcumin, the active compound that also gives turmeric its golden hue, spurs fat cells to self-destruct. The effect is so powerful that in a study in the journal Drug Research, subjects given 1 tsp. of turmeric daily lost 6.6 times more body fat and 7.6 times more belly fat than those who didn’t get the spice.

Classic Golden Winter Warmer

• 1 1⁄4 cups reduced-fat milk
• 1⁄4 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1 Tbs. agave syrup

Simmer 1 cup milk, turmeric and agave until hot. Whisk remaining milk to froth and spoon over drink. Makes 1 serving.

Vanilla Coffee Contentment

• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 2 tsp. turbinado sugar
• 1⁄2 tsp. instant coffee
• 1⁄4 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1⁄4 tsp. black pepper

Simmer 1⁄2 cup milk and remaining ingredients until hot. Whisk remaining milk until frothy and spoon over drink. Makes 1 serving.

Matcha Green Latte Magic

• 1 1⁄4 cups (2%) reduced-fat milk
• 2 tsp. matcha powder
• 1⁄4 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1 Tbs. honey

In mug, microwave 1 cup milk and remaining ingredients until hot. In microwave-safe bowl, microwave remaining milk; whisk until frothy and spoon over drink. Makes 1 serving.

This article originally appeared in our print magazine.