Turmeric – the wonder spice!

Turmeric, the golden spice from India, has so many potential health benefits and medicinal properties it could be called a wonder spice. This well-known spice is derived from rhizomes of the plant Curcuma longa, a member of the ginger family. It is responsible for the yellow colour of Indian curry and American mustard. Curcumin, which has powerful anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, is the most active constituent of turmeric.

In addition to its use as a spice, Turmeric has been used for millennia in Ayurvedic medicine, as an anti-inflammatory herb, as a treatment for laryngitis, bronchitis, and diabetes, and as a disinfectant. Its antibacterial action helps to slow down the spoilage of food and treat wounds. It helps blood flow, reduces cholesterol levels, and improves blood vessel health. Traditionally, turmeric has been used as a digestive aid and a liver stimulant. It is also good for people with artherosclerosis, carpal tunnel syndrome, gallstones, cataracts, tendonitis, eczema, endometriosis, and bursitis.

Scientistics have identified over 580 potential health benefits of which the following lists is just a few of the more amazing ones:

• Destroying cancer cells
• Destroying cancer stem cells (which are possibly the root of all cancer)
• Protecting against radiation-induced damage
• Reducing unhealthy levels of inflammation in the body
• Protecting against heavy metal toxicity
• Preventing and reversing Alzheimer’s Disease-associated pathologies

Elderly villagers in India appear to have the lowest rates of Alzheimer’s in the world. Alzheimer’s begins as an inflammatory process in the brain, and Indians eat turmeric with almost every meal.

For a healing drink, add 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder, and ½ tsp ground pepper to one cup of warm soy milk. Black pepper significantly increases the bioavailability of the curcumin. To make a batch of turmeric paste, add a ¼ cup of turmeric to ½ a cup of water. Simmer over medium heat on the stove for 7-9 minutes. 

Add one teaspoon of paste to about 2 cups of soy, almond or coconut or whole cow’s milk and heat on the stove. Add a drop of maple syrup or honey if you wish to sweeten it. Golden milk will keep up to three weeks in the fridge. Turmeric milk has been used as a powerful wintertime cold and flu remedy.

I like to add turmeric straight to egg salad, green salads, and most Indian dishes. In salads it is virtually tasteless; in Indian dishes turmeric enhances the flavour of the dish.

Turmeric may not be recommended for people who have clotting disorders, or who are taking anticoagulants. And, since it increases bile production, you should not use it in medicinal amounts if you have gallstones or obstructed bile ducts.

Considering the fact that turmeric grows freely on the Earth, it makes sense that turmeric is such a well-kept secret: as you can well imagine, its very existence threatens a trillion-dollar plus conventional medical establishment. But that is a story for another day. In the mean time, incorporate turmeric into your daily diet and reap the benefits!