Benefits of Turmeric

02 Jun Benefits of Turmeric

Maybe you have heard benefits of Turmeric before. It is a life essential ingredient that you MUST have in your life. Turmeric has a very long history and thousands of benefits. If you are curious to know I invite you to read my post I hope you will enjoy it!

What is Turmeric?

Common Names:  turmeric, turmeric root, Indian saffron

Latin Name: Curcuma aromati ca, Curcuma domestica, Curcuma longa

Turmeric comes from the Curcuma longa plant, which grows in India and other Southeast Asian countries. The dried root of the Curcuma longa plant is ground into the distinctive yellow turmeric powder.

Curcumin is the main active ingredient in turmeric. It has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a very strong antioxidant. That is what makes turmeric super beneficial for your body.

It looks very similar to a ginger root but rather small and more in orange color.
That’s how a turmeric root, powder, and shavings look like:

Turmeric in Ancient Medicine

You’ll find that turmeric has been used in ancient medicine practices much further back than modern science records. The timeless principles of natural medicine practices in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda are much of what has led modern scientists to document the mechanisms of valuable spices and herbs like turmeric.

In both Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda, turmeric is supposed to be consumed with beneficial fats (like coconut oil) and black pepper. Scientists have confirmed that taking turmeric along with both healthy fats and black pepper dramatically increase the absorption and effects of turmeric.

Benefits of Turmeric:

Numerous studies have found that turmeric root can have a significant positive effect on neurological, cardiovascular, metabolic, immune system, and cellular health.

There are a lot of benefits of Turmeric.  As a summary, some of the best benefits of turmeric include:

Antioxidant
Help rheumatoid arthritis
Natural painkiller
Fights inflammation
Improves digestion and stomach health
Could treat or prevent certain cancers
May work as a natural pain reliever
May help manage diabetes
May regulate cholesterol
Combats obesity
May slow or prevent blood clots
Reduces depression symptoms
Boosts skin health

Cautions About Turmeric Use

Turmeric is generally considered safe for use in medicinal amounts, but it is important to talk to a doctor before using this or any substance medicinally as it can interact with several medications. 

How to consume Turmeric?

The good thing is there many ways to consume Turmeric…

You can buy turmeric as a root or powder. As well as preparing special homemade Turmeric recipes, you can also use turmeric powder in your salad, soup, or any other dish that you may think of. It has a strong taste and coloring effect. So I would suggest using a small amount at the beginning and can add more according to your taste.

Before you begin you should know that Turmeric, contains an oily pigment known as Curcumin that will turn yellow all that it comes in contact with, so be prepared for a lot of cleaning work when you are done So don’t be surprised when you have everything turned to yellow 🙂

For all its miraculous health benefits, turmeric does have one weakness. The golden spice has very low bioavailability. This means that your body can only use a very small portion of the turmeric you consume. As the absorption levels of curcumin are very low, your body cannot harness the full healing properties of the spice. Fortunately, there is a simple way to enhance bioavailability. Just add black pepper to unlock the full potential of turmeric!

Black pepper contains a compound, piperine, which inhibits the metabolic breakdown of turmeric compounds in the gut and the liver. This allows higher levels of turmeric compounds to remain in the body (it increases its bioavailability), which may increase the effects of turmeric.

How can you use turmeric in your daily recipes?

I have listed few recipes that I like the most and it is very easy to prepare. You can always create your own recipe or just simply add turmeric powder to any dish or drink to spice up your life!

Jamu

Jamu is a traditional herbal medicine in Indonesia, predominantly using natural and locally grown ingredients such as roots, fruit, leaves, and seeds, sometimes incorporating raw honey, royal jelly, milk, and eggs. Jamu can be found all throughout Indonesia and is known to improve immunity, liver detoxification, and even help with infertility, depending on what type of ingredients are mixed in the Jamu.

Besides turmeric, the other ingredients incorporated in this DIY Turmeric Jamu recipe have historically been used to help treat ailments worldwide.

Fresh ginger, has been known to aid gastrointestinal and nausea issues. It is also high in anti-inflammatory compounds which help reduce pain in sore muscles. The ‘healthy sweating’ that ginger causes through its spiciness also helps to cure the flu and boost detoxification.

Raw honey is a great source of antioxidants and has been used for centuries as antibacterials and antifungals to treat different infections, even to fight a certain staph bacterial infection that is resistant to antibiotics. Honey is also effective in treating the common cold, and when consumed daily can help to prevent it.

Lime, being high in vitamin c, helps with digestion and weight loss, and is also very beneficial to the skin. Lime keeps the skin glowing, rejuvenates it, and protects it from infections and reduces body odor.

Ingredients:

1 Turmeric root ( small or medium size depending on the quantity you want)
1-2 slice of ginger
2 lemons or limes

To prepare:

• Peel the Turmeric and ginger

• Fill a big pot with water, put peeled turmeric and ginger in and let it boil for at least 20 minutes until the water becomes a rich gold color.

• Pour a little bit of cold water to lower the temperature. Take the turmeric water and pour it into the blender with the turmeric and ginger.
• Add lemon juice
• Cool it in the fridge and serve in glasses.

*You can add a spoon of honey to reduce the bitter taste.

Turmeric(golden) paste

Here is the recipe for one of my favorite morning ritual! It helps to boot the metabolism

Ingredients:

½ Glass of Turmeric powder
¼ Glass of Honey
¼ Glass of Coconut oil
1 coffee spoon Black pepper

To prepare:

Mix all the ingredients in a jar until you a well-textured paste. You can keep it inside the jar at room temperature. In hot weathers, you can also keep in your fridge. ( it is better to leave it our 5-10  mins before you eat as texture gets thick)

Every day eat 2 spoons to empty stomach

Golden milk

I really like the golden milk, especially in winters. It has great healing and warming effect on the body. I also love to have it with ginger cookies instead of adding honey or sugar to the milk.

 Ingredients:

2 glasses of milk ( you can choose organic cow milk, rice milk, almond milk or coconut milk)
½ coffee spoon Turmeric powder
1 pinch of black pepper
1 pinch of cinnamon and ginger powder (optional)
1 coffee spoon honey or pekmez (optional)

To prepare:

• Add turmeric, ginger, cinnamon and black pepper with milk inside a saucepan
• Boil the milk slowly at low temperature while mixing the herbs. When milk boils, leave it to cool down at room temperature.
• Take the mixture to your glass add honey and enjoy!