Turmeric - Anti-inflammatory medicine

turmeric.jpg

TURMERIC Turmeric, a bright yellow spice that comes from the root of the Curcuma longa plant. Turmeric is a traditional ingredient in curries, mustard, and (a slightly more recent recipe invention) tofu scrambles. It´s taste is peppery and mild, but also and more importantly this plant has amazing healing potential. Turmeric has been used medicinally for about 4,000 years; it has numerous applications in both Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine. (1)

The active substance in turmeric is a compound called curcumin. Curcumin is an antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties. Preclinical studies have implied that curcumin may be helpful in alleviating or combating a number of conditions, including digestive diseases, cancer, and osteoarthritis. Clinical studies are more limited, but so far they suggest that turmeric may help to alleviate symptoms of IBS and ulcerative colitis (2,3,4), as well as inflammatory skin conditions, impaired immunity and possibly even particular types of cancer. (5)

If you’re lucky, you can find fresh turmeric root at your local Asian market or even at your neighborhood health food store, and then you can juice it or grate it into your smoothies. But using powdered turmeric is also an easy way to incorporate this wonderful ingredient into your diet. Check the Golden Almond Milk Recipe in the Nutrition chapter. Or add it to your soups, and quinoa dishes. This magic ingredient will boost your health, make your skin glow, alleviate inflammation and support your immune system.

 

  1. Sahdeo Prasad and Bharat B. Aggarwal, Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects, 2nd Edition. CRC Press, 2011. 13.1-13.9.
  2. Bundy R, Walker A. F, Middleton R. W, Booth J. Turmeric extract may improve irritable bowel syndrome symptomology in otherwise healthy adults: A pilot study. J Altern Complement Med. 2004;10:1015–8.
  3. Hanai H, Iida T, Takeuchi K, Watanabe F, Maruyama Y, Andoh A, et al. Curcumin maintenance therapy for ulcerative colitis: randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2006;4 (12): 1502–1506.
  4. Lahiff C, Moss AC. Curcumin for clinical and endoscopic remission in ulcerative colitis. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2011;17(7): E66.
  5. Aggarwal BB, Sundaram C, Malani N, Ichikawa H. Curcumin: the Indian solid gold. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2007;595:1-75.
WellnessAna Muriel