Benefits of Turmeric

[Katmandu]

I just stumbled on this today. I did not realize that there were so many benefits to turmeric.

20 Health Benefits of Turmeric


Published on October 1, 2007
The active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin. Tumeric has been used for over 2500 years in India, where it was most likely first used as a dye.

The medicinal properties of this spice have been slowly revealing themselves over the centuries. Long known for its anti-inflammatory properties, recent research has revealed that turmeric is a natural wonder, proving beneficial in the treatment of many different health conditions from cancer to Alzheimer's disease.

Here are 20 reasons to add turmeric to your diet:

1. It is a natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent, useful in disinfecting cuts and burns.

2. When combined with cauliflower, it has shown to prevent prostate cancer and stop the growth of existing prostate cancer.

3. Prevented breast cancer from spreading to the lungs in mice.

4. May prevent melanoma and cause existing melanoma cells to commit suicide.

5. Reduces the risk of childhood leukemia.

6. Is a natural liver detoxifier.

7. May prevent and slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease by removing amyloyd plaque buildup in the brain.

8. May prevent metastases from occurring in many different forms of cancer.

9. It is a potent natural anti-inflammatory that works as well as many anti-inflammatory drugs but without the side effects.

10. Has shown promise in slowing the progression of multiple sclerosis in mice.

11. Is a natural painkiller and cox-2 inhibitor.

12. May aid in fat metabolism and help in weight management.

13. Has long been used in Chinese medicine as a treatment for depression.
14. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, it is a natural treatment for arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

15. Boosts the effects of chemo drug paclitaxel and reduces its side effects.

16. Promising studies are underway on the effects of turmeric on pancreatic cancer.

17. Studies are ongoing in the positive effects of turmeric on multiple myeloma.

18. Has been shown to stop the growth of new blood vessels in tumors.

19. Speeds up wound healing and assists in remodeling of damaged skin.

20. May help in the treatment of psoriasis and other inflammatory skin conditions.

Turmeric can be taken in powder or pill form. It is available in pill form in most health food stores, usually in 250-500mg capsules.

Once you start using turmeric on a regular basis, it's fun to find new ways to use it in recipes. My favorite way to use it is to add a pinch of it to egg salad. It adds a nice flavor and gives the egg salad a rich yellow hue.

Contraindications: Turmeric should not be used by people with gallstones or bile obstruction. Though turmeric is often used by pregnant women, it is important to consult with a doctor before doing so as turmeric can be a uterine stimulant.

http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis...-turmeric.html

[ImaCannin]

Turmeric mixed with a few drops of coconut oil, put on an open wound will speed healing. The cuts or burns I have used it on did not scar and healed in a matter of a few days compared to weeks.

[beefsteak]

Read somewhere, Dr. Andrew Weil maybe ? ? ?, that tumeric needs to be consumed along with pepper, to unlock maximum absorption/healing properties.

I don't understand how it can be helpful to detoxifying the liver, but not if one has bile obstruction. Perhaps a medical type could weigh in? The liver doesn't make bile, the gallbladder does. But if one has cirrhosis, does this mean that consuming tumeric isn't a good idea for them to incorporate this spice?


beefsteak

[ImaCannin]

I recently found that I have non Alcoholic Fatty Liver and when I started taking Turmeric and I would eat certain foods, would make my urine smell extremely rank. However, I continued taking the turmeric thru my cleanse process and have a much happier liver now!

[PatColo]

If one were to try to get tumeric/curcumin through curry foods (India & SE Asia foods), which variety has the goods? There's red, yellow & green curries.

I read/heard somewhere that curcumin was found in the ROOT of the tumeric plant, and it's just a small part of the root at that.

[Katmandu]

If one were to try to get tumeric/curcumin through curry foods (India & SE Asia foods), which variety has the goods? There's red, yellow & green curries.

I read/heard somewhere that curcumin was found in the ROOT of the tumeric plant, and it's just a small part of the root at that.

You have just sent me on a learning curve, PatColo. This is my understanding:

Red Curry is red mainly from red chili peppers. It may or may not contain turmeric (depends on the specific recipe of the curry).
Green Curry is green mainly from green chili peppers. It may or may not contain turmeric.
Yellow Curry is yellow mainly from turmeric.

And curcumin is contained in the root of the plant, and if it comes from a specific part of the root, I don't know.

And as beefsteak says about pepper and turmeric:
Take 400 to 600 milligrams of turmeric extracts (available in tablets or capsules) three times per day or as directed on the product label. Look for products standardized for 95% curcuminoids. Neither curcumin nor turmeric taken orally is well absorbed unless taken with black pepper or piperine, a constituent of black pepper responsible for its pungency. When shopping for supplements, make sure that the one you choose contains black pepper extract or piperine. (If you're cooking with turmeric, be sure to add some black pepper to the food.). Be patient when taking turmeric supplements: the full benefits may not be apparent for eight weeks.

[Glass]

based on Katmandu's post there a Dahl type curry would contain a few Tumerics in it. I enjoy a Dahl Tadka which is a lentil curry with onions, tomatoes and some other good stuff. I chuck just a few mustard seeds in as well. Very easy to make and takes maybe 20 minutes. Very tasty with some nice steamed rice.

[palani]

Thought I would pass along the hint .. my gravy (as in biscuits and gravy) is significantly yellower than any other gravy I have ever seen due to the addition of turmeric.

[ImaCannin]

I get my turmeric from www.mountainroseherbs.com I use it in the whole herb form, and pill it myself with a capsule machine ( www.capsuleconnection.com ) Most of the time I add cayenne pepper to the turmeric before it is put in capsules. From everything I have read about herbs is you want to use them in the whole form and not bits and parts.

[ImaCannin]