The Magic Power Of Turmeric

How many of you enjoy a good authentic Indian curry? You may not have realized that it doesn’t just taste great but also an active ingredient in curry powder provides a world of health benefits. This spice is turmeric, and the magic compound is curcumin.

Historical Use Of Turmeric

Turmeric is a common food flavoring and coloring in Asian cooking. The use of it has been described in traditional Chinese and Indian medicine as early as the seventh century AD. In various Asian folk medicine traditions, turmeric has been used to treat a long list of conditions, including diarrhea, fever, bronchitis, colds, parasitic worms, leprosy, and bladder and kidney inflammations. Herbalists have applied turmeric salve to bruises, leech bites, festering eye infections, mouth inflammations, skin conditions, and infected wounds. Some people even inhale smoke from burning turmeric to relieve chronic coughs. Not sure about the latter, but let me know about your experience if you decide to get high on some curry powder.

What Do The Scientists Say?

In more recent studies it has been established that curcumin counters inflammation, detoxifies excess estrogen, supports the body’s antioxidant system, helps deal with abnormal blood fat ratios (dyslipidemia) and offers protection against colds and flu. Animal and laboratory studies have found that curcumin, an antioxidant that is an active ingredient in turmeric, demonstrated some anti-cancer effects in the lab. Several types of cancer cells are inhibited by curcumin and it slows the growth and spread of some cancers. However, human research is needed to determine how effective it really is.

How Much Turmeric Do You Need?

The bad news is that according to this study there are only about 3% of curcumin in pure turmeric powder. Various recommendations can be found in regards to how much curcumin you should consume daily for noticeable results but it seems like 1,200 mg would be a good dose to aim for to yield immediate results and adjust from there. One heaped teaspoon will provide 150mg at most, hence, you’d have to take 2 teaspoons 4 times per day with meals. Give it a shot. Alternatively you could try turmeric extract in a supplement form for convenience.