Lifestyle

Turmeric – The Golden Root

In my search for alkaline food, literally, every source of information that I read mentioned Turmeric as highly alkalize herb like other pungent spices.  At first, I wasn’t really interested in Turmeric because it tastes quite strange if it is not mixed with other ingredients, and it leaves a yellowish stain on your hands if you didn’t handle it carefully.  Growing up in Asia turmeric is basically one of the basic ingredients in almost every food that we consumed every day, and I never thought that there it’s a very special spice.

In my other search on how to improve our memory and to optimize our learning ability, I once again stumble upon the benefits of turmeric, and this time is for the brain.  There are foods that are very good for our brain and Turmeric was among other things such as Salmon, Blueberries, Broccoli, Dark Chocolate, etc.

It was like the universe trying to shove me information about turmeric and the superstitious part of me just couldn’t ignore it.  So, I do a bit of reading about Turmeric and its benefits and to my surprise not only it is highly alkalizing and good for your brain, it has tons of other benefits for our body.

Feeling excited to reap the benefits of this superfood, I immediately incorporate it into my morning routine.  There are many ways to do it, for those of us who don’t want to deal with a risk of getting a yellow stain on your hands, there are Turmeric Supplements available for a more practical options. As for me,  I just add it to my Lemon and Honey Water that I drink every morning.

TURMERIC (Curcuma Longa).

According to Wikipedia Turmeric is belong to a ginger family, native to Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia.  Many use Turmeric as flavoring agents in many Asian cuisines as well for dyeing.

Both the Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine use Turmeric as an anti-inflammatory medicine, to treat digestive and liver problems, skin disease, and wounds.  Turmeric contains a chemical compound called Curcumin.  Curcumin is a powerful antioxidant, it lowers the two enzymes in the body that cause inflammation, and it also stops platelets from clumping together to form blood clots.

These two words are usually used interchangeably.  However, one word refers to the root of a plant and the other refers to the chemical compound it contains.

Health Benefits :

Turmeric seems to have endless health benefits.  Below are some of its known benefits to name a few:

Natural Pain Killer

Due to its anti-inflammatory property, it inhibits action on inflammatory chemicals prostaglandins and interleukins can help in reducing pain.

Immune Booster

Turmeric contains a chemical compound that helps to stimulate body’s immune system.  Its antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal help to strengthen the immune system.

Brain Protection

Turmeric contains a chemical compound called aromatic turmerone where research found that this compound promotes repair in the stem cells of the brain.  Some studies suggest that curcumin may help to improve memory in Alzheimer patients.

Help prevents cardiovascular disease

As mentioned before that curcumin inhibits platelets from clumping together and thereby improving blood circulation.  It has also believed to lower cholesterol level.

Helps to prevent Cancer.

There has been a great deal of research on turmeric’s anti-cancer properties.  Studies suggest that curcumin may help prevent or treat several types of cancers, including prostate, breast, skin, and colon cancer. Turmeric’s preventive effects may relate to its antioxidant properties, which protect cells from damage.

The National Institutes of Health has four ongoing clinical trials examining curcumin as a potential drug for pancreatic cancer, multiple myeloma, Alzheimer’s disease, and colorectal cancer.  to read more about it click here.

There are many other benefits of turmeric that we can easily find in many studies and research.   However, it has also some side effects that you might want to check before you consume this powerful root.  Turmeric usually does not cause significant side-effects, however, some people can experience stomach upset, dizziness, diarrhea, or nausea.

Special Precaution & Warnings:

Pregnancy & Breast-Feeding when turmeric is taken in medicinal amounts during pregnancy as it might promote or stimulate the uterus, therefore, putting the pregnancy at risk.

Gallbladder problems.  Do not consume turmeric if you have gallstones or a bile duct obstruction.

To learn more about the side effects of turmeric you can read here or it would be best to consult a physician.

My Favorite Golden Tonic Recipe:

1 tsp of Organic turmeric powder

2-4 tsp of apple cider vinegar

2-4 tsp of Organic honey

Half of a lemon juice

Warm water.

A pinch of black pepper (see fun facts)

Mixed all the ingredients and drink first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.

Note:  In my experience, within 30 – 60 minutes you might want to go to the bathroom.  It helps to activate the bowel.

Fun Facts :

  • The interesting thing is you can use it to test the pH in food or drink!  The active ingredient in turmeric, curcumin, is a pH indicator. When you put turmeric in foods that have a pH value under 7.4, the turmeric will turn yellow. In foods with a pH above 8.6, it turns red.
  • in order to reap the health benefits of turmeric tonic, you need to add a pinch of pepper to this drink. Why so? The reason is that, when used alone, curcumin cannot be utilized effectively in the human body because of its poor bioavailability. This means that most of it gets metabolized before it can get absorbed.  Peperine, an active ingredient found in black pepper.  It helps in making curcumin more bioavailable so that it can be easily absorbed in your body. It also inhibits the working of certain digestive enzymes that prevent the absorption of curcumin.

11 thoughts on “Turmeric – The Golden Root

  1. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe and those fun facts! I am a huge fan of turmeric. Curry is my favourite thing to cook! But I never knew about the pepper trick 😉 Definitely going to pin this to try later. Such a treat when you can get fresh turmeric but I’ll settle for a good quality organic powder.

  2. Thank you for this well-written and informative article. We use turmeric to flavor our food and sometimes therapeutically (golden milk, for example) on a regular basis. My son is 6 and goes through periods where he craves relatively large amounts! Sometimes we forget the basic value of food as medicine that we learned from our ancestors.

  3. Oh wow! I always make apple cider water minus the turmeric. I didn’t know it could be so easy to incorporate turmeric in my diet. I’ll definitely give it a try!

  4. Awesome, I was looking for some healthy drinks and this just comes in perfectly. Thank you so much, it looks great and it sounds as this was the cure to many annoying things. Keep it up!

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