It's about it spice used in cooking for centuries in Asian cuisine and in recent years has become widely known in the West for its beneficial properties in the human body. It is considered to be perhaps the most important dietary supplement in the world and according to studies it has been proven to have several significant benefits for both the body and the human mind.
Ο turmeric Turmeric, is a golden yellow spice derived from the curcuma longa plant - a tropical shrub found mainly in India and Indonesia. In Arabic, the word kurkum, from which the Latin name of the plant comes, means saffron (crocus), while it is also widely known as Indian saffron or in Chinese yellow ginger.
Turmeric comes from the dry stalk of the plant. When it crumbles it forms a shiny, yellow powder also known as gold or yellow root. In the countries of the Middle East and Southeast Asia it has been a key ingredient in cooking for centuries.
Most of you may already know it, as it is one of the main ingredients of curry (20-30%), while in modern industry it is also used to give mustard its characteristic yellow color.
His presence in history and tradition
At India Turmeric is considered a sacred plant as it holds a prominent place in the healing and medical tradition and Ayurveda, due to its properties that "cleanse" the body. In fact, it is often used to treat fever, arthritis, inflammation and even digestive disorders and liver disease. It is also noteworthy that it is also used in Tibetan and Chinese traditional medicine.
The use of turmeric in ancient Greece was mainly for dyeing clothes in yellow, while in the Middle Ages dyes were mixed with deep blue to create a green tint.
According to scientific studies, turmeric is one of the most effective and beneficial nutritional supplements for the human body and mind worldwide.
The beneficial ingredients of turmeric
The Indians have known this for many centuries, however, science in recent years has begun to prove and confirm the healing properties of. The elements that give turmeric its medicinal properties are called curcuminoids, the most important of which is called curcumin. This substance is the most active and "responsible" for the important anti-inflammatory and antioxidant action of turmeric.
However, the curcumin content of turmeric is only 3%, which is why most studies (the number of published, in fact, exceeds 5.000) have been based on extracts containing mainly curcumin, exceeding 1 gram per day.
The intake of the body in such percentages of curcumin is unlikely to take place in the daily life of man, which is why it is recommended to consume dietary supplements which contain significant percentages of it. Although the latter is poorly absorbed from the bloodstream, the one that drastically multiplies the absorption of curcumin by the body by 2000% (!) Is piperine, an ingredient contained in black pepper.
The health benefits of turmeric
According to university studies, turmeric is one of the most powerful spices in the world, as it contains more than 300 ingredients, including phytochemicals with antibiotic properties, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant substances. More specifically, see below the beneficial effect of turmeric on the health of the human body:
- It has natural anti-inflammatory properties. These, as has been shown several times, have the same results as those of famous anti-inflammatory drugs. Their action is that curcumin fights inflammation at the molecular level, as it is a bioactive substance. Thus, it helps prevent heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's and other diseases.
- It strengthens the antioxidant capacity of the organization. In addition to the fact that curcumin can neutralize the body's free radicals (they are the substances that react to various organic substances such as proteins, fatty acids and DNA causing aging and the occurrence of many diseases) it also enhances the activity of antioxidant enzymes that human body has anyway on its own.
- Helps in its improved operation brain. The curcumin contained in turmeric can increase the levels of the hormone BDNF in the brain, the reduced content of which has been linked to various brain disorders such as Alzheimer's and depression.
How to include it in your daily routine
Due to its beneficial properties for the human body, in recent years it has starred in nutrition books, while it is also a key ingredient for healthy recipes with nutritionists recommending its consumption as supplement in food, where possible. So see how you can integrate it into your daily routine.
- Add turmeric to natural juices and smoothies with fresh fruits and vegetables.
- When cooking pasta or rice, add a little turmeric to the water.
- You can include it in any marinade and salad.
- When you feel sick or already sick in a hot cup of tea add half a teaspoon of turmeric and a teaspoon of honey. Preferably drink it hot.
- Helps treat acne and its scars, as well as discoloration, when mixed with a little lime juice and spread on the affected area.
- Prefer to buy whole root rather than powder, as the latter oxidizes more easily.