TURMERIC – THE WONDER SPICE DRUG

 

Turmeric of haldi is the spice that gives the Indian curry its yellow color. The golden powder, the root yields has been in use for thousands of years in South Asia as a dye, spice and also in traditional medicine. Recently, science has started to back up traditional claims that turmeric contains compounds with medicinal properties. It has curcumin and is helpful at fighting off a variety of viruses, including herpes and the flu. It is also packed with anti-inflammatory properties. It is particularly useful in boosting digestion and is a proven antioxidant.

 

Turmeric is an ancient spice used in Indian cooking. Besides adding wonderful aroma, color, and flavor to curry stews, turmeric offers a host of health benefits that make it a veritable super-food. But curries aren’t the only way to ingest turmeric. Turmeric-based drinks are becoming more and more popular among health-conscious people, and the hottest thing right now is golden milk, a warm turmeric-based beverage that is both delicious and good for health.

 

Of late, in the aftermath of the post Dengue and post Chikungunya joint pains, which have crippled many, it is the anti viral and anti inflammatory properties of Curcumin that has seen its popularity soar among the sufferers. The ‘golden milk’ is finding favour of many today. During the COVID pandemic turmeric was used to make the karha and I have discussed that in great details in my blog: https://surajitbrainwaves.blogspot.com/2020/07/kadha-my-grand-mas-magic-potion.html

 

 

Golden Milk

Ingredients for two servings:

• 1 cup milk (for a vegan option, use ½ cup coconut milk and ½ cup almond milk, instead)
• 1 tsp turmeric
• A pinch of ginger powder
• A pinch of black pepper
• ¼ tsp cinnamon powder (or a single cinnamon stick)
• 1 tsp honey

Add all of the ingredients in a saucepan whisk and simmer for roughly 15 minutes, occasionally stirring, taking care not to bring to a boil. It’s as easy as that. For a cold, more refreshing turmeric beverage, turmeric lemonade is another alternative.

 

Benefits of Golden Milk

1. A major component of turmeric that gives it its distinctive golden color is the pigment curcumin, Curcumin is a potent antioxidant that can neutralize free radicals due to its chemical structure. Antioxidants help fight cell damage due to oxidative stress which results in aging, DNA mutations, and formation of tumors. Oxidative damage is believed to be one of the mechanisms behind aging and many diseases. It involves free radicals, highly reactive molecules with unpaired electrons. Free radicals tend to react with important organic substances, such as fatty acids, proteins, or DNA. The main reason antioxidants are so beneficial is that they protect your body from free radicals.
2. Curcumin is also a potent anti-inflammatory agent, as is ginger which is another of the golden milk ingredients. Chronic inflammation is believed to play a big part in several chronic diseases, including arthritis, Alzheimer’s, inflammatory bowel syndrome, cancer, and heart disease. Ingestion of golden milk could thus reduce joint pain caused by osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis as well as Dengue and Chikungunya.
3. Turmeric stimulates bile production, which aids in digestion, waste removal and the effective digestion and absorption of fats. Curcumin may prevent the formation of ulcers in people suffering from ulcerative colitis, one of the major types of inflammatory bowel disease.
4. Curcumin ingestion has been shown to increase levels of a certain protein in our brain called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (or BDNF for short) which fills an important protective role in brain function. Conversely, reduced BDNF levels have been associated with impaired cognitive function, memory loss, depression, and schizophrenia. So Curcumin is being tried to treat all these illnesses as well.
5. Curcumin may also have some anti-cancer properties. Beyond battling oxidative stress and preempting tumor formation, curcumin has been found to have a more active effect on existing cancer. Test-tube studies have shown that the active ingredient in turmeric can actually kill cancer cells. That being said, the evidence is as yet inconclusive about whether the effect can be replicated in vivo. Curcumin reduces angiogenesis i.e. formation of new blood vessels, vital to the spread of cancer.
6. The main benefit of curcumin when it comes to heart disease is improving the function of the endothelium, the lining of our blood vessels. The endothelial dysfunction is a major driver of heart disease. This is when our endothelium is unable to regulate blood pressure, blood clotting, and various other factors. The anti-inflammatory role of curcumin can play a role in prevention of heart disease.
7. Curcumin has proven anti-aging properties. Given that oxidation and inflammation are believed to play a role in aging, curcumin may have effects that go way beyond just preventing disease! Applied locally the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant characteristics provide glow and lustre to the skin. Turmeric revives the skin by bringing out its natural glow!
8. Curcumin is used to cure many skin diseases as psoriasis, scabies, eczema, alopecia and lichen planus.

 

Bio absorption of Curcumin

Curcumin is poorly absorbed into the bloodstream from our gut. In order to experience the full effects of curcumin, its bio-availability (the rate at which your body absorbs a substance) needs to improve. It helps to consume it with black pepper, which contains piperine. Piperine is a natural substance that enhances the absorption of curcumin by 2,000%. In fact, the best curcumin supplements contain piperine, and this makes them substantially more effective.

Curcumin is also fat soluble, which means it breaks down and dissolves in fat or oil. That’s why it may be a good idea to take curcumin supplements with a meal that’s high in fat.

 

 

Ancient Indian medicines documented in Ayurveda have been with us for centuries and health benefits of turmeric or curcumin have been well documented in Ayurveda. It is a pity that we are waking up to this priceless nugget only after scientists in the West have started filing patents on medicinal herbs which our ancestors knew, used and documented centuries ago!