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Turmeric

Turmeric is known as the golden spice.

Thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties, turmeric really has earned itself the title as the golden spice. It has a beautiful rich, golden yellow color with a strong fragrance. It has been used for centuries for both flavor and color.

Turmeric has also been traditionally used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years in India. Commonly referred to as a nutrition supplement due to its many benefits, the curcuminoids present in turmeric (particularly curcumin) are responsible for a number of amazing health benefits.

Health Benefits of Turmeric:

The spotlight is on curcumin here. Curcumin in the main component found in turmeric that is responsible for the well-known medicinal benefits and properties. Turmeric and curcumin have been studied for their involvement in improving IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease), symptoms of Crohn’s disease, immune health, rheumatoid arthritis and cystic fibrosis.

Curcumin also inhibits cancer cell growth and has been shown to help prevent colon cancer, pancreatic cancer, tumor growth, and even prostate cancer when teamed up with our friend the cauliflower. It can help reduce the risk of childhood leukemia and also improve liver function. Turmeric has also been associated with the prevention of diabetes, cardiovascular complications and Alzheimer’s disease.

As with most studies, active compounds and components of food are studied in large doses, so how do we make this applicable to our daily lives? Most of the research studies use anywhere from 1-7g of curcumin to test, which would be a lot of turmeric to eat (especially when pure turmeric is comprised of about 3.14% by weight of curcumin). Therefore supplementing with curcumin is a great way to reap these benefits as well!

How To Use:

Turmeric can be used as a seasoning in curries, on roasted vegetables, sweet potatoes, hummus or even in broths or soups. It’s great when mixed with milk to create turmeric milk, and it’s also an awesome natural dye.

Recipes:

Turmeric Milk

Turmeric Tea

Turmeric Persimmon Porridge

Turmeric Rice

NS Recommends:

Always be careful when using turmeric! It can stain your clothes, hands, and even countertops.