Turmeric Late

The turmeric late recipe below is a simple, CHEAP, and tasty way to get some of this amazing herb into your body.  It keeps for ages in the fridge, so make extra large batches so its easy to reheat each day.

Turmeric – What is it, and what is it good for?

By now we’re all quite familiar with the bright yellow spice called Turmeric, which is a large part of Indian cuisine. It belongs to the Ginger (Zingiberaceae) family, and was originally used as a dye to color the robes of Hindu priests before it found use in cooking.  The yellow color comes from the component Curcumin, which has many therapeutic effects.  Some of these include

Anti-inflammatory

Due to its anti-inflammatory effects, Curcumin has shown promise in many chronic disorders such as arthritis, ulcerative colitis, allergies, arteriosclerosis (heart disease), respiratory disorders, liver injury, pancreatic disease, intestinal disorders, eye diseases, neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, and various cancers.[1],[2]

Antioxidant

The antioxidant effects of Curcumin are 10-fold more potent than ascorbic acid or resveratrol.[3]  This may be due to the ability of Curcumin to enhance glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and catalase (CAT), which support super oxide dismutase (SOD) function.

Antispasmodic

Turmeric relaxes smooth muscle.[4]  These include blood vessels, the stomach, intestines, gallbladder, urinary bladder, and airways of the lungs.

Reduces cholesterol

Turmeric and Curcumin have been seen to stimulate the contraction of the gall bladder to promote healthy bile flow.[5] It also encourages the conversion of cholesterol into bile acids, so can reduce high cholesterol.

Diabetes

High glucose levels can cause oxidation of fats in the body, which then cause free radical damage in diabetics.  Curcumin prevents this oxidation, and has been seen to improve diabetic nephropathy,[6] and also retinopathy, associated with diabetes.[7]

The Benefits are endless ……

There are countless studies about the positive effects of turmeric and Curcumin.  Some others indicate antifungal, anti-parasitic, anti-malaria, and anti-giardia effects.  It is useful for inflammatory bowel disease, peptic ulcers, wound healing, anti-cancer activity, psoriasis, and many more conditions.

You will find Curcumin supplements on the shelf of every health shop, and they will all offer a different delivery method, or nutrient combination, and they often list the active ingredients in different ways.  So it’s often really hard to compare which supplement is the best. .

I have an idea….. What about the actual food!  Crazy, I know…

Curcumin isn’t absorbed well by the body, but adding black pepper, which contains piperine, can increase the absorption considerably.  This study shows that adding 20mg of piperine to 2mg of Curcumin increases the bioavailability by 2000%![8] 

Looking for holistic specialist adelaide? Contact Elemental Health and Nutrition to Serve you.

[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17569205/

[2] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16387899/

[3] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11745031/

[4] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15850601/

[5] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10102956/

[6] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0963996904001826

[7] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17437639/