Did you know that the humble turmeric powder in your kitchen has miraculous medicinal properties? Unknowingly, we use the power of turmeric when we consume it as part of our diet. In Asian countries, turmeric is an important ingredient of almost all vegetables and curries. However, most of those who use turmeric or turmeric supplement, hardly realize the importance or health benefits of turmeric or its compound, circumin, which is actually the main compound in turmeric that works wonders for many ailments. We’ll also talk about curcumin supplements that we often recommend for various health conditions and overall well-being.
Is raw turmeric or ground turmeric good for you?
If you think that it is just for adding colour to curries and other food items, then think again or read on. Though it is true that it adds colour to food, there are many other advantages and health benefits of turmeric.
Well, turmeric or Curcuma longa is a rhizhomatous flowering plant, which basically means a creeping rootstalk. You can read more about it on Wikipedia. Here we’ll focus on how to use it and its health benefits.
How to use turmeric effectively for health benefits
Try some of the best Turmeric Tea
Turmeric to stop shivering immediately
If you or any of your loved ones is shivering, then a little turmeric may help. Though, its efficacy is dependent on the exact health condition of the patient, there is no harm in trying this home remedy that uses the power of hot turmeric.
Take one to two spoonful of ground turmeric and add it to hot mustard oil to make a fine paste using a spoon or ladle. Once you prepare the paste, apply it on both soles of the patient. Take care that the warmth of the paste is not lost and it remains bearable for the patient. However, the hotter it is, the faster will be the effect as long as the patient can bear the warmth. Also make sure that the rest of the body of the patient is covered with warm clothes or a blanket.
You will notice the effect within minutes of applying this hot turmeric and mustard oil paste. The shivering will disappear and the patient will feel relaxed.
Turmeric for sprain or muscle pain
There are various types of quick sprain relievers on the market which may or may not work. Or their effect may not last long. Why not use turmeric and its pain-absorbing power to relieve sprain? Here again, the paste is still the same i.e. turmeric powder in hot mustard oil, but you also have to add some salt to it. So the paste contains turmeric and salt mixed in hot mustard oil. This should be applied onto the sprained area usually ankles, knees and other joints.
Turmeric reduces pain overnight
After applying the paste, you should bandage the area with any light cotton cloth. Here, the trick is to ensure that bandage holds the paste at its place and is not too thick to allow air in the affected area. Sleep after applying the paste and let the sprained area heal naturally. Usually, if you apply this whilst going to sleep, more than 50% of pain will vanish by next morning. You can repeat the process next day for faster effect.
However, the downside of this remedy is that your bed sheet may be stained by the yellow colour of turmeric as the bandage should be as light as possible. You can cover the small area of your bed sheet by waste paper or something else to prevent spoiling of your bed sheet.
Turmeric is used as dye for fabrics
It will not be out of context to mention that it is because of its strong staining power that turmeric is also used as a dye for fabrics. In fact, using turmeric for dyeing the clothes of priests for various religious rituals, is a standard practice in India. You can also find spicy tie-dyed clothes on the market.
Turmeric for cold and cough
If you don’t like milk, then this may not work for you. In fact, even if you like milk, you may have difficulty in drinking a glass of hot milk with half teaspoonful of turmeric powder. As the taste of turmeric is slightly bitter, turmeric milk may not be tasty. Remember, you are using it as a home remedy for cold and cough and not for taste. You can add some sugar to it, but that may reduce the efficacy of the whole formula. We recommend adding sugar for children as they may throw up without it, but adults should use the formula without sugar.
You can use a glass of turmeric milk everyday whilst going to bed. You will notice the overall effect of this habit in the form of enhanced immunity, high energy levels and less frequent cold and cough. In India, growing children in many families drink a glass of turmeric milk every day as part of their diet.
Turmeric tea or longevity tea
Though not directly effective for any specific ailment, turmeric tea is often considered to be highly useful for longevity . People In Okinawa, the Japanese island have the longest life spans. Apart from many healthy habits that Japanese have, drinking turmeric tea daily is also one of the secrets of their long life.
Boil 2-3 cups of water, add a teaspoon of finely ground turmeric and let the mixture simmer for 10-15 minutes. You can add ginger or honey to taste. There are many other variations of it. Please take a look at 10 things about making turmeric latte.
Turmeric-a natural moisturizer
In olden days, when there were no moisturisers or face creams, people relied heavily on turmeric for its skin glowing or moisturising capabilities. This brings me back to many Indian religious festivals, especially Hindu marriages wherein turmeric paste (fresh cream+ turmeric) is used to bring back the natural glow of bride’s face and overall body. Essentially turmeric cleanses the skin thoroughly and leaves a slightly yellowish tinge on the skin making it appear smoother and brighter. You can also added it to many moisturisers to achieve that perfect glow. However, you must try it on a small area of your skin first before applying it on your whole face.
Turmeric can be effective for tooth ailments
As turmeric has remarkable anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, it can also be highly effective in treating certain tooth ailments. As per a study, it was found that curcumin gel with Endoflas can decrease inter-radicular radiolucency. Read the full report.
Does cooking turmeric rob it of its medicinal properties?
Not really if you do not overcook it.
Indian cooking style usually involves cooking at high temperatures, boiling or stir frying for long durations. Boiling or cooking turmeric for long durations can indeed result in loss of curcumin compound, which is the main compound that gives turmeric its real medicinal properties. Approximately 27-50 percent of this compound is lost if you cook turmeric for more than 10 minutes. However, if you add any souring agent, which is quite popular in Indian cooking, the loss of curcumin comes down to 12-30 percent.
Here is the catch, if you cook turmeric for short durations, i.e. less than 10 minutes, then you are actually enhancing its absorption capability, which is recommended if you want to enjoy its benefits . Read more.
Is eating raw turmeric the best way to use it?
Well, you cannot eat raw turmeric except in certain forms such as mixing the powder in hot milk or sprinkling it on salads, if you wish. However, this may not be the best way for you to enjoy the health benefits of turmeric if you do not like milk or salad. You’ll need to be slightly creative if you want to ensure that you do not compromise on the taste of your food or drink, by adding turmeric to it. Indian housewives are good at it. Read about how you can use turmeric whilst cooking.
Are curcumin and turmeric same? Which one is beneficial?
This is really an important question. And the answer is simple. Raw turmeric contains 3 curcuminoids ; curcumin, demethoxycircumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin. Out of these 3, curcumin is the most important and active one, which is mainly responsible for all health benefits of turmeric that we are discussing right now. This is a powerful anti-oxidant with anti-inflammatory properties. It has been found that in India, very low rate of Alzheimer’s disease is because of regular consumption of turmeric in almost every cooked food. Read more.
Black pepper extract
Another important finding is that turmeric or curcumin does not get absorbed fully without piperine. It is an essential component of black pepper. If you buy any curcumin supplement, then make sure that it contains black pepper extracts, as the presence of piperine increases the absorption of curcumin by up to 2000%. Also, it is fat soluble, which makes it suitable for mixing with fatty meals. Maybe this is one of the reasons that makes turmeric milk highly beneficial for health.
Curcumin health benefits
- Improved brain functions
- Beneficial effects on many factors that cause heart diseases
- Curcumin helps reduce the growth of cancerous cells
- Research suggests that it can prevent cancer to some extent
- Effective in treating the symptoms of arthritis and joint pain related issues
- Can prevent Alzeheimer’s disease
- Can alleviate the sysmptoms of arthritis
- And more
The list goes on. The bottom line is that if we can include turmeric in our diet or start using it in cooking, we can gain many health benefits. Read about turmeric health benefits and how it helps in fighting diseases and chronic conditions.
Curcumin dosage
This brings us to another question as to how much turmeric or curcumin we should consume on a daily basis. As mentioned above that turmeric usually contains only 3-8% of curcumin, you may need to consume large quantities of this herb, which is neither possible nor recommended. On average, an Indian diet contains 2000 to 2500 mg turmeric, which means around 50-100 mg of curcumin you normally consume on a daily basis.
What dose of curcumin you’d require, can be determined only by a physician depending on your exact health condition. Usually those with high cholesterol require slightly higher dosage than those suffering from arthritis for similar bone and joint related issues. 500- 1000 mg of turmeric can be effective for most health issues.
Side-effects of turmeric in high dosages
As they say, excess of anything is harmful, the same goes for high dosage for turmeric as well. There are a few health conditions for which turmeric may have some side-effects.
- People with gallbladder related issues should not take turmeric in high dosages as this may worsen their condition.
- Not advisable during pregnancy or breastfeeding- There are no enough evidence to suggest that turmeric is safe for breastfeeding or pregnant women. It is safer to avoid turmeric supplements during these phases.
- Diabetics or those suffering from blood sugar related issues should avoid using curcumin supplements.
- Kidney disorders often worsen due to extra consumption of turmeric or its supplements.
Which turmeric supplement is the best?
Well, it depends upon your health condition and your regular diet. If you are suffering from inflammatory disorders, lack of focus or various sleep related issues, then taking a good blend of turmeric and curcumin can be effective. Turmeric w/BioPerine is one such supplement that promises great results. As the name suggests, it contains perine or black pepper extract, which allows faster absorption and better results.
What’s more, there are many buy-one and get-one or more offers. You can choose from a variety of packages to suit your budget. Additionally, you do not need to sign up any auto-ship program. However, if you want it shipped on a regular basis, they have many offers for you. Please check their current offers .
Caution
Though turmeric in safe in general, we advise that you consult your physician if you are on some medication to avoid any interference with the effect of your ongoing medicines.
Last but not the least, I’d like to say that nature has provided us with many herbs, plants and flowers that have immense healing potential, and turmeric is just one of them. We use this everyday without realising its health benefits. This article is based on my personal experience, especially about cold and cough and sprain healing effects. As a sports, yoga and gym enthusiast, I’d often sprain my ankles during my school days and I always used turmeric, salt and mustard oil paste for overnight treatment of sprains instead of using OTC ointments or sprays, which were not available so easily anyway during my childhood days.
You may also be interested in The Lost Book of Remedies which tells you a lot about the hidden and forgotten power of plants that are already provided by nature. Only we tend to forget there health benefits or remain unaware of them.