Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, you’ve likely heard at least a little bit about turmeric.
It’s that bright orange spice that folks in India have been cooking with, and using as a medicine, for millennia.
nly recently have Americans begun to seek out this root for its incredible healing properties. And there are reported to be many.
But are they accurate?
The answer is almost certainly, yes.
Turmeric shows promising effects on a host of diseases, including cancer, heart disease, arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and diabetes, just to name a few. So the research is just beginning to catch up to the anecdotal evidence.
Turmeric contains curcumin, which is one of the best anti-inflammatory substances on Earth.
We know that oxidative stress and inflammation are involved in the onset and development of most diseases.
Curcumin works within the cells and targets molecular pathways to keep stress and inflammation under control. When it’s mixed with a little bit of black pepper, these properties are enhanced.
Many supplement-makers add a bit of black pepper to their turmeric or an alkaloid found in black pepper called piperine.
It’s pretty easy now to find this cousin of ginger in most supermarkets or health food stores. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Try adding turmeric as a spice to your food. It’s often used in curry dishes, and it tastes great with chicken, seafood, and veggies.
- Consider using turmeric to replace salt. It can help lower inflammation, blood pressure, and your weight.
- Check with your doctor. Piperine can sometimes have adverse effects on drugs prescribed for seizures, high blood pressure, angina and bipolar disorder.
- Do your research. New studies are coming out on turmeric all the time, and they’re needed to fully understand the range of this versatile plant.
QUESTION: If this is such a potentially important spice, why haven’t there been more studies done on its efficacy?
That’s a great question. The answer probably has something to do with the fact that drug companies haven’t been able to cash in on turmeric. There has been sporadic research over the years, but we need more studies on humans. If half of the beneficial claims are true, it’s not a bad idea for all of us to integrate more turmeric into our diets.
