Turmeric- Curcuma longa
The everyday kitchen spice does more than spice up your food. Turmeric heals the body from the inside out, from inflammation, to skin care, to breaking blood clots. That’s right, you heard me. Turmeric is that good.
A steaming cup of turmeric milk, on a cold winter afternoon, is glorious. Used properly, turmeric goes will with everything.
What Make Turmeric Stand Out
This year, my grandma had a fall. Don’t worry she is fine because she broke her fall. However, she had a big blood clot in her upper right arm. This made me very nervous. So I took the day off, went to her house to make Golden Turmeric Milk. I made sure that she took one large cup of the milk. Plus when the milk ran out, I made second batch of the milk again. Three weeks later, there was a significant reduction of the swelling and the size of the blood clot.
So yes, turmeric is truly a golden herb that anyone can enjoy, in medicinal and culinary form.
Monograph
Botanical Name: Curcuma longa
Common Name: Haldi, Jiang Huang
Family Name: Zingiberaceae
Plant Parts Used: Fresh and dried root & rhizome
Constitution: Cold and Dry
Taste: Pungent
Key Actions: Cholagogue, anti-inflammatory, eases stomach pain, emmenagogue, aromatic stimulant, alterative, analgesic, antidiabetic, astringent, antiseptic, antioxidant, antibacterial, anticoagulant, anticholesterol, nutritive, antifungal, anticancer, dermal
Plant Preparations: Decoction, infusion, powder, poultice, tincture
Cautionary Pearls: Turmeric occasionally causes skin rashes. Those taking turmeric medicinally should avoid overexposure to the sun since the herb can increase sensitivity to sunlight.
Self-Help Uses: Culinary: As yellow coloring un curries, with rice and grains; in garam masala, and in lentil dishes. Medical: Athlete’s foot, arthritis, shoulder pain, menstrual cramps & irregularities, colic, nausea & motion sickness, gastritis & acidity, gallstones, hepatitis, digestion & assimilation, stomach protection through mucus production, eczema, psoriasis, bruises & injuries (externally), asthma, blood clots, high cholesterol, stroke, heart attacks, diabetes
Related Species: Turmeric is related to the ginger family Zingiberaceae, which is native to tropical South Asia.
References (Books/Author/Page):
- Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine/Andrew Chevallier/Pg. 92
- The New Age Herbalist/Richard Mabey/Pg. 128
- The Way of Herbs/Michael Tierra/Pg. 200-201
- Turmeric, the Golden Spice, From Traditional Medicine to Modern Medicine. Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects. 2nd edition by Sahdeo Prasad and Bharat B. Aggarwal. CRC Press/Taylor & Francis; 2011. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92752/
Pertinent Information
Turmeric improves the action of the liver and is a traditional remedy for jaundice in both Ayurvedic and Chinese herbal medicine. It is also an ancient herb for digestive problems such as gastritis and acidity, helping to increase mucus production and protect the stomach. The herb also alleviates nausea.
Plus, due to it hormone regulating ability, turmeric is useful in helping to lower blood sugar for the treatment of diabetes.
Turmeric is anti-inflammatory action makes it useful for arthritis, and other inflammatory conditions such as asthma and eczema. Because turmeric has anti-inflammatory, blood-thinning, and cholesterol-lowering properties, turmeric is resourceful in reducing the risk of strokes and heart attacks.
Due to its blood circulatory and anti-inflammatory properties, turmeric is useful for the treatment of bruises and injuries. In Chinese medicine, turmeric is used to treat shoulder pain, menstrual cramps and colic.
Turmeric is a valuable remedy for skin conditions. Applied to the skin, turmeric is useful in treating a number of conditions including psoriasis and anti-fungal infections such as athlete’s foot.
In a culinary sense, turmeric is widely used both as coloring and flavoring agent in a variety of foods.
RESEARCH
New interest in turmeric: Despite longstanding use in India and China, the therapeutic actions of turmeric were not researched until recent decades when there was an upsurge of interest in foods and medicine that lower cholesterol levels or have antioxidant properties (neutralize harmful free radicals). Research since the early 1070s, mainly in India, has confirmed turmeric’s traditional actions and revealed potential new uses for it.
Anti-inflammatory: Turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory. It has a stronger action than hydrocortisone, according to research studies conducted between 1971 and 1991.
Curcumin: When applied to the skin and exposed to sunlight, turmeric is strongly antibacterial. Curcumin is the constituent responsible for this action. Curcumin is also more strongly antioxidant than vitamin E.
Cholesterol: Chinese clinical trials in 1987 indicate that turmeric lowers cholesterol levels.
Cancer: Turmeric may be a valuable preventive remedy for those at risk of developing cancer. But more research is needed.
Other actions: Research has shown that turmeric has an anticoagulant action, keeping the blood thin. It also increases bile production and flow and has a protective action on the stomach and liver.
References (Books/Author/Page):
- Turmeric, the Golden Spice, From Traditional Medicine to Modern Medicine. Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects. 2nd edition by Sahdeo Prasad and Bharat B. Aggarwal. CRC Press/Taylor & Francis; 2011. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92752/