Asian Spice - Turmeric - Turmeric Health Benefits

Turmeric is an Asian spice grown mainly for its rhizomes. Apart from the culinary uses of Turmeric, Turmeric health benefits are numerous, making this Asian spice one of the World’s healthiest foods.

Turmeric, Curcuma longa, is a perennial plant grown throughout Asia with India the largest producer. Turmeric can be used fresh, grated like Ginger, or, more commonly, the rhizomes are boiled in water for several hours, oven dried and ground into a fine powder. Turmeric has a warm peppery slightly bitter taste and is used in many curries and curry powders.

Turmeric is also used as a colouring agent. In ancient times Turmeric was used as a dye and frequently used to colour Monk’s robes. It is still used as a dye today in some Asian countries. Turmeric is commonly used also to give the colour to commercial mustards, cheeses, margarines as well as many other foods. Turmeric used to be known as Indian Saffron because its colouring properties were similar to but much cheaper to use than saffron.

The orange pigment in Turmeric is called Curcumin and it is this Curcumin which produces the Turmeric health benefits.

Turmeric is a very potent anti-inflammatory agent and unlike many of the anti-inflammatory drugs available, Turmeric does not produce any toxidity.
Turmeric is used as an anti-septic and also has anti-bacterial properties and is used in some Asian countries to treat flatulence, toothache, menstrual pain, Jaundice and Colic. Turmeric is also useful as a digestive stimulant and as an antidote for Cobra snake bites.

Curcumin has been proven to be a strong anti-oxidant, neutralizing free radicals, and can therefore help to relieve the pain in Rheumatoid Arthritis. The frequent use of Turmeric may help to prevent some cancers. Studies have shown that people who consume Turmeric regularly have been found to have lower rates of Breast, Colon, Lung and Prostate cancers.

Note:
There is a different species, Curcuma mangga. which is known as White Turmeric.