Turmeric
- Brigitte Lotriet
- Jul 19, 2016
- 2 min read
This winter in the Ballito/Salt Rock and Sheffield area we have seen quite a flu epidemic. It was even dubbed the ‘boomerang flu’ as just when sufferers seemed to be getting better it came back around for another even more bed rendering round. Myself and my husband have both had a few rounds due to our working environments - GP practice and Sales and we began to seek out effective natural remedies apposed to more pharmaceuticals when round 3 hit us.
In this search I made a new friend in Turmeric. The ‘Indian saffron’ condiment has been on my radar of late as it has gained more and more hype in the ‘super food’ world. So I thought what a good time to try it out. Happily I report it lived up to its hype for us!
Turmeric comes from the root of the Curcuma long plant. It is a well used herb in many Asian and Eastern dishes and boasts an interesting peppery, warm and bitter taste with an aroma like ginger and orange. Turmeric is an excellent source of both iron and manganese. It is also a good source of vitamin B6, dietary fibre, and potassium.
Turmeric is a very potent anti-inflammatory and is comparable to drugs like hydrocortisone and phenylbutazone but without any of the toxicity / side effects these pharmaceuticals can induce (ie: ulcers, intestinal bleeding and decreased white blood cell counts). The Chinese have long used Turmeric for treating various conditions including: jaundice, chest pain, bruising, toothache, menstrual difficulties and colic (take note moms). Turmeric or Curcumin (the biologically active constituent of Turmeric) can also aid in treating inflammatory bowel disease, provide relief for Rheumatoid Arthritis and has shown positive results in helping those with Cystic Fibrosis and helps women who suffer from pain during menstruation. It has even been used in breast, prostate, lung and colon cancer studies that showed Curcumin acts to ‘turn the genes off’ that cause these cancers. Turmeric has also been researched to aid in lowering Cholesterol and therefore also protect cardiovascular health through helping your liver clear LDL - Cholesterol. This bright yellow powder is even being linked to protection against Alzheimer’s/neurodegenerative diseases.
Buying and Using Tips:
Just like with other dried spices, try to select organically grown turmeric since this will give you more assurance that the herb has not been irradiated. Spice up your dip options by adding plain yoghurt, a little omega-3-rich mayonnaise and turmeric with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with raw cauliflower, celery, sweet pepper, sugar snap peas and broccoli florets.
Be sure to choose turmeric over prepared curry blends as these are proven to contain less Curcumin than plain Turmeric.
A Doctored Hot Toddy Recipe:
Juice of 1 lemon
1-2tsps Turmeric
1tsp Nutmeg
1tbsp Honey
1 small Ginger finger - grated (optional)
Hot Water
Make a ‘paste’ of sorts with the Turmeric, nutmeg, ginger and honey.
Add the lemon juice and then the hot water.
It has quiet a strong taste but try and drink a full mug of this, adding that amount of water allows for the lemon juice to be more diluted as well as consuming more liquids while ill.
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