Turmeric

Turmeric is a part of the root of the plant Curcuma longa which has a deep orange colored flesh with a brown skin. Turmeric is very famous for giving its natural bright yellow color and a peppery flavor to the curries. Besides its been used traditionally as a home remedy for various ailments and called as Indian saffron because of its vibrant yellow color which it imparts to the food. It is also used to replace artificial colors in the textile dye.

Health and turmeric

Turmeric is been used traditionally in Chinese medicine and Indian medicine as an anti inflammatory agent to treat a list of medical conditions like jaundice, bloody urine, hemorrhage, flatulence, toothache, menstrual problems chest pain, colic and bruises.

1. The volatile oils along with the active component of turmeric that is curcumin have strong anti-inflammatory effects and help to treat inflammatory conditions without any potent side effects like other anti-inflammatory drugs.
2. The yellow-orange pigment curcumin from turmeric is a very effective and economical treatment for inflammatory bowel disease that include ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Many researchers believe that these effects are not only due to the antioxidant property of curcumin, but also due to their ability to inhibit cellular inflammatory agent kappa-B.
   
   
   The flavor of turmeric can also be enjoyed more, as curcumin is found to be safe even at large doses and is very effective in concentrations as low as 0.25 %.
3. Besides having anti-inflammatory properties, studies prove that curcumin is also a potent antioxidant. Thus it helps to neutralize the circulating free radicals in the body that are capable of damaging the healthy cells and cell membranes.
   
   
   Both the properties together that are the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties help to relieve inflammatory conditions like asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, join pain and joint inflammation.
4. Curcumin also helps to correct the common expression of the genetic defect which is responsible for cystic fibrosis.
5. The cell turnover in the colon is quiet rapid; almost every 3 days.
   
   
   Any mutations in the DNA of the colon can result in cancerous cell formation and can lead to colon cancer. Circumin acts as an antioxidant and prevents the free radical damage to the DNA and also helps to destroy already mutated cancer cells. Thus the cancerous cells can not further spread thereby inhibiting the tumor growth. Many studies show that frequent use of turmeric powder is related to lower incidences of lung, breast, prostate and colon cancer.
6. Including foods that are spiced with turmeric also helps to lower the risk of getting childhood leukemia, improves the ability of liver to detoxify harsh chemicals from the body, helps lower cholesterol and provides cardiovascular protection to the body.
7. Curcumin the active component in turmeric may also pass the blood brain barrier and may help to prevent Alzheimer’s disease.