The Wonders of Turmeric!

Turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties, important anti-oxidants and anti-depressants.

First a quick note about the plant itself.

Her name is Curcuma longa; it is a perennial that belongs to the Zingiberaceae family, so the same family as ginger, which is interesting, because we will find some common properties such as the anti-inflammatory aspect.

Turmeric is native to Asia. Today India is the world’s largest producer and exporter of rhizomes. Turmeric is also produced in Indonesia, in China, in Bangladesh, etc.

It is a very popular spice in India for both medicine and cooking. You probably know that this is one of the main spices that go into making curry.

Turmeric has truly established itself as a major herbal medicine due to its ability to decrease inflammation, wherever the inflammation is.

The constituents of turmeric even manage to go to places where few substances manage to penetrate, in the brain environment, for example. This environment is protected by the blood-brain barrier which allows very little to pass.

Another important property of turmeric is that it protects our cells against radiation: it reduces damage to chromosomes. In some animal studies, it also blocks the development of cancer caused by radiation.

Furthermore, turmeric is believed to protect healthy cells and make cancer cells more sensitive to radiation therapy.

These properties, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant in particular, make turmeric a major plant for the prevention of degenerative diseases such as:

• Chronic inflammatory diseases (arthritis and company)
• Cardiovascular illnesses
• Neurodegenerative diseases (ex. alzheimer’s)
• Cancer

Precautions for turmeric

• If you have any digestive inflammation, do not add pepper in your mixture. You will make the situation worse. And take it easy with the ginger too;
• Turmeric is contraindicated for you if you have biliary obstruction problems;
• Turmeric may interact with anticoagulant therapy; pay attention.

In what form to take turmeric

(1) First you have the fresh forms, that is to say, the fresh rhizome that you find in organic stores. You can grate it and add it to the food or mash it.

(2) You have the dry powdered dry form of rhizome. This is the orange powder you know well, the most classic type.

(3) You have liquid forms, often alcoholic maceration of the rhizomes.

(4) Then you have products that are standardized in curcuminoids. They are usually capsules, which generally guarantee 95% of curcuminoids in the product. What exactly are curcuminoids? It is a family of active components in turmeric and curcumin is one of them. According to studies on this subject, curcuminoids are powerfully anti-inflammatory. But there are also the other components, that probably have a role to play also. Ayurvedic medicine experts tell us they have used the simple form of turmeric for millennia and it works great.

• So, in powdered form, which is cheaper than capsules, and if mixed with a little black pepper (activates absorption) and fat (like olive oil), this makes it very efficient. If you prefer capsules, it is sold already mixed with a little black pepper. The fresh rhizome is very effective but less concentrated because it is composed of 80% water. So, it is an effective preventative. If larger doses are required, for example in chronic problems, it would take a lot. So better to use powder or capsules for acute inflammation.

DOSAGE

HOW LONG SHOULD YOU TAKE IT?

For chronic problems, you must take turmeric over the long term. After several weeks, when the inflammation drops, sometimes you can take a break and resume if you see the inflammation coming back. But on the whole, we talk about taking it every day.

Here is a list of problems caused by inflammation that Turmeric helps calm or prevent.

(This is only for prevention and improvement of well-being, and does not replace medical follow-ups or treatments.)

• Inflammation or ulceration of the digestive mucous membranes
• Chronic aphthosis (canker sores in the mouth) as a local application
• Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, ankylosing spondylitis, tendonitis, lumbago, etc…(Turmeric may not make the pain go away, but it will help you manage it better.)
• Oesophagite, i.e. inflammation of the esophagus, what can happen when you suffer from gastric reflux.
• Gastric or duodenal ulcer
• Ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease
• Nervous breakdown
• Loss of cognitive abilities in the elderly (brain inflammation) among others, Alzheimer’s disease.
• Hepatitis and cirrhosis (Turmeric is a great protector of the liver).
• Excess cholesterol and triglycerides.
• Turmeric also has a protective effect on all of the purification and elimination organs (liver, kidneys, intestines, lungs, skin).
• Cardiovascular illnesses. For declared vascular disorders, it can also be very useful (watch out for interactions with anticoagulants).
• Endometriosis
• Inflammation caused by diabetes.

ALL OF THESE ARE MORE OR LESS MAJOR PROBLEMS DUE TO INFLAMMATION. CURCUMA CAN HELP CALM OR EVEN PREVENT THEM. It does not replace medical treatment when the situation is serious. It helps as an adjunct to established medical treatments.

Conclusion: As A prevention and anti-inflammatory, turmeric is a very valuable asset!