Turmeric

Turmeric is a flowering plant, Curcuma longa, and is in the same family as ginger, Zingiberaceae, the roots used in cooking. The plant is native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Turmeric has been used in Asia for thousands of years and is a major part of Ayurveda, Siddha medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, Unani, and the Austronesian people. It was first used as a dye and later used in traditional medicine and has evolved to the West to be in wellness shots, packaged products, and various dietary supplements.

Turmeric contains compounds with medicinal properties. These compounds are called curcuminoids, the most important of which is curcumin. Curcumin is the main active ingredient in turmeric. It has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a powerful antioxidant. However, the curcumin content of turmeric is not that high. It’s around 3%, by weight. (1) Most of the studies use turmeric extracts that contain mostly curcumin itself, with dosages usually exceeding 1 gram per day. It would be challenging to reach these levels just using the turmeric spice in your foods. Curcumin is poorly absorbed into the bloodstream; it is beneficial to consume black pepper with it, which contains piperine, a natural substance that enhances curcumin absorption by 2,000%. Curcumin is fat-soluble, so it is best to incorporate fat when consuming Turmeric. (2)

Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compound; it is a bioactive substance that fights inflammation at the molecular level. Its antioxidant properties can neutralize free radicals due to its chemical structure. (3) It has been studied as a beneficial herb in cancer treatment and has been found to affect cancer growth, development, and spread at the molecular level. (4) Studies have shown that curcumin can contribute to cancerous cells’ death and reduce new blood vessels’ growth in tumors and metastasis. Multiple studies indicate that curcumin can reduce cancerous cells’ growth in the laboratory and inhibit tumor growth in test animals (5)(6).

Efforts have been made to develop curcumin products with increased bioavailability, and many modified products are already on the market. Improving bioavailability might lead to increases in harmful effects as well as desirable ones. (7)

I find turmeric very easy to add to my daily life. I like to make curry paste with fresh turmeric, freeze it and have it on hand when the hunger strikes. I also really love drinking turmeric wellness juices, adding some powdered turmeric into my soups and most savory dishes. I have yet to explore the sweet dishes involving turmeric. This beautiful root stains everything, but it is worth it for the lovely flavor and health benefits.

---

References:

1. Tayyem RF, Heath DD, Al-Delaimy WK, Rock CL. Curcumin content of turmeric and curry powders. Nutr Cancer. 2006;55(2):126-131. doi:10.1207/s15327914nc5502_2

2. Shoba G, Joy D, Joseph T, Majeed M, Rajendran R, Srinivas PS. Influence of piperine on the pharmacokinetics of curcumin in animals and human volunteers. Planta Med. 1998;64(4):353-356. doi:10.1055/s-2006-957450

3. Menon VP, Sudheer AR. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2007;595:105-125. doi:10.1007/978-0-387-46401-5_3

4. Chainani-Wu N. Safety and anti-inflammatory activity of curcumin: a component of tumeric (Curcuma longa). J Altern Complement Med. 2003;9(1):161-168. doi:10.1089/107555303321223035

5. Kawamori T, Lubet R, Steele VE, et al. Chemopreventive effect of curcumin, a naturally occurring anti-inflammatory agent, during the promotion/progression stages of colon cancer. Cancer Res. 1999;59(3):597-601.

6. Anand P, Sundaram C, Jhurani S, Kunnumakkara AB, Aggarwal BB. Curcumin and cancer: an "old-age" disease with an "age-old" solution. Cancer Lett. 2008;267(1):133-164. doi:10.1016/j.canlet.2008.03.025

7. Turmeric. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/turmeric. Accessed November 9, 2020.