Turmeric is the bright orange spice we often associate with curry or other exotic dishes, but turmeric is also becoming more well known for its health benefits as well. What I didn’t know was that turmeric can not only spice up my food, but it can help relieve everything from depression to an upset stomach. Turmeric is even more effective when it is mixed with black pepper. More research is being done every day, but that doesn’t mean we should overlook what we do know now about the health benefits of turmeric and black pepper.
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(I am not a doctor nor do I play one on the internet, so please check with your health care provider before you change any part of your health care routine.)
First, What is Turmeric?
Turmeric is part of the ginger family and is a perennial plant that is usually harvested in tropical climates such as India and China. Like ginger, it is a thick root that is yellow on the outside and an orange on the inside, hence the spice’s well known color. Turmeric is extensively used to flavor food or add color, mainly in curries and mustards.
What are the Health Benefits of Turmeric?
Calm an Upset Stomach and Curb Heartburn
The most well known health benefit of turmeric is to naturally calm an upset stomach. You will see a lot of turmeric teas on the market that claim to do just that. As with an upset stomach, turmeric is known to also help fight inflammation in the body, which can also help to reduce heartburn and indigestion problems.
A couple of good turmeric teas to try: Numi Organic Tea and Traditional Medicinals Organic Turmeric
Also check out my post: 5 Health Benefits of Green Tea for more information.
Ward off Heart Disease and Diabetes
Curcumin, the main compound in turmeric, is what is responsible for many of the health benefits of turmeric. Curcumin is best taken as a supplement to get the maximum health benefit because most turmeric alone only contains 2-5% curcumin. You’d have to eat one heck of a lot of turmeric to get that kind of benefit! The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin help heart attack patients and those suffering from pre-diabetes. While there is no substitute for conventional therapies, curcumin could be a great supplement to talk to you doctor about.
Fights Cancer
Again, you should always follow the advice of your doctor and follow the traditional route as much as possible. But, for those worried about the disease, adding turmeric mixed with black pepper into your dietary rotation may be of some help. Turmeric has been shown to interfere with important pathways involved with cancer development and growth. In lab settings, cancer cells were even shown to shrink. The addition of black pepper increases the effectiveness. You can easily add turmeric and black pepper into many dishes, especially Indian cuisine, or your can do what I do and make yourself a turmeric “shot” every morning. I take a shot glass, fill it with water, at 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric (a normal amount that can be found in recipes) and a few grinds of black pepper. I then drink it like a shot and usually follow it up with a sparkling water chaser to get the taste out of my mouth!
Helps Protects the Brain
Another compound of turmeric, turmerone or ar-turmerone is not as well known or studied as curcumin, but as part of several studies, it has been shown to help the recovery of stem cells in the brain. This can help to improve memory in those suffering from strokes or Alzheimer’s disease. (See my post Brain Health – 5 Foods to Avoid to Keep Your Healthy Brain Intact).
Please Use Caution
The FDA doesn’t regulate dietary supplements like they do food, so please use caution and talk to your doctor about any supplements you are thinking about taking. You never know how it will interact with any other medications you are taking or how it will interact in your body. That being said, turmeric (an black pepper) is a wonderful spice to add to your dishes and can even add a new element of health to your dish!
A couple of my favorites: Turmeric Curcumin and Vitacost Turmeric Extract Curcumin
Spices and Recipes to Try
To get your dose of turmeric, give some of these great recipes a try with the original spice.
Organic turmeric spices I like: Organic Turmeric and Simply Organic
Recipes to Try
Creamy Turmeric Sweet Potato Hummus from Sprinkle of Green
Turmeric Cauliflower Rice Pilaf from Paleo Hacks
Golden Glow Pineapple Turmeric Smoothie from Jar of Lemons
