Health Benefits Of Turmeric

Used internationally as a staple spice in cuisine, an element of holistic medicine, an offering in religious ceremonies, and even a coloring in cosmetics, turmeric has been providing the world with countless uses and immense health benefits for thousands of years. The scientific name for the plant is Curcuma longa, a well-known perennial belonging to the ginger family of Zingiberaceae.

Turmeric’s beautiful bright yellow root has led to its nicknames “the golden spice” and “Indian saffron.” It has graced countless cultures around the world with its gorgeous coloring, unique aroma, and unmistakable flavor. Available in a natural state of the whole turmeric root or in powdered, pressed, extract or supplement forms, turmeric can provide countless preventative and healing measures.

A cherished cousin of ginger, turmeric is a root that accounts for an excess of uses in our kitchens and lives. Bright orange-yellow in colour with a heady fragrance, turmeric has a unique earthy taste, with a touch of citrusy bitterness and the numbing punch of pepper. It is a staple in all Indian cooking, with its primary compound curcumin, giving the delectable dishes that lovely yellow tinge, a staining quality that can often turn against us (hint: stained nails after devouring some delicious curry). Coined as the most powerful spices of all, haldi is every Indian household's go-to fix for a variety of health problems. Its incredible list of healing properties include antioxidant, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-carcinogenic, anti-mutagenic and anti-inflammatory - that should be an enough number of benefits to make you look up and rethink its usage in your food! The use of this spice has been traced back a thousand years in India and China with some stories even suggesting that it was used about ten thousand years back when Lord Rama walked the Earth. Its usage has been long embedded in the ancient Ayurvedic practice and has been cited to promote the holistic health of the body - this has resulted in increased usage of it in the Western world too.

The turmeric root possesses natural oils, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and phytochemicals that combine to provide healing properties for almost every area of the body. Phytochemicals are naturally occurring plant compounds that boost the healthy functioning of cells, tissues, organs, and systems. These compounds include antioxidants, anti-inflammatory agents, analgesics, and a wide variety of protective, preventative, and health-promoting derivatives that help support the natural functions of the body.

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