Turmeric Powder: Boost Your Diet With This Golden Treasure

To say that Turmeric powder is a nutritional treasure is actually an understatement. Grown throughout India and parts of Central America, this powerhouse plant touts a hefty profile and an even more impressive resume. Not only is turmeric used as the main spice in many Indian and Asian foods, but its uses also go far beyond flavoring delicious recipes. In fact, people have been using turmeric as a means to prevent or heal ailments dating back over 4,500 years.

I would say that the “food is medicine” movement that is so popular today, truly started when this plant’s healing properties were discovered.

What is turmeric?

Botanically known as a rhizome of Curcuma longa, turmeric is a plant that stands about 3 feet tall. Its appearance is similar to ginger in that both plants have large, oblong green leaves and a thick golden root. The underground stem contains the source of the golden powder, curcumin. There are other ingredients contained in the stem, however, curcumin is the most active component responsible for much of the medicinal properties. Classified as a polyphenol, curcumin is a naturally occurring chemical that has health benefits.

How does turmeric benefit our health?

Antioxidant effects

Curcumin has been proven to be very effective at the cellular level. It is a powerful antioxidant shown to fight free radical damage to our cells. Free radicals are molecules that react with other cells and cause damage through a process called oxidation. The result of damage to our cellular structure is free radical-induced diseases such as certain types of heart disease or cancer.  Antioxidants, like curcumin, safely interact with these molecular structures and terminate the chain reaction before cells are damaged. 

Anti-inflammatory effects

Inflammation is your body’s response to outside triggers to protect itself from environmental toxins or illnesses. When tissue is damaged, chemicals like histamines are released and cause blood vessels to leak fluid into the tissues. This causes swelling. White blood cells do their job and release chemicals into the blood to fight off foreign invaders.

Turmeric powder has also been shown to reduce inflammation by counteracting the effects of histamine in the body. Similar to that of an antihistamine, turmeric lowers histamine levels in your body and reacts to lower inflammation. This may be in part due to the release of natural cortisol produced by the adrenal glands to restore homeostasis. You can think of this response as a means to calm everything down in your blood vessels and body tissue. 

Cardiovascular effects

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in the United States. I would say this is a concern. Many factors contribute to a weakened cardiovascular system such as age, diet, activity level, smoking, and even environmental toxins, but turmeric appears to fight off heart disease. This is mostly due to the impact of lowering “bad” cholesterol or low-density lipoproteins. Also referred to as LDLs, this type of fat in the blood tends to cause a buildup of plaque when combined with white blood cells. The narrowing effects of plaque on the walls of arteries make it difficult for blood to flow normally. Turmeric, due to the curcuminoids like curcumin, lower the bad cholesterol in our bodies and promote better cardiovascular health. So much power in one little plant! 

Digestive effects

Our body systems are all related. When one area is affected, surely another is overcompensating or paying a price. For people suffering from poor digestive health or simply looking to improve digestion, turmeric may be the answer to many unsolved problems. As we now know, the compounds in turmeric are antioxidant and anti-inflammatory in nature, with the ability to calm the lining of the intestines and promote a healthy gut. But that’s not all! Turmeric contains antioxidants such as beta-carotene and vitamin c, as well as other nutrients such as fiber, niacin, potassium, zinc, and more! 

What are the uses of turmeric?

The use of turmeric is vastly different depending on where you are geographically. Turmeric itself can be made into a paste for topical treatment of skin disorders. It can be added as a flavorful spice to many different foods. Other people enjoy this golden gem in hot or cold tea. I personally prefer to add turmeric powder to my smoothies, combined with black pepper for maximal uptake. Perhaps the most convenient way to incorporate turmeric into your daily diet is in capsule form. Whatever the form, decide if turmeric could be the nutritional treasure you need to optimize your health. 

This is one power-house plant I do not want to go without. 

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