Turmeric has a peppery, warm and bitter flavor and a mild fragrance
slightly reminiscent of orange and ginger, and while it is best known as
one of the ingredients used to make curry, it also gives ballpark
mustard its bright yellow color.
Turmeric comes from the root of the Curcuma longa plant and has a
tough brown skin and a deep orange flesh. Turmeric has long been used
as a powerful anti-inflammatory in both the Chinese and Indian systems
of medicine. Turmeric was traditionally called "Indian saffron" because
of its deep yellow-orange color and has been used throughout history as a
condiment, healing remedy and textile dye.
Health Benefits: Turmeric (Curcuma longa), the bright yellow of the spice rainbow,
is a powerful medicine that has long been used in the Chinese and
Indian systems of medicine as an anti-inflammatory agent to treat a wide
variety of conditions, including flatulence, jaundice, menstrual
difficulties, bloody urine, hemorrhage, toothache, bruises, chest pain,
and colic.
A Potent, Yet Safe Anti-Inflammatory: The volatile oil fraction of turmeric has demonstrated significant
anti-inflammatory activity in a variety of experimental models. Even
more potent than its volatile oil is the yellow or orange pigment of
turmeric, which is called Curcumin. Curcumin is thought to be the
primary pharmacological agent in turmeric. In numerous studies, Curcumin's anti-inflammatory effects have been shown to be comparable to
the potent drugs Hydrocortisone and Phenylbutazone as well as
over-the-counter anti-inflammatory agents such as Motrin. Unlike the
drugs, which are associated with significant toxic effects (ulcer
formation, decreased white blood cell count, intestinal bleeding), Curcumin produces no toxicity.
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