This Is Why Everyone’s So Obsessed With Turmeric Right Now

[Lodestar]

Turmeric, the vibrant spice so prominent in Indian cuisine, has been gaining in popularity stateside. Google’s Food Trends reported a 56 percent increase in search since last November — they’re predicting it to be the breakout star ingredient of 2016 — and not because of a rise in curry cravings.

Our recent infatuation with this knobby root is thanks in part to how inviting it makes the idea of an espresso-free latte, but mostly because of its many touted health benefits. Turmeric is known in the health food world as the great anti-inflammatory, responsible for easing minor maladies such as upset stomachs to more heroic acts, such as lowering the chances of heart attacks.

Here’s what you need to know:

*Curcumin is the molecule found in turmeric that contains anti-inflammatory properties. It is often used in laboratory studies for research of possible health benefits.

*Turmeric may reduce the risk of Alzheimers. A study found that rats who were given curcumin were more resistant to the accumulation of beta-amyloid plaque in their brains.

*Turmeric can help alleviate joint pain and the discomfort brought on by arthritis (thanks again to its anti-inflammatory properties).

*Some laboratory studies have shown that turmeric can help fight cancer. In some cases it was able to kill cancer cells and prevent more from growing. Of course, much more research is needed in this area.

A couple things to keep in mind before you start eating tablespoons of turmeric. First, the spice jar of turmeric in your kitchen cabinet has a very minimal amount of curcumin in it, about 2-9 percent. And it’s usually quite difficult to find fresh turmeric at your market. Turmeric supplements are available for those looking to get a more significant dosage, but it should be noted that dietary supplements are not regulated by the FDA in the same way food or prescription drugs are so not every supplement is created equal. (Also, please speak to your doctor before taking new supplements.)

cont'd
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/turmeric-recipes-health-benefits_us_575567e9e4b0c3752dce0613

[libodem]

1. I take it capsules

Or tablets. My son can stand the taste so he makes concoctions, with coconut oil and spices, including black pepper. Gag.

It works tho.

[question everything]

3. Same here (nt)

[Person 2713]

26. I love using it in food or juices but capsules do the trick. I said to someone but you don't enjoy

the taste or flavor that way with capsules. They said exactly!
Taste of fresh tumeric is not for all.

[libodem]

30. I have seen friends

Stir it into their coffee. I almost couldn't watch 'em drink it.

The neighbor makes 'golden milk', another undrinkable concoction.

[redstateblues]

2. I take it twice daily

[djean111]

4. I take a couple of turmeric capsules a day, been doing that for years.

Thanks for the article!

[Warpy]

5. Here's what people need to know: WATCH THOSE WEASEL WORDS!

*Curcumin is the molecule found in turmeric that contains anti-inflammatory properties. It is often used in laboratory studies for research of possible health benefits.

*Turmeric may reduce the risk of Alzheimers. A study found that rats who were given curcumin were more resistant to the accumulation of beta-amyloid plaque in their brains.

*Turmeric can help alleviate joint pain and the discomfort brought on by arthritis (thanks again to its anti-inflammatory properties).

*Some laboratory studies have shown that turmeric can help fight cancer. In some cases it was able to kill cancer cells and prevent more from growing. Of course, much more research is needed in this area.

More research is definitely needed to discover if the refined active ingredient really does anything, at all. At this point, turmeric is making your food yellow and giving it a distinctive flavor. There is too little curcumin in any spice jar or capsule available now.

[hueymahl]

9. Thank you

Need more of this. Everywhere.

[Doitnow]

12. And guess who is not going to do the research

that will prove one way or other that turmeric work since there is no money to be made from it. And by the way, you are advised to go to your doctor before trying any supplement----in case he has a drug he can prescribe instead! I can guess where that prescription ends up after you give it to the pharmacy----back at the big pharma company, so they can give the doctor some kind of perk! Maybe research should be done on the populations that use the ordinary store-bought turmeric. This procedure could apply to all supplements. But wait----there's no money in it. Right.

[Warpy]

20. Sure there's money in it

in the active ingredient extraction and/or the process used to do so.

Digitalis leaves were precisely measured and used as medication for centuries. The process to extract digoxin and lanoxin were what made the money on a substance occurring naturally in a plant.

Poppy head teas and tinctures were used for thousands of years for pain control. Extracting specific alkaloids like morphine and codeine were what made the money, along with chemically modifying them into things like oxycodone and hydromorphone.

If there is an active ingredient and it is proven safe and effective, there is plenty of money to be made on it. Just don't expect miracles from the stuff they sell at the health food store.

[jmowreader]

28. Exactly

If Pfizer, say, were to start making capsules of pure curcumin, people would flock to it because Pfizer has a track record of making things that are properly labeled. The herbal supplement companies are known to not be this way.

[Warpy]

33. Thanks

It's amazing how many people out there don't know how drug and supplement companies work and what the differences are between them.

If people like the taste of turmeric, they should continue eating it. I think it tastes like mildewed canvas porch furniture, so I cut the amount way down when I do Indian cooking.

[dorkzilla]

15. I agree on the whole Warpy except in this case...

Back in the 1990's the University of Mississippi was successful in getting a PATENT on turmeric, until a group of scientist in India challenged it and had it overturned. I think in this case, there really is a lot to it hence the patent.

I do agree that we don't know how much actually makes a difference. But since I love Indian food as much as I love French and Italian, it makes no difference. I have lots of it on a weekly basis.

[Warpy]

17. The patent would have been struck down in any case

because it's a naturally occurring substance. Unless they'd modified plant genetics or patented a process to extract various active substances in it, it was unpatentable. Some clerk was either dozy or paid off.

[astral]

19. it has to be the real thing, also add piperine

piperine is in black pepper, can magnify the potency of curcumin by many times. as always the quality of the item is critical, and with all spices the benefit comes from freshness which won't be found in the general grocery fare which is always irradiated.

if people want to try this the major benefit to remember is there are no harmful side effects, so the worst thing that can happen is nothing, hardly the case with prescription pharmaceuticals.

[bjobotts]

21. It will not harm you and there are not many alternatives to combat Alzheimers

[progressoid]

27. It will not harm you?

Unless you are allergic to it and go into anaphylaxis.

[jtuck004]

31. "The Age of Alzheimer’s" Sandra Day O'Connor. Starting on Jan. 1, our 79-million-strong baby boom...

SANDRA DAY O’CONNOR, STANLEY PRUSINER and KEN DYCHTWALDOCT. 27, 2010

...
Starting on Jan. 1, our 79-million-strong baby boom generation will be turning 65 at the rate of one every eight seconds. That means more than 10,000 people per day, or more than four million per year, for the next 19 years facing an increased risk of Alzheimer’s. Although the symptoms of this disease and other forms of dementia seldom appear before middle age, the likelihood of their appearance doubles every five years after age 65. Among people over 85 (the fastest-growing segment of the American population), dementia afflicts one in two. It is estimated that 13.5 million Americans will be stricken with Alzheimer’s by 2050 — up from five million today.

Just as President John F. Kennedy, in 1961, dedicated the United States to landing a man on the moon by the end of the decade, we must now set a goal of stopping Alzheimer’s by 2020. We must deploy sufficient resources, scientific talent and problem-solving technologies to save our collective future.
...

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/28/opinion/28oconnor.html?_r=0


"not many alternatives"

[SheilaT]

34. Thank you.

It is so amazing the way people will jump on the idea that some food or ingredient is miraculous and will Cure What Ails You.

Michael Pollan said it best: Eat real food. Not too much. Mostly vegetables.

Or, if your grandmother or great-grandmother wouldn't recognize it as food, you might want to reconsider eating it.

[TexasProgresive]

6. Curcumin And 8 Other Foods And Factors That May Lower Diabetes Risk

This study touts the anti-inflammatory action of turmeric for diabetics which is really good if it works since inflammation, especially of the cardo-vascular system is common in diabetics. There are also indications that it increases insulin sensitivity. Many type 2 diabetics produce lots of insulin but their bodies are resistant so blood sugar rises. A caution to diabetics consuming turmeric by diabetics can lead to hypoglycemic events. It would require close monitoring of BG that may require the reduction of meds. Hypos are dangerous.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/31/curcumin-diabetes-type-2-turmeric-curry-spice_n_1720326.html

A curry compound could help to keep diabetes at bay among people most at risk, a small new study shows.

The research, published in the journal Diabetes Care, found that people with prediabetes who took capsules containing curcumin — a compound found in the curry spice turmeric — were less likely to go on to develop Type 2 diabetes, compared with people who didn’t take the curcumin capsules, Reuters reported

[mahina]

7. 'Olena is one of the plants the ancient Hawaiians brought with them in the canoes.

A half inch 'Olena root, chopped, with lemon and honey will kick almost any bug and makes you feel better. I make it and drink it often, and put 'Olena in salads and anything green.

http://www.canoeplants.com/olena.html

This humble little root, about the size of an adult thumb, was probably one of the two dozen or so plants brought to Hawai`i by early Polynesian settlers in their voyaging canoes. `Olena's scientific botanical name is Curcuma domestica. It is best known throughout the world as Turmeric, and is a member of the ginger family. `Olena is rarely found in Hawai`i today. It grows in cultivation and in the wild in moist forested valleys, up to altitudes of 3000 feet, preferring shade, yet able to tolerate heat.

The `olena is without a stem, yet the overlapping clustered leaves appear to be growing out of a stem above ground. The leaves are blade-like, 8 inches long by 3 inches wide, and rise to about 20 inches high, directly from the underground root. This root/rhizome grows its leaves much as the banana does.

It is `olena's rhizome which is precious. In tropical India, turmeric is widely cultivated as a dye and as a spice, being the yellow color we associate with curry powder, which is actually a mixture of spices that includes turmeric. The root is thick and orange or yellow-colored on

Traditionally, this root can be used medicinally. The roots are pounded and pressed to extract a juice that, when mixed with water, is helpful in earaches and to clear the sinuses through nasal application. The astringent qualities of `olena are also useful in cases of consumption, tuberculosis, bronchitis, colds and asthma, the root being lightly cooked and then eaten. Its use enhances the immune system by purifying the blood. At times `olena has been taken as a diuretic, and topically it can be helpful with pimples or to stop bleeding. Turmeric is anti-bacterial. Also, when taken daily, as a teaspoon or powder in food, tea or encapsulated, this plant offers relief from a variety of diseases. It alleviates inflammation in the blood, often considered to be a cause of our human diseases.

Ceremonially, the traditional use for `olena is as a purifier, containing much mana, spiritual power. Pieces of the crushed root mixed with sea water are sprinkled to remove negative influences from places, persons and things. Typically, when someone is ill, or when a home or other place is to be newly occupied and needing blessing, a ceremony is held. To sprinkle, a ti leaf is dipped into a calabash or bowl containing the `olena and sea water. The sprinkling is accompanied by prayers.

[KamaAina]

10. Maika'i no, E mahina!

[mahina]

11. Howzit going Kama'aina?

Was so sad to hear Opihimoimoi hala'd.

Nice to see you!

[KamaAina]

14. Well, the Bay Area does suck less than the rest of the mainland

but I wouldn't turn down an opportunity to return to the sacred 'aina.

Opihi "hala'd"? You mean ma-ke die dead?

[mahina]

16. Yes

He's moved on. One of DU's greats and a lot of fun. I'm sorry to tell you.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511581833

Come, we go eat

[KamaAina]

22. Auwe!

[awoke_in_2003]

8. It is in curry

as such, I am going to like it.

[notemason]

13. Unfortunately

it seems to be the only food I'm allergic to as I break out in red blotches all over my face when I partake.

[LittleGirl]

18. Use the spice frequently in my veggies. Have done this for years. eom

[1monster]

23. Hey, it makes food taste good! If there are added health values, GREAT.

If not, it adds color and flavor to everything from spaghetti to chicken and vegetable grills...

[AntiBank]

24. Cuz it's the colour of Trumpfs skin?

[TryLogic]

25. "Of course, much more research is needed in this area." Name one natural health product

that does not have this tag added to every discussion by mainstream profiteers. Curcumin / turmeric has been successfully used as medicine for at least 4000 years. It is has been highly researched. Main stream medicine, especially pharmaceuticals, surely must be run by organized crime.

[JustAnotherGen]

29. Add it to my morning juice

But when you press it - you also have to add black pepper and shake it up in your bottle. Turmeric needs the pepper to kick in.

I have ankylosing spondylitis and take zero meds. . . no nsaids, embrel, etc. etc.

Fresh pressed veggie/herb juices (ginger and turmeric are key), cold pressed raw organic coconut oil, filtered water, etc. etc.

Turmeric, ginger, pepper and anti inflammatory diet veggies are my 'pain killers'.

[DesertRat]

32. Some thoughts after a quick look at the scientific literature on turmeric

What is known from clinical trials: It is beneficial for some metabolic and gastrointestinal (including some auto immune based) disorders.

The rest of the information is based on mice/rats, or was not experimentally manipulated, such as looking at whole populations that consume turmeric compared to populations who do not.