Turmeric

[Louise]

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This peppery spice took some getting used to, but now it is a daily staple and is added to my morning smoothies and cooking, I love to add it to the water in my brown rice when it is cooking, making the rice a vibrant orange-yellow.

The active compound in Turmeric is curcumin and has been known to prevent heart disease, Alzheimer’s and cancer. Despite these promising benefits, Curcumin is poorly absorbed into the bloodstream, although, help is in hand in the form of black pepper which is known to aid absorption due to the compound piperine, this is said to enhance absorption by 2000%
Curcumin is fat soluble, so it may be more beneficial to take it with a fatty meal.

Turmeric has well documented health benefits for all members of the family to enjoy, her are just a few:

:apple: Turmeric has powerful anti-inflammatory properties. It is believed that inflammation plays a huge role in chronic disease, leading to heart disease, cancer and degenerative diseases.

:apple: A powerful antioxidant, helping our body to combat the ravages of ageing and free radicals that leads to many diseases.

:apple: Curcumin can boost your brain-derived neurotrophic factor, this means it can help your brain form new connections, helping to improve brain function and reduce your risk of brain disease.

:apple: Curcumin may help to improve the function of the endothelium, which is the lining of your blood vessels. A healthy endothelium can help to regulate blood pressure, inflammation and oxidation, improving your risk of heart disease.

:apple: Curcumin has been shown to affect cancer growth, development and spread at the molecular level, it is too early to say how beneficial Curcumin will be in the treatment of cancer, but it looks promising and this wonder spice is being extensively studied.

:apple: Curcumin has been shown to be very helpful in reducing the pain and inflammation for those people suffering with Arthritis

These are just some of the much touted benefits of Curcumin the active ingredient found in Turmeric.

[Kat]

I don’t like it, it’s too peppery for me and ruins my food.

[Alf]

I don’t like it, it’s too peppery for me and ruins my food.

Try putting less in and building up your tastebuds to the taste of it, I used to dislike the take, but I put it in my foods in small amounts and now I don’t notice the flavour at all.

[Claire]

Which is better, the supplements or powder?

[Louise]

More information on the incredible benefits of turmeric can be found on the Green Med Info website

https://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/science-confirms-turmeric-effective-14-drugs

[Grace]

Which is better tablets or powder?

[Ben17]

Definitely the tablets so you can wash down with water or juice if you don’t like the taste.

[Jackie361]

Turmeric is used a lot in Indian cuisine and for natural colouring, I love it

[Niamh]

I’ve noticed there are more and more supplements with Turmeric in now, my friend who has ME tried turmeric capsules on recommendation from a colleague and although she didn’t expect any benefit, she said she noticed a reduction in her pain meds and flare-ups.

[Felix]

I’ve seen turmeric root more and more in the shops, given that this site is about encouraging whole food, would it be advantageous to use it in its while form?

[Emma]

Which is better tablets or powder?

I think it depends how well you tolerate the peppery taste. Also, tablets often contain other ingredients, this can obviously be a good thing, or bad depending on the make.