Turmeric – The Golden Spice!

Enjoying a yellow curry rice is a unique delicious experience!! There is no Asian dish that does not contain this impressive spice.

The use of turmeric is mentioned in the ancient texts of the Vedas and it is the spice that people offered to the sun, the sunrise of the day, because of its bright yellow color. To this day, in India, brides spread turmeric on their bodies as a symbol of good luck and prosperity.

Turmeric - curcuma longa, is a perennial plant, which develops flowers and a thick rhizome, relatively close to the surface of the earth. From its rhizome, we get the characteristic powder, which is dried, boiled and then ground. It contains large percentages of carotenoids, while curcumin is the main substance that gives the plant its healing properties. Although the use of turmeric in Asia is lost in the depths of time, it is only in recent decades that extensive research has focused on curcumin's therapeutic effects.

Let's see below the benefits that the use of turmeric offers to our health:
✔ Turmeric has the ability to nourish body tissues and carry its beneficial benefits throughout the body through the bloodstream.
✔ Enhances brain functions, good memory and concentration. Research has shown turmeric's ability to maintain nerve cell health (Russell, Anne M 5 Science-Backed Health Benefits of Turmeric.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, October 29, 2021).
✔ It actively supports joint functionality, relieves muscle pain and significantly improves daily movement.
✔ It is believed to enhance the glow and anti-aging of the skin. It is often used as an ingredient in cosmetics to treat pigmentation and acne.
✔ When consumed daily, it detoxifies the liver and helps produce bile (De La Foret, Rosalee. Alchemy of Herbs - Transform Everyday Ingredients into Foods & Remedies That Heal. Hay House UK Ltd, 2017. 17 ).
✔ Significantly improves the digestion of fats, carbohydrates and enhances ideal blood sugar values.
✔ Its rejuvenating and mild heating properties enhance the creation of new heart cells and strengthen the circulatory system.
✔ Contains large percentages of flavonoids, curcumin, antioxidants and therefore removes free radicals. In this way it protects the power of our defender from oxidative stress. (Gunnars, Kris. “10 Proven Health Benefits of Turmeric and Curcumin.” Healthline. Healthline Media, May 7, 2021).
✔ Ayurveda uses turmeric as a booster of lymph (rasa dhatu) and blood (rakta dhatu), as it nourishes and expels unnecessary fire from the specific tissues.

Turmeric is one of the most widely used spices in Ayurvedic cuisine and at the same time participates in many therapeutic recipes.

Its Ayurvedic characteristics are:

• Taste = bitter, astringent
• Doshas = balances vata – kapha, in excess increases pitta
• Properties = warm, light, kinetic, airy, clean, alkaline
• Effect on the mind = clarity, concentration, memory, positive emotions, alertness, enhances inner glow.

The organic turmeric powder gives the food a unique aroma and taste, thus turning the ordinary meal into a delicious experience!!!