If you've read any of our previous blog posts, you'll know that we're a big fan of tumeric. It's by no accident that tumeric has had a stratospheric rise along with the rise of the internet. Proponents of Tumeric are able to push the message to the millions that it is a consumable that can do wonders for your health.
I first started becoming interested in tumeric after my first knee surgery. Without and cartilage left and the two ends of the joint essentially grinding together, I started looking at supplements that might help my plight. Tumeric came onto my radar relatively lately, after the Gorilla giants like glucosamine.
When I started researching the history and potential benefits, I knew I had to try it. Fast forward a few years and it's now a staple in my diet, and it was a no brainer that I was going find a way to infuse it into our products, just like we've done with Curavtia Green Boost.
What Is Tumeric?
The spice (curcuma longa) has a long history, is part of the ginger family. It's native to India and south east Asia. The root is usually boiled or dried and then ground into a fine powder for use in food and supplements. One of the easiest and most popular ways to consume tumeric is in a curry. On finding the benefits of tumeric, a healthy curry is now a weekly meal in our family. It's also been used as a dye. You'll not be surprised if you've even got some on your fingers. It will stain them for a few days. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turmeric
What Are The Potential Health Benefits?
The active ingredient in Tumeric is the polyphenol curcumin. It's been proven to aid in the management of oxidative and inflammatory ailments such as arthritis, anxiety and muscle soreness. The problem with taking tumeric on it's own, is the low availability of curcumin. It is absorbed poorly and metabolized rapidly, and is removed quickly from the body.
One of the components that has been shown to increase the bioavailability of curcumin is piperine, which is an active component of black pepper. This in one of the major reasons, along with other health benefits of black pepper, that we added it to our green juice. It's been show that bioavailability of curcumin can increase up to 2000% when taken in conjunction with black pepper.
Anti-Inflammatory
Chronic inflammation is endemic in western culture, and can be attributed to high levels of processed foods, sugar and alcohol. Potentially chronic inflammation can be a "silent killer" and a precursor for diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimers. It makes sense that anything that can help reduce inflammation will have a positive effect on the body. Curcumin as mentioned, provides proven anti-inflammatory effects.
Joint Health
Like I mentioned with my knee, Tumeric has been thought to help overall joint health. Overlapping with it's anti-inflammatory benefits, swollen and inflamed joints can be reduced by consuming tumeric. This study showed the 500 mg of daily curcumin was more effect in reducing inflammation that the prescription drug in Rheumatoid arthritis.
Healthy Cholesterol Levels
We've all had the cholesterol narrative rammed down our throats in the last 20 years or so. It is known to be caused by oxidative stress, and amplified by chronic inflammation and high blood sugar. Again, the anti-inflammatory benefits of Tumeric are important in reducing cholesterol levels.
Promotion Of Brain Health
Ok so this one is a little controversial, but there has been some research that indicates that tumeric can boost brain health and cognitive abilities. It's due to the ability of curcumin th boost a protein called BDNF.
It's a protein that helps brain growth. Neurons are increased and form new connections in the brain. BDNF are linked to improved and better memory. Studies have shown that low levels of BDNF increase the risk of Alzheimer's and incidence of depression increase.
Anti Cancer Properties
So it seems like every new superfood or wonder plant can reduce the risk of cancer. There have been animal research studies that show curcumin can kill tumour cells, and reduce the growth of tumours.
There have also been human studies that showed that a consumption of 4gms of curcumin daily, reduced the amount of cancerous lesions in the colon by up to 40%.
It also can enhance the treatment with chemotherapy, indicating it could be useful in combating chemo resistance.
Adding Tumeric Into Your Diet
It obvious now why we are big fans of tumeric, and why we decided to work hard to add to Curvita Green Boost. It was a struggle to end up with a product that also tasted great. You can read about that here.
Tumeric Latte
It's difficult to walk into a health food shop these days without seeing a tumeric latte product on the shelf. There has been an explosion of products in the market. You can make your own though, and it can be delicious. All the ingredients are cheap and you can get at your local supermarket.
Ingredients:
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5 teaspoons Tumeric
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3 teaspoons ground Ginger
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1 teaspoon ground Black Pepper
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1 teaspoon ground Cloves
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1 teaspoon ground Cardomom
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2 teaspoons ground Cinnamon
You can mix this up (or in larger proportions) and store it for up to 2 months in a cool dry place.
To make the latte, simply heat up your milk and add 1 or 2 teaspoons of the Tumeric Latte mix. You can add a little hot water to dilute if needed, or even add honey if you really need to sweeten the brew.
Tumeric Tea
Tumeric Tea is another way to get a bit of tumeric into your diet in an appealing way. To be honest, it's actually not that much different than tumeric latte, but certainly is a really popular way to take the spice.
Ingredients:
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1/3 cup honey
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2 1/2 teaspoons of tumeric powder
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lemon
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ground pepper
Mix the tumeric and honey together and then pour your hot water over the paste in your mug. Stir and add lemon juice and black pepper to taste. Simple
The other obvious way to get a bit of tumeric into your life, plus a load of other amazing super foods, you might want to check out our Super Greens.
What Twitter Says
Having a tumeric latte (golden spice latte) at third gen coffee after a great yoga class. #Fibromyalgia #chronicpain pic.twitter.com/KU7Cc33h0t
— healingmypain (@healingmypain) June 25, 2019