Once disparagingly called poor man’s saffron because of its brilliant deep yellow hue, turmeric is now considered Indian gold. The reason for turmeric’s status as a spice superstar: the good health of the people who eat it daily, and its emerging scientific reputation as one of nature’s most powerful healers.
Turmeric is a kitchen staple in India, found in just about every dish that crosses the table—a fact that has not been lost on researchers, who observed 30 years ago that the incidence of chronic illnesses among people in India is significantly lower than in most Western countries, especially the United States.
Turmeric owes its preventive and curative skills to its active ingredient: curcumin, a compound so diverse and powerfully rich in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions that it has been shown to protect and improve the health of virtually every organ in the body. To date, thousands of animal and human studies from around the world have found that curcumin can combat more than 70 maladies, including some of the biggest health threats, such as cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease. And the list just keeps on growing.
In fact, international research shows that turmeric, taken as supplemental curcumin, is as effective and, in some cases, even more effective than pharmaceutical drugs—without their side effects. Recently, my colleagues and I at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center compared curcumin to anti-inflammatory and pain-killing medications, and to cancer drugs, testing those agents for their effectiveness in reducing inflammation and stopping the proliferation of cancer cells. Curcumin proved to be more effective at reducing inflammation than over-the-counter aspirin and ibuprofen, and aseffective as the more powerful prescription drug, celecoxib (Celebrex). It also proved as effective in thwarting breast cancer cells as tamoxifen, a drug widely used to stop the spread or recurrence of breast cancer. These results are nothing less than astounding.
Marco Polo’s Faux PasTalk about rumors that are hard to kill!
When Marco Polo “discovered” turmeric in China in 1280, he likened it to expensive saffron, the spice that turns a brilliant yellow when added to liquid. He couldn’t have been more wrong. Saffron and turmeric share nothing in common but their color. This mistake is the reason why, some 700 years later, turmeric is still considered to be an inexpensive substitute for saffron.
Like saffron, turmeric gives a dish a yellow hue—but it’s not a substitute for saffron, any more than saffron is a substitute for turmeric. As culinary spices, their flavor and aroma is completely different.
“If I had only one single herb to depend upon for all possible health and dietary needs, I would choose the Indian spice turmeric,” said Dr. David Frawley, founder and director of the American Institute for Vedic Studies in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is a spice, he said, that everyone “should get to know and live with.”
I heartily agree: currently, there is no spice under more scientific scrutiny in the US and around the world—and no spice offering more promise for better health—than turmeric.
How Turmeric and Curcumin Work
Turmeric has more than 50 healing actions, from relieving pain to improving circulation—which is why healers in India (and China) have been using it for more than 2,000 years to treat a range of ills.
For example, traditional healers have used turmeric as:
• an antacid to sooth digestive problems.
• a powder to speed wound healing and prevent infection (bandages in India often contain turmeric).
• an analgesic to relieve headache (curcumin is an ingredient in Tylenol).
• a stimulant to improve blood flow.
• a topical paste to clear skin problems.
• a decongestant to clear nasal passages (some nasal sprays contain curcumin).
As a folk remedy, it has been used to treat some 60 maladies—from measles, chicken pox, and colic to colds, gum disease, flatulence, indigestion, and stress.
But its ranking as the superstar of spices comes from the fact that it is an antioxidant with powerful anti-inflammatory abilities. Why is that so important?
Oxidation is a kind of internal rust caused by what scientists call reactive oxygen species (ROS)—molecules that are missing an electron from their outer ring, or shell, and steal an electron from other molecules, creating oxidative damage, or oxidative stress. ROS are created by numerous factors, such as sunlight, pollution, a high-fat diet, and even aging itself. The oxidative stress they cause in turn leads to chronic low-grade inflammation, an insidious version of the same type of immune-triggered redness, heat, and swelling that accompanies a wound. And chronic inflammation has been shown to trigger or advance many of the diseases of modern life. That includes cardiovascular disease (CVD), which causes heart attack and stroke; type 2 diabetes, which quadruples the risk of CVD, and can also cause kidney failure, blindness, and amputation; Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease; asthma; and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. In experiments with cell cultures, animals, and humans, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory curcumin has been found effective against all of those conditions.
But turmeric’s strength as an antioxidant has gotten the attention of mainstream medicine in the United States and around the world mostly because of its scientifically shown ability to fight cancer.
The Anti-Cancer Spice
Even the toughest skeptic would have a hard time questioning more than 1,000 research studies with the same result: curcumin is anti-cancer. Research demonstrates that the curcumin found in turmeric can fight cancer on many levels. It can:
• inhibit the activation of genes that trigger cancer.
• inhibit the spread (proliferation) of tumor cells.
• inhibit the transformation of a normal cell into a cancer cell.
• kill cells that mutate into cancer.
• shrink tumor cells.
• prevent tumors from spreading to other organs.
• prevent the development of the blood supply necessary for cancer cells to form and spread.
• enhance the cancer-destroying effects of chemotherapy and radiation.
Curcumin has exhibited some or all of these actions against 22 different types of cancer, including the biggest killers—breast, colon, lung, and prostate. It also slowed the progression of some of the toughest-to-beat cancers, such as brain, bone, blood, esophagus, liver, pancreas, stomach, uterine, and melanoma (the deadliest form of skin cancer). There is no other natural substance that has been found to possess this degree of anti-cancer power. Here are reports on some of the studies on curcumin and cancer.
Turmeric may help prevent and/or treat:
Acne
Allergies
Alzheimer’s disease
Arthritis, osteo- and rheumatoid
Asthma
Blemishes
Cancer
Cholesterol problems (high “bad” LDL cholesterol, low “good” HDL cholesterol)
Colitis (inflammatory bowel disease)
Cystic fibrosis
Depression
Dermatitis, contact
Diabetes, type 2
Eczema (atopic dermititis)
Eye infection, uveitis
Flatulence
Gallbladder disease
Gout
Gum disease
Heart disease
High blood pressure (hypertension)
Itching
Liver disease
Macular degeneration, age-related
Overweight
Pain
Parkinson’s disease
Pollution side-effects
Psoriasis
Rash
Scleroderma
Stroke
Wounds
Breast cancer. Some of curcumin’s most remarkable results have been against breast cancer, and it is showing promise against even the most drug-resistant forms of the disease. In one study, when researchers added curcumin to paclitaxel (Taxol), a common chemotherapy drug for breast cancer, it not only enhanced the effects of the drug, but also decreased the drug’s side effects, making the chemotherapy regime more tolerable for patients. In another study, reported in the journal Menopause, researchers found that curcumin lowered the risk of breast cancer in women who took combined estrogen and progestin hormone replacement therapy (HRT), a proven risk factor for the disease.
Colon cancer. Numerous animal studies have found that curcumin can help prevent and delay the onset of colon cancer, and human studies are beginning to show the same results. In one study, researchers at UCLA found that curcumin prevented the formation of polyps (fleshy growths on the lining of the large intestine) in people with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), an inherited condition that can lead to colon cancer. In another study, people with FAP who took 480 milligrams (mg) of curcumin plus 20 mg of quercetin (the active phytochemical in onions) had fewer and smaller polyps.
Cervical cancer. Curcumin has been found to kill human papillomavirus, the leading cause of cervical cancer. It has also been found to fight the precancerous cellular changes that often precede the disease.
Lung cancer. Several animal studies have found that curcumin may protect against tobacco-induced lung cancer. In one study, 16 smokers took 1500 mg of curcumin a day. After 30 days, urine samples showed they had excreted significantly more tobacco-related toxins than six other smokers who didn’t take curcumin.
Pancreatic cancer. Both human and animal studies have found curcumin holds promise in fighting pancreatic cancer, a particularly lethal form of the disease that doesn’t respond well to chemotherapy drugs. In our labs at M.D. Anderson, we found that curcumin taken in combination with the chemotherapy drug gemcitabine (Gemzar) enhanced the action of the drug in animals.
In another study, 34 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer—normally lethal within one year—were given high daily doses of curcumin. In 64 percent of the patients, the spice slowed the expected progression of the disease.
Prostate cancer. In a study reported in the journal Cancer Research, researchers gave mice prostate cancer, then divided them into four groups, each with a different treatment. One group of mice received curcumin, a second received a chemotherapy drug, the third radiation, and the fourth no treatment. Among the four treatments, curcumin worked best at controlling the progression of the disease. In another study, researchers at Rutgers University found that a combined regimen of curcumin and isothiocyanate (an anti-cancer compound found in cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage, and kale) reversed the growth of prostate tumors in mice.
Skin cancer. In our labs at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, we injected mice with substances that produce melanoma. We treated half the mice by putting curcumin in their chow and the other half by applying curcumin as a paste to the cancerous lesions. In both cases, curcumin halted the progression of the disease in a majority of mice. In another experiment, we tested curcumin in lab-grown melanoma cells to see if the spice could stop the cells from surviving and reproducing. The more curcumin we added to the melanoma, the more cells died.
In addition, studies have found that cancer rates are the lowest in countries with the highest dietary intake of turmeric. I believe it is no coincidence that the rates of the most common cancers—lung, breast, colon, and prostate—are 10 times lower in turmeric-loving India than in the United States.
Protection against Cancer-Causing Pollution
The incidence of childhood leukemia has risen 50 percent since 1950, and many researchers suspect that one factor is prenatal and postnatal exposure to pollutants such as benzene, a carcinogen found in industrial waste. Turmeric to the rescue . . .
At a recent conference on childhood leukemia, researchers from Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago reported evidence that eating foods spiced with turmeric could reduce the risk of childhood leukemia. The researchers, who have been studying turmeric for 20 years, believe the spice works by pro tecting children against harmful environmental chemicals.
Reduce Wrinkles with TurmericIndian women use turmeric as a beauty aid to keep the face smooth, radiant, and free of wrinkles and blemishes. Mrs. Aggarwal offers this formula for a facial mask, which you can use as often as you like. Many Indian women use it daily.
To make the mask, Indian women use sesame oil made in India, but any odorless oil, such as vegetable or canola, will do. To use sesame, you must get the sesame oil found in Indian markets, as the sesame oil generally found in supermarkets has a strong smell and is expensive.
This formula, which should last for several uses, feels as fresh and clean as a spa facial—at a fraction of the cost!
½ cup garbanzo (chickpea) flour
1½ tablespoons turmeric
Odorless cooking oil
Water
Mix the flour and turmeric in a container with a tight fitting lid. Keep it in a dry place in or near the bathroom.
To make the mask, mix about 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture in a small dish with about 5 drops of oil. Add enough water to make a paste. It should be the consistency of cake batter.
Pull your hair back or cover it with a towel. Using your fingertips, spread the mixture on your face and neck, making sure to stay clear of the eyes. Let the mixture stay on your face until it dries, about 15 minutes. Wash it off in the shower.
Researchers have also found that curcumin has the strength to:
• inhibit the toxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), cancer-causing chemicals in the environment. PAHs also form on meat, poultry, and fish when they are grilled or fried at temperatures exceeding 352°F.
• inhibit damage caused by ionizing radiation, such as radiation from the sun, x-rays, and other medical tests.
• prevent the formation of suspected cancer-causing compounds found in processed and cured foods.
Here’s a tasty health hint. To make turmeric even more potent against cancer-causing environmental hazards, sprinkle turmeric and black pepper together in your food. Studies show that both curcumin in turmeric and pepperine in black pepper fight environmental insults. Plus, pepperine enhances the absorption of curcumin.
Promise for Alzheimer’s Disease
During the last 25 years, the rate of the memory-robbing brain disease Alzheimer’s has doubled in the United States. In fact, it is increasing almost everywhere in the world—except in India, where it affects less than one percent of the population. The reason might be turmeric and curcumin.
Alzheimer’s is caused by an accumulation of plaque between brain cells (neurons), which thwarts communication between those cells. Scientists don’t know why these plaques form, but they do know howthey develop. The trigger is a protein called amyloid-A. In healthy brains, this protein is broken down and eliminated. In Alzheimer’s, the protein clumps together and hardens. Animal studies show that curcumin binds to amyloid-A, stopping it from clumping together and blocking neural activity.
Current medications for Alzheimer’s slightly reduce the symptoms and slow the disease, but no drug is considered highly effective. Curcumin might be the drug of the future. Not only can it disarm amyloid-A, studies show it can also: slow oxidative damage to neurons; reduce damage to neural synapses, the pathways of communication between brain cells; and reduce levels of toxic metals in the brain that might contribute to Alzheimer’s.
Regular intake of turmeric is also proving to be a natural safeguard against the decline in memory and brain function that can accompany age. Asian scientists conducted a study of turmeric consumption and mental acuity among older people who didn’t have Alzheimer’s and found that those who consumed the most turmeric-rich foods scored higher on standardized mental tests than those who rarely or never eat turmeric.
Help for Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative condition caused by the death of brain cells that manufacture dopamine, a brain chemical (neurotransmitter) that controls many functions, including the connection between the central nervous system and muscles. Both oxidative damage and inflammation have been implicated in the disease, which led researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine to wonder if curcumin could help protect cells from dying.
To test the theory, the researchers created a laboratory model of Parkinson’s disease, in which nerve-like cells produced a protein that eventually killed 50 percent of the cells. Adding curcumin to the cellular model reduced the rate of cell death to 19 percent—and also dramatically reduced the rate of oxidative damage in the cells. “These results suggest that curcumin is a potential candidate for inhibiting the oxidative damage that leads to Parkinson’s disease,” said Wanli Smith, PhD, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral science at Johns Hopkins. “This common spice could be a weapon to protect the brain.”
Easing Arthritis
Inflammation is a hallmark of the most common forms of arthritis—osteoarthritis (the destruction of the cartilage that covers and cushions the end of bones), rheumatoid arthritis (an autoimmune disease that attacks joints), and gout (an excess of sharp-edged uric acid crystals, which destroy joints).
To combat inflammation, many people with arthritis take a non-steroidal anti-drug (NSAID) such as aspirin, naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), or ibuprofen (Motrin). While they help reduce inflammation, NSAIDs can also irritate the lining of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract—nearly one in three of the 13 million people taking NSAIDs suffers from GI problems, which hospitalize 103,000 people yearly and kill more than 16,000, with sudden and massive bleeding from an ulcer. The new class of NSAIDs called Cox-2 inhibitors, such as celecoxib (Celebrex), were supposed to spare the GI tract—but ended up dramatically increasing the incidence of heart disease and stroke!
No wonder people with arthritis are looking for a safe and effective anti-inflammatory agent. Curcumin just might be it.
Recently, researchers in Thailand proved curcumin’s anti-inflammatory power when they tested the spice against ibuprofen in an experiment involving 107 older people with severe chronic osteoarthritis of the knee. Half took 800 milligrams (mg) of ibuprofen, while the other half took 2,000 mg (2 grams) of an extract containing the active compound in curcumin. Every two weeks for six weeks, the researchers measured their pain levels, their knee flexibility, their ability to walk up and down stairs, and the time it took to walk 328 feet (a little longer than a football field).
The researchers found that curcumin “might be just as effective as ibuprofen in alleviating knee pain and improving knee function.”
In a study of 18 people with rheumatoid arthritis, researchers found that 1,200 mg of curcumin taken for two weeks was just as effective in reducing arthritis symptoms as phenylbutazone (Butazolidine), a powerful NSAID. People who took the curcumin reported a reduction in morning swelling and stiffness, and an increase in the ability to perform everyday tasks.
A study in animals shows how curcumin works. In the experiment, researchers from the University of Arizona induced arthritis in laboratory animals—and then found that giving turmeric to the laboratory animals before arthritis was induced prevented joint inflammation. “Turmeric . . . demonstrated a profound inhibition of induced arthritis that is rarely seen,” said Janet L. Funk, MD, the study leader. In animals with arthritis, turmeric cut cartilage destruction by 66 percent and bone destruction by 57 percent, compared to animals not receiving the spice.
Turmeric Versus Curry PowderDon’t confuse turmeric with curry, a “spice” that can be found everywhere—except India and most parts of Asia.
Curry powder is not one spice. Rather, it’s a combination of spices the English invented in the 18th century as a shortcut to the seemingly arduous task of creating a variety of spice combinations to enhance different curries. Well, they may have saved some time, but they also homogenized the flavor. So, if all your curries taste the same, you can blame curry powder.
The spices in curry powder typically include coriander, cumin, fenugreek, black pepper, and, always, turmeric, the spice that gives curry powder its yellow hue.
Since it was first introduced, curry powder has become popular all over the world. Some countries, such as France and Denmark, even invented their own versions. But the “one type fits all” curry powder never caught on in India or other regions where creating curries is an art—and using a standard blend of spices is seen as anything but creative. In Asian cuisine, different curries call for different spice combinations that impart a special flavor to that particular dish. (You’ll find out for yourself, when you make the spice and curry blends in Part III.)
Two more curious facts about curry powder:
It’s often erroneously reported as being a rich source of curcumin. But it’s only as rich as the amount of turmeric in the powder, and turmeric levels vary.
Curry powder has nothing to do with true spice curry. That spice is derived from the curry leaf, which (in spite of its similar name) is from a different botanical family. There is no curcumin in the true spice curry.
When the researchers investigated the mechanism of turmeric, they found it derailed the genetic and molecular mechanisms of arthritis. Specifically, the spice influenced the action of nuclear factor-kappa B, a so-called “transcription factor” that switches genes on and off—in this case, turmeric helped the factor switch off key inflammatory genes that result in the destruction of cartilage and bone.
Fights Heart Disease and Stroke
ROS do some of their greatest damage against healthy arteries, so it’s no surprise that researchers in France recently reported that curcumin has the ability to help prevent clogged arteries, a key risk factor for heart attacks and stroke. In their study, the researchers fed two groups of mice the same artery-clogging diet, giving one group a curcumin supplement along with the diet. After 16 weeks, the mice fed the curcumin had 26 percent fewer fatty deposits in their arteries. The researchers also confirmed what previous studies have found: curcumin has the ability to alter the genetic signaling involved in plaque build-up.
But curcumin’s artery-protecting prowess doesn’t stop there. In another animal study at the Medical College of Georgia, curcumin was found to reduce the size of blood clots involved in hemorrhagic stroke, the type caused by a ruptured blood vessel in the brain. In the experiment, researchers induced stroke in animals, then gave them injections of curcumin every hour for three hours. The curcumin “significantly reduced” the size of the clots, reported the researchers.
In another animal study, the same researchers found that turmeric reduced the risk of cerebral vasospasm, a life-threatening narrowing of an artery sometimes triggered by a stroke or traumatic brain injury (TBI). As a result of the study, the researchers recommended turmeric as a possible additional therapy to “both prevent the development of cerebral vasospasm and to reduce oxidative brain injury” in people who’ve had a stroke or TBI.
Curcumin also fights artery-clogging cholesterol. In one study, Indian researchers asked 10 healthy men to take a 500-milligram curcumin supplement every morning. After just one week, “bad” LDL cholesterol dropped an average of 33 percent and “good” HDL cholesterol increased 29 percent.
One reason curcumin is a stellar cholesterol fighter: it works in the liver, where it increases the production of proteins that attach to LDL particles and escort them out of the body. Curcumin also stimulates the liver to produce more bile, which helps break down and eliminate excess cholesterol.
In addition, animal studies have found that curcumin has the ability to help:
• lower triglycerides, another artery-clogging blood fat.
• block the production of homocysteine, an amino acid linked to higher rates of heart disease and stroke.
• regulate blood pressure.
• reduce damage from a heart attack.
Guardian of the Liver
Virtually everything that goes in the body, both good and bad, makes a stop in the liver. When functioning at its peak, the liver can filter almost two quarts of blood per minute and easily dismantle toxins. The liver, however, takes a lot of abuse. Alcohol, pollution, second-hand smoke, allergens, poor diet, and even stress can take their toll on the liver, making it sluggish. Curcumin, however, can help keep the liver healthy, and it does so in two ways: by promoting the production of enzymes that detoxify the liver and by promoting flow of bile that cleanses the liver and rejuvenates its cells.
Not only does turmeric help keep the liver in peak condition—animal studies in the United States, Finland, and China suggest that turmeric has the strength to prevent alcohol-induced cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer.
Help for Problem Skin
According to Indian folklore, turmeric is the secret to smooth and radiant skin. It is a tradition in India for brides and grooms to apply turmeric mixed in milk to their skin before the marriage ceremony to enhance their skin’s vibrancy. Indian women use a paste made with turmeric as a daily mask to prevent blemishes and wrinkles. And in India and many other parts of the world, turmeric is a common ingredient in cosmetics.
Modern science has confirmed what Ayurvedic doctors in India have known for centuries: turmeric is an effective remedy for all kinds of skin ailments. That includes: acne, blemishes, itching, and rashes; stubborn conditions such as contact dermatitis, an allergic reaction; and serious chronic conditions such as psoriasis and scleroderma.
And in an experiment with laboratory animals, wounds healed faster, with less scarring, among animals treated with topical curcumin.
A Spice Fat-Buster
Research at Tufts University showed that turmeric may play a role in preventing overweight.
In their experiment, the researchers put two groups of mice on a high-fat diet intended to promote weight gain, but one group was also given a daily curcumin supplement. After 12 weeks, the mice receiving curcumin gained less weight and accumulated fewer fat cells. (Their cholesterol was lower, too.)
“Weight gain is the result of the growth and expansion of fat tissue, which cannot happen unless new blood vessels form, a process known as angiogenesis,” explained Mohsen Meydani, PhD, a study researcher. “Based on our data, curcumin appears to suppress angiogenic activity in the fat tissue of mice fed high-fat diets.” And the researchers concluded that turmeric and curcumin hold promise as a way for us humans to prevent weight gain, too.
Turmeric is from a rhizome, or underground stem.A Cornucopia of Healing
There are many other conditions that turmeric and curcumin may help fight. They include:
Inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease and colitis). Several animal and preliminary human studies indicate that curcumin is effective against Crohn’s disease and can help maintain remission in people with ulcerative colitis. In one study, curcumin produced significant improvement in the symptoms of 207 people with inflammatory bowel disease.
Cystic fibrosis. This fatal disease strikes children and young adults, causing the lungs to fill with thick mucus. In animal research, Yale scientists found that curcumin corrected a defect that produces the excess mucus. A protective dose would be well tolerated in humans, they said.
Depression. Animal studies found that curcumin reduced depression-like behavior in mice and increased levels of the serotonin and dopamine, two brain chemicals often depleted in depression.
Type 2 diabetes. Animal and human studies show that curcumin helps control blood sugar levels and also reduces the risk of complications associated with the disease, such as diabetic retinopathy, a destruction of blood vessels in the eye that can lead to blindness. Curcumin also can strengthen the pancreas, which produces insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar levels.
Eye diseases. Uveitis is a serious eye infection that can lead to blindness. In a study of 32 people, curcumin was as effective as corticosteroids in treating the infection. And in a study reported inPhytotherapy Research, an eye drop containing turmeric extract (Ophthacare) was effective in treating a number of eye problems, including pink eye (conjunctivitis), dry eye, and problems in postoperative cataract care.
Gallbladder disease. A study in people with gallbladder disease found that 20 mg a day of supplemental curcumin reduced the formation of gallstones and improved the health of the gallbladder.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This disease gradually destroys the macula, the central area of the retina that is responsible for focus and sharp vision. It afflicts 20 percent of Americans ages 65 to 74, and 35 percent over 75, and is the number one cause of blindness. Animal research at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center shows that curcumin may offer natural protection against AMD by protecting the retina from damage caused by light and oxidative stress. Animal studies have found that curcumin may protect against cataracts in the same way.
Pain. Numerous studies show that turmeric reduces pain and inflammation. In one, 45 surgical patients were given three daily doses of either 400 mg of curcumin, 100 mg of phenylbutazone, an anti-inflammatory drug, or a placebo. The curcumin provided significant relief, without the side effects of the drug.
How Much Do You Need?
Eating a lot of turmeric-rich food is a great way to promote good health. In India, the average person ingests about a teaspoon of turmeric daily, spread out over three meals—enough for Indians to enjoy a remarkably low incidence of Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes.
Turmeric pairs well with these spices:
Allspice
Black pepper
Caraway
Cardamom
Cinnamon
Coconut
Coriander
Cumin
Fennel seed
Galangal
Garlic
Ginger
Mustard seed
Onion
Sun-dried tomato
and complements recipes featuring:
Curries
Lentils
Rice
Soups
Tomato sauces
Vegetables of all
varieties, especially
cauliflower and onions
I also recommend taking a daily 500 mg curcumin supplement for general health. (Recommended dosages for specific health conditions can be found in Part IV, “Index of Healing Prescriptions.”)
Rest assured that supplemental curcumin is safe to take: there have been no serious side effects and no toxicity reported from taking up to 16 grams of curcumin a day. In culinary terms, that would be like eating a daily cup of turmeric!
A curcumin supplement is best taken on an empty stomach about an hour before eating. You can improve the absorption of a curcumin supplement by taking it with: grapefruit juice, pineapple juice, milk, or pepperine (the supplemental form of black pepper), or with a meal containing oil (such as olive oil) or dairy (such as yogurt).
Getting to Know TurmericYou only think turmeric is foreign to American taste buds. Turmeric is a flavoring in some of America’s all-time favorites. It’s what puts the bright yellow color in American cheese and in the mustard on ballpark franks. It’s also used to color butter, margarine, canned chicken broth, bread-and-butter pickles, yellow cake, and popcorn.
When it comes to cuisine, turmeric is best known as a key ingredient in curry, the variety of spicy dishes that accompany every meal in India. In fact, turmeric is so well-loved in India, it is used in just about everything. And it is a common ingredient in many spice blends, known as masalas.
Moroccans combine turmeric and saffron to make harira, a soup traditionally eaten at the end of Ramadan, and it is also a key ingredient in the Moroccan spice mixture ras-el-hanout. The Lebanese use it to make a yellow cake called sfouf. Throughout the Middle East, it is a key ingredient in chermoula, a marinade used to flavor fish and other foods.
The Japanese are also fond of turmeric. They put it in tea, bottle it in vinegars, add it to noodles, and even put it in dog food. They also put it in soaps, lotions, and creams.
In England you can find turmeric in dairy products, cough drops, and even veterinary medicine. It is also the main ingredient in the British favorite piccalillo, a pickled chutney-like vegetable dish that is served with meats, especially at Christmas time.
Turmeric is the star ingredient in kapitan chicken, a mild curry popular in Malaysia.
In Thailand, cooks often use zedoary, a spice also known as white turmeric. Though it comes from the same family, it bears little resemblances to turmeric—it is used as a thickener in place of arrowroot and contains very little curcumin.
And turmeric is used to flavor momas, Nepal’s version of a dumpling.
How to Buy Turmeric
Most of the world’s turmeric comes from two places in India: Alleppey and Madras. I recommend buying turmeric from Alleppey, if possible, as research has shown it contains nearly two times more curcumin than turmeric from Madras. It is also a deeper color (bright yellow) and has a mellower flavor.
MOST OF THE WORLD’S TURMERIC COMES FROM INDIA, AND MOST INDIAN TURMERIC COMES FROM EITHER ALLEPPEY OR MADRAS.Turmeric (sometimes spelled tumeric) can also be found in the spice section of most supermarkets. If you are buying at a spice market, you might notice a difference in the color from bag to bag. Don’t worry—it’s not a sign of deterioration.
Turmeric comes from the rhizome (an underground stem of a bushy perennial plant), and it’s very hard to grind. For this reason, it is almost always sold already ground. The fresh rhizome is sometimes found in Asian and Indian markets.
If possible, buy turmeric in a quantity that you will use up in a few months, as it tends to lose its aromatic flavor over time.
In the Kitchen with Turmeric
Turmeric is the only readily available edible source of curcumin, so you want to make sure to get it in your diet as much as possible. When cooked, it has a mild fragrance, somewhat reminiscent of ginger and orange, with a slight peppery taste.
Turmeric is still relatively new to Western dishes and taste buds—and it’s a rare cook who will use up a bottle before its expiration. That should change, however, once you get the true culinary sense of what turmeric is all about. Even Indians agree that raw turmeric is rather harsh, which is why they always cook it. The spice will mellow as it is cooked. Just heat a little oil in a pan and sprinkle it with turmeric, stirring it with a wooden spoon so it doesn’t burn. Within seconds, your senses will enjoy its deliciously aromatic perfume—and you will discover why Indians are so fond of the spice! If you can’t smell its perfume, your turmeric is past its prime.
Here are some tips for putting more turmeric in your dishes:
• Heat oil in a pan and add turmeric as just described, and add vegetables to make a stir-fry.
• Try the same thing using sliced apples.
• Add turmeric to your standard meat, poultry, and fish recipes that call for sautéing or searing in a pan.
• Add a teaspoon or two to meat and vegetables stews in recipes serving two to four. Add more for larger portions.
• Add turmeric to fried onions. (One study, reported Protection against Cancer-Causing Pollution, found that onions and turmeric together work synergistically to protect against cancer.)
• Use turmeric in dishes featuring cruciferous vegetables for extra protection against breast, prostate, and other types of cancer. Cruciferous vegetables are good for more than prostate cancer; in fact, intake is associated with lower levels of all kinds of diseases. This includes cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts, kale, and watercress.
• Eat more yellow mustard.
• Add turmeric to scrambled eggs and other egg dishes. Not only does it add flavor, it also gives eggs an intensely yellow appearance.
• Use it as they do in India, as the spice in dishes featuring lentils.
• Add it to dips and salad dressings.
• Blend it in melted butter and drizzle it over cooked vegetables.
• Add a tablespoon of turmeric to a large pot of chicken noodle soup.
• Heat turmeric in a little oil before adding the liquid to make basmati rice.
• Add 1 teaspoon of turmeric to homemade chili.
• Use it as a flavoring for seafood stews and dishes using coconut milk.
Other recipes containing turmeric:
Ajowan Parathas
All-American Chili con Carne
Brussels Sprouts Kulambu
Caribbean Curry Paste
Coconut Meatballs with Peanut Sauce
Colombo Powder
Ginger Carrot and Squash Soup
Hot Curry Powder
La Kama
Malaysian Curry Paste
Ras-el-hanout
Sambaar Masala
Spiced Vegetable Fritters
Vindaloo Curry Paste
Potato Cauliflower CurryCalled aloo gobi in India, this popular dish originated in the north of the country and is served in every Indian home. The combination of turmeric, onion, pepper, garlic, ginger, and cruciferous vegetables make it a potent cancer fighter.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 twenty-eight-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets
1½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
½ teaspoon diced fresh ginger
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon garam masala
Salt, to taste
¼ cup chopped cilantro (optional)
1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the turmeric and cumin seeds until the spices render their aroma, about 30 seconds. Add the sliced onions and garlic and sauté, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft, about eight minutes.
2. Stir in the diced tomatoes, cauliflower, potatoes, ginger, chili powder, and ground pepper. Reduce the heat, cover partially, and cook for 40 minutes, stirring frequently. If the curry appears too dry and the vegetables start to stick to the pan, add some water.
3. Add the garam masala, simmer five minutes. Turn off the heat and keep covered until ready to serve. Sprinkle with cilantro, if using, and serve.
Makes 6 servings.Turmeric is not recommended for dishes calling for dairy, which masks the spice’s delicate flavor.
Caution: During ancient times, turmeric had a secondary use as a fabric dye to make colorful clothing for the rich. So be careful about spills—it can be difficult to get out of fabric and can even leave a stain on your kitchen counter.
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