Ounce
for ounce, few spices can compete with the health-promoting effects
of tumeric. Commonly used in curry sauces in South Asian cuisine,
this golden yellow spice is showing up with increasing frequency
in medical journals all over the world as researchers identify the
many health attributes of tumeric.
Recent
Findings
Curcumin,
the active component of tumeric, may help the immune system eliminate
protein that is suspected of accumulating to form damaging plaques
in the brains of people who develop Alzheimer's disease.
Only
1 percent of the elderly in India develop Alzheimer's disease
- this is one-quarter the rate of Alzheimer's development in North
America. This difference is thought to be due in part to regular
consumption of curry in India.
Daily
intake of curcumin may decrease the risk of developing polyps
in the colon, which in turn, decreases the risk of developing
colorectal cancer.
Regular
consumption of tumeric may help to ease pain and inflammation
that accompanies arthritis.
Curcumin
may be helpful in the treatment of some cases of cystic fibrosis.
Curcumin
can help to effectively treat skin cancer cells.
Tumeric
may help to prevent the spread of breast cancer cells.
The
medicinal properties of tumeric are so significant that the National
Institutes of Health is currently conducting clinical trials to
determine if tumeric (curcumin) should be a part of conventional
treatment recommendations for Alzheimer's disease, colorectal cancer,
pancreatic cancer, and multiple myeloma.
If
you would like to add tumeric to your diet via curry powders and
sauces, be sure that tumeric appears on the list of ingredients.
Many curry powders, sauces, and recipes use cumin, which
is not to be confused with curcumin or tumeric. The health-promoting
effects listed in this article are attributable to curcumin found
in the spice tumeric.
In
addition to being a main ingredient of authentic curry powders and
sauces, tumeric is also abundant in prepared mustards. When purchasing
mustard, choose one that lists tumeric close to the beginning on
its list of ingredients.
Editor's
Note:
Usually
turmeric's confined to Indian recipes where curry's involved.
But a great way of incorporating it is putting in 1/4 tsp to your
rice -- it will turn the rice orange, but the flavor is very mild.
It will work for almost any rice dish.
It's
great if you're making Mexican rice -- rice made with salsa and
chili powder.
Can
also be added to mashed potatoes.
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