Why is Turmeric called the “spice of life”
A plant belonging to the ginger family, also called Indian saffron, is native to southern Asia from tropical and subtropical areas. It is also grown in India and China. The leaves of a plant about one meter high with yellow flowers are surprisingly large. The rootstock consists of a spherical central tuber from which branch elongated lateral tubercles. They are stored in pits lined with grass and banana leaves, then dried, rubbed and pressed into baskets. The oozing sap is caught in bamboo cane tubes and then drunk or used, for example, as hair pomade. The stem of the plant is boiled, cleaned, dried in the sun, and then ground into a powder. The bitter, strongly aromatic substance is the basic spice of Asian and Indian cuisine, one of the components of the famous curry spice mix.
It was called yellow ginger for the first time, and it got the name turmeric in the second half of the 18th century. It arrived in Europe with the help of Marco Polo, and was identified by the Swedish botanist Linnaeus in 1753. At home, it is mainly used as a spice, it gives a nice yellow color to food, which is why it is often used around the world as a substitute for the much more expensive saffron, even though they taste different. A special seasoning for meat, soups, vegetable dishes and sauces. Handle it carefully, as it can make food too yellow and bitter!
It has many beneficial effects, it is no coincidence that it is also considered the “spice of life”. In traditional Indian medicine, Ayurveda, it has long been considered a symbol of well-being and a means of cleansing the whole body, infection, joint pain and liver disease. It was also known in Assyria in 600 BC, and it was also used by the most famous Greek physician of antiquity, Dioscorides. Its main active ingredient is the carbon compound found in the root, curcumin, which also gives it its yellow color.
It has a strong antioxidant, effective anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, antibacterial, antiviral and immune-boosting effects. It increases the level of glutathione in the liver and tissues, known as the most powerful natural healing substance, which destroys free radicals.
Curcumin strengthens the gallbladder, increases the solubility of bile, prevents the formation of gallstones and helps empty existing stones. It is an excellent diuretic, helps kidney function, lowers cholesterol levels, stimulates fat metabolism, and thus weight loss. It increases the production of cortisol in the body in large quantities, which effectively reduces inflammatory processes in the body. Especially effective in rheumatic and other joint inflammations.
It is good for the feeling of fullness after fatty meals, reduces the production of stomach acid, has a beneficial effect on flatulence and intestinal spasms, promotes the elimination of toxins. In Chinese medicine, it is used to improve blood circulation, because it prevents the formation of blood clots, reduces the risk of thrombosis, reduces bleeding, and is also an effective remedy for menstrual problems.
Curcumin inhibits the growth, proliferation and spread of cancer cells. They are investigating its role in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease, as well as its possible curative effect, because such a disease hardly exists in India.
