Friday, April 9, 2010

Turmeric...The Super Spice

Turmeric is a natural herb part of the ginger family. It thrives in places such as India and other parts of Asia, and is traditionally used in curry powders. Historically it was used as a dye in Indian cultures and in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine for supporting immune system function, treating digestive disorders, infection and arthritis.


Curcumin {the active component of turmeric} gives turmeric its health benefits.

Health Benefits Of Turmeric:
  • Is a natural pain killer.
  • Is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal.
  • Stimulates the immune system, helping prevent colds.
  • Can speed up healing of wounds and cuts.
  • Been shown to have anti-cancer properties for all stages of cancer.
  • Acts as a natural anti-inflammatory.
  • Helps digest fats by activating bile flow.
  • Can be used as a natural detoxifier.
  • Assists in blood circulation and provides protection against heart attacks and strokes.
  • Acts as a digestive aid; can help settle the stomach.
While turmeric is not an essential nutrient, you can not have a deficiency. But with its potential health benefits and great flavor, its encouraging to use it. When buying turmeric, look for one that contains at least 95% of curcumin for most flavor and benefits.

Happy Friday! Have a great weekend! ;)

34 Fabulous People:

  1. I actually work for a vitamin website called Omnisupplements & people buy this all the time from us. I wasn't sure what it was used for. Thanks for the update. I don't have a gall bladder so this sounds right up my alley!!

    Have a great weekend!

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  2. iva- you have some amazing information on your blog! i love it. i'm going to chat w/b and see if he uses turmeric and if not, we definitely need to get some- especially if it helps digestion. thanks for all of the amazing information. have the best weekend!

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  3. My mother uses tumeric in just about everything she cooks! Love it with potatoes :)

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  4. My Mom cooks with Turmuric ALL the time! Love the taste, plus it is so good for you! I love all the little info you post on here! :) Have a happy weekend! :)

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  5. Oh my, how very interesting :)

    Have a great weekend!

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  6. Thats great. We cook with a lot of cumin. You are a smartie pants and I can't wait to learn more from you!

    new follower!

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  7. That dish looks quite good, and I definitely didn't know any of that about Turmeric!

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  8. I'm from Pakistan, and we have a tradition where we each take turns rubbing a pea sized amount of tumeric paste on the bride to be's face and arms. It gives the bride a glow. This event has a name for itself called 'Mayun'.

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  9. I love it! I seriously will have to buy some tumeric at Trader Joe's today. You hooked me when you said it helps digest fats. Yes!

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  10. not my favorite but the good things about it are top notch!
    Thanks Iva your tips are always the best! have a great weekend

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  11. good stuff! now let's go get some indian food!!! YUM!

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  12. Not I want to google some recipes to use this spice in!! Happy Friday to you!

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  13. hmm..i wonder if this would help my morning sickness...

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  14. mmm yummy and healthy, what more can you ask for?! loves it.

    have a happy happy weekend lady! :)

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  15. I love this spice & have heard of the health benefits. Thanks for the reminder - I need to incorporate this more into my diet! Have a great weekend :)

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  16. I was aware of its cancer properties but the others are a revelation to me. I always sneeze when there's turmeric around me.

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  17. I eat a ton of Indian food, so I should be in good shape:)

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  18. I'm a fan of spices. I use them quite a lot. Love the post. Thanks for stopping by my blog! I'm so glad it brought me to yours which is fabulous. By the way, your hair! It's so beautiful. I'm so jealous! (in a good way :-) Take care.

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  19. I use a ton of cumin, I will def be trying this out! Awesome post!!

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  20. Love the info! Have a wonderful weekend!

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  21. Never even heard of this! Great info. :)

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  22. I had no idea. And I love turmeric. More the reason to cook with this beloved, orange spice.

    I'm glad you found me and I LOVE your blog. I'm such a health nut and I could read about health, fitness, being green, etc. all day long.

    Oh, and I'm your newest follower!

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  23. I have organic turmeric in my spice cabinet. I just never know when to use it! So it just sits there...I'm going to have to try the cauliflower!

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  24. You have such a fun blog! So many great posts! I cannot wait to read more, girl! And you are way too cute and thin...I'm off to eat a big muffin! (Then run 8 miles tomorrow...so maybe I'll have 2...or 6!) Ha!

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  25. Isn't tumeric fabulous? So glad you posted this! It's also a great natural dye for yellow soap, should you ever hanker to make it :)

    xo Mary Jo

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  26. I use it a lot in the meals I prepare, it is fantastic!

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  27. Can I use this as a legitimate reason to eat more curry? I'm so in love with Indian food, must learn to cook more dishes myself. Turmeric is a beautiful spice, though I never knew how good it was for us.

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  28. Very interesting, will keep that in mind. Thanks for sharing.

    Hope your weekend is going well.

    Colin.

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  29. Thanks for the comment on my blog! Definitely try the Chicken Korma recipe. It was amazing. And if you haven't yet, pick up the Jamie Oliver Food Revolution cookbook. So many great recipes. :)

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  30. Thank you for coming by my blog...LOVE yours! And this piece on turmeric is marvelous!

    My husband is fighting recurrent melanoma and there are NUMEROUS studies indicating turmeric is of specific benefit to those with melanoma. Happy for a new recipe!

    Peace, Sister!

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  31. So true about turmeric ,here in India the day starts (breakfast) and ends with this (dinner )

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  32. Thanks for the info, I'll have to use more of this when I'm cooking. Have a great weekend!

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  33. Ah, thanks for this little bit about turmeric! We've had it in our spice cabinet for several months and that color is incredible. I'm glad to know there are so many health benefits.
    Now, do you have any good turmeric recipes?

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Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog and comment! Hope you are having a great day!