The Golden Glow of Turmeric

Turmeric has been used for over 600 years as a medicinal herb due to its anti-inflammatory properties. The basis for this lies in an ingredient within turmeric, known as curcumin. When you pair turmeric with black pepper, it aids in absorption of curcumin.

Many people use turmeric in their foods to enhance flavor or dye foods the golden yellow color we all recognize. Make sure when you add turmeric to eggs or other dishes that you add black pepper to it so you can absorb the curcumin in the turmeric.

Turmeric is the main ingredient in curry powder, and is a staple ingredient used in Indian and Asian cuisine. It is often used in savory dishes and is sold in fresh as well as powder form. Nutritionally, turmeric is a great source of iron, fiber, and vitamin C.

The uses of turmeric to treat ailments such as respiratory illness and skin conditions can be tracked back as far as 500 B.C.

Because turmeric is an excellent inti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and antioxidant, it is considered to act as a protective agent.

Nowadays, it is used as a dietary supplement and recently has become a popular ingredient in smoothies and coffee drinks. There is a “turmeric milk drink” that is said to have excellent benefits that combines honey, turmeric, milk, black pepper, cinnamon, and maple syrup.  Also known as “Golden Milk” this drink is said to have many benefits.

Using turmeric for skin conditions, such as acne have proven to be successful in some cases. How to put it together and get it off without dying your skin is another subject for another time. In our research, we found that there are some skin lotions and creams out on the market that already contain turmeric, so finding one shouldn’t be a problem. Just make sure it has turmeric actually listed in the ingredients, somewhere towards the first few items on the list. This is true for anything you buy. A product could claim to have an item in it, but when you check the ingredients, it's towards the bottom of the list, which shows it only has a fraction of that item in it.

Turmeric in wound care is easy, and cost effective. However, we would recommend always seeking medical advice before pouring anything into an open wound. But turmeric seems to have some antibacterial properties and promotes healthy tissue growth.

What it does with arthritis has led some to take it daily to alleviate pain and stiffness associated with it. Make sure you talk with a healthcare professional on the amount to take per day. But some people have said that even in small doses turmeric has alleviated their symptoms.

Studies have shown that curcumin, the essential ingredient in turmeric has many health benefits, though you should watch how much of it you take in a day. There are side effects to taking too much turmeric, and its ingredient curcumin.

Always take the advice of any health care professional when adding anything new to your diet, including turmeric. There is a chance you could be allergic. For example, if you are allergic to ginger, most likely you are allergic to turmeric as well — so take extra precaution.

In doing research for this article, we also found many other claims of what turmeric can possibly do for your health. One of those is prevent or reduce gingivitis. Due to the antibacterial nature of turmeric, making a mouthwash out of it, or buying one with turmeric in it, is said to alleviate some issues with gingivitis, though it has not truly been tested as such. Talk with your dentist about whether this treatment might be good for you, and what they would recommend helping you deal with gingivitis if you have it. Maybe adding it into your current treatment would not hurt anything, but contacting your dentist is your first step.