Turmeric the “golden spice” is a spice that has been used throughout the continent of Asia (yes, this includes India) for thousands of years as a cooking spice and medicinal remedy. The popular Asian spice is often used in the preparation of curries as well as a coloring agent to dye foods such as cheese, popcorn, mustard, pickles and some beverages.
The spice imparts a yellowish-gold color to these foods making them more appealing. Most people (“Westerner’s”) associate the spice with being a primary ingredient in curry but know very little about its medicinal attributes. As it turns out various parts of Asia have been using turmeric for its medicinal application far more than in cuisine.
The root which is dried and turned into the spice we all know is part of the ginger family which is also known to have excellent medicinal qualities but why has turmeric become so popular? The short answer is the active ingredient known as curcumin found in turmeric. You may find several online references interchanging the word turmeric and curcumin but the known active ingredient that shows promising medicinal applications happens to be curcumin.
Although the science community has yet to agree on a pharmaceutical application for curcumin, the initial studies conducted show promise. If you happen to read enough online articles as well as comments written about turmeric and curcumin you will find that many swear by its medicinal attributes when consumed regularly.
Head over to the next page to continue reading about turmeric’s medicinal qualities and how it is being used to treat various ailments.
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