Why Turmeric is top-ranked in the world of spices
In recent years, Turmeric has been promoted up the ranks in the world of spices- from its humble beginnings as an ingredient in a curry powder to taking its place on the menu of plenty of trendy cafes. It is also widely available in powder or capsule form from the supermarket or health food stores.
Turmeric is inherently poorly absorbed and all Turmeric unfortunately is not created equal. It can be adulterated with the addition of chalk or colour to the product. This is why it’s important to look at the quality of the company/product in the first place and also to look at adding Turmeric via dietary sources.
With its signature brown skin and bright orange flesh, Turmeric is derived from the root of the Curcuma Longa plant, belonging to the group of oldest cultivated spice plants that grow in Asia and Central America.
Curcumin is the active constituent in Turmeric that gives it its distinctly golden hue and this itself has the medicinal properties.
Turmeric has long been recognised and revered by traditional systems of medicine such as Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western herbal medicine for its health promoting and healing benefits.
There are huge amounts of studies on Turmeric showing benefits in reducing inflammation via a reduction of inflammatory cytokines and as a potent as an anti-oxidant to help protect against free radical damage.
This means that adding more turmeric to your life might help with joint pain and inflammation, support liver and digestive function, promote healthy digestion, supports health and function of the immune system and an improved microbiome.
Dietary sources include making your own Turmeric latte, adding Turmeric to smoothies, adding it to roast vegetables, soups, stews and curries.
Your Naturopaths Tips
Megan Reilly, Senior naturopath at NIIM, gives us her recommendations on the easiest ways to incorporate Turmeric into your daily health regime.
The Golden Goddess salad dressing recipe (below) for a tasty way to access the health benefits of Turmeric, and the CurcuGuard 500 by Medlab Turmeric supplement, a fuss free alternative for incorporating Turmeric into your routine, and make sure you enjoy this nutritional powerhouse on a daily basis!
Golden Goddess - Salad Dressing
Ingredients
1/4 Cup tahini
1/4 Cup fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 inch fresh grated ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 black pepper
1 tbsp honey
Salt to taste
Method
1 - Place all ingredients into a blender and process until smooth.
2 - Adjust seasoning as necessary.
3 - If dressing is too thick or thickens after storing, add some water to dilute it.
4 - Pour over your favourite salad, protein or roasted vegetables.
We are here to help:
You can book an appointment with our NIIM GPs and naturopaths to determine your specific needs on (03) 9804 0646 ☎️
