Good things can happen when you eat turmeric.
Used for centuries to treat all sorts of ailments, this anti-inflammatory root is best known for its preventive health benefits and ability to fight disease, according to Jessica Cording, a registered dietitian and nutritionist, who writes the mindbodygreen blog.
![tumeric]()
Called the “spice of life,” turmeric has a long history of medicinal use in Ayurvedic medicine and traditional Chinese medicine.
Turmeric is a common ingredient in Indian dishes and lends its rich yellow color and spicy zing to mustard. It’s also used as a dye for textiles, but is best known for the numerous health benefits it offers. The healing powers of turmeric are attributed to its bioactive compound, curcumin, which has been effective in:
- Wound healing
- Treatment of liver disorders and skin diseases
- Helping maintain a healthy digestive system
- Easing inflammation and joint pain
- Combating diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, osteoarthritis and cancer
- Supporting healthy cholesterol levels
- Protecting against cataracts, liver damage, pulmonary toxicity and fibrosis and radiation-induced damage
- Reducing symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis
- Lowering risk for thrombosis, myocardial infarction and possibly type 2 diabetes
See? It is truly a miracle spice.
You can add turmeric to recipes to boost flavor and get the benefits, but one of the easiest ways to enhance your diet with turmeric is by brewing turmeric tea and drinking it once or twice a day.
You can buy turmeric at the market or at any health food store. It can be found in its natural state as a root cutting or as a powder or tea. Any of the three can be used to brew tea.
You can even grow this tropical plant, indoors or out.
The root cuttings you buy at the market have little “growing buds,” which look like nodules or fingers extending outward, generally in the same direction.
Break a large turmeric cutting, known as a rhizome, into a small piece that has two or three buds, plant it in a pot so the buds are facing upward, not downward, and cover with soil.
Turmeric plants thrive in hot, humid conditions and will grow much slower if exposed to cooler temperatures.
Whether you eat it, drink it or grow it — or all three! — color your world sunny yellow and reap the amazing benefits.