SPOTLIGHT: Turmeric – Nature’s Miracle Spice

2016 is the year that Turmeric came into the spotlight and quite frankly; we can’t get enough of the stuff. The impressive health benefits go above and beyond to say the least, so this year we say ‘go gold’, as Turmeric is the new super food you need to know about!

TUMERIC FACT FILE
WHERE’S IT FROM? Turmeric originated in South- East India, comes from the rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant and has a close connection to ginger.

HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN AROUND? Forget the recent Turmeric trend, ancient civilizations have been cooking with it for thousands of years! This spice has also been used in Chinese medicine for centuries too. The health benefits are endless with particular focus on its healing and anti-inflammatory properties.

WHAT ARE THE HEALTH BENEFITS? Since the turn of the Century and over 50 clinical trials later it proves that curcumin- the pigment and ingredient in turmeric that gives it the vibrant yellow colour -protects against a variety of diseases including preventing or treating lung disease, brain disease and cancers including multiple myeloma, colon and pancreatic cancer.
Turmeric has also shown to speed up recovery after surgery and is suspected to also effectively treat osteoarthritis, help to prevent inflammatory conditions and also to reduce blood pressure.

HOW TO TAKE IT? Tumeric is a very strong and potent spice so we recommend having just a quarter of a teaspoon everyday, and we suggest taking Tumeric with black pepper. Why? Well black pepper is composed of a compound called piperine and it basically prevents your liver from actively working to get rid of the curcumin you’ve just eaten. Even a pinch of pepper can significantly boost curcumin levels in your blood, so it’s definitely worth remembering!
Tumeric may already be in your kitchen spice rack, but if not you can buy it from any supermarket or buy it raw from Asian food shops.

The best way to include turmeric into your diet is to grate it raw onto your food (tastes great with lentil, brown rice, meat and curry focused dishes) or by simply adding the powered spice into hot water to make turmeric tea or adding it to milk.

If you want your turmeric hit without having to whip up a curry feast, why not try these quick and simple ideas;
– Sprinkle some onto an avocado – a great addition to your ‘smashed avocado on toast ‘
– Stir it into olive oil and toss into fresh vegetables
– Season home-cooked sweet potato wedges with it and bake in the oven