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Superfoods: Turmeric - The Gold of the Orient!

Superfoods: Turmeric - The Gold of the Orient!

Mireia Cervera 25 May 2022

Turmeric ( Curcuma longa ) is a tropical plant in the same family as ginger. It is an authenticblank "> superfood and in recent years there has been much talk about it for being the most anticancer food known, although it has always been used in Indian gastronomy and as a base ingredient in curry, providinghim the characteristic yellow color.

In India it is considered a sacred spice and a plant that helps cleanse the entire body, so it is consumed daily almost more than any other spice (cbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4326183/pdf/12937_2014_Article_863.pdf">1) And in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine it is considered a medicine, especially in cases of fever, infections, arthritis and liver diseases From this culture toyurvédica comes from a recipe with turmeric already widespread throughout the West, known as "Golden milk or Golden milk".

In Okinawa (one of the so-called "Blue Zones", known for having very long-lived inhabitants) it is consumedturmeric in infusion form.

In the West, turmeric had so far been used very little, basically as a food additive (E-100) to color dairy products, mustards and in confectionery.. Although it is becoming more and more popular and even scientists have paid a lot of attention to its medicinal properties. There are many studies that confirm its anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer benefits and many more (ww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3535097/">2).

Many clinical studies have shown that turmeric is a very powerful anticancer agent, which has a wide range of mechanisms to fight cancer.

Turmeric - anticancer
Turmeric contains curcumin in 2.2% of the total weight of the dried root, the most abundant polyphenol (antioxidant) in this plant. Curcumin isan antitumor and anti-inflammatory agent and is capable of inhibiting the growth of tumor cells, and what it does is slow the progression of metastasis and induces the suicide of cancer cells (mc / articles / PMC3693758 / "> 3). Unlike chemotherapy, turmeric has a wide range of mechanisms to treat cancer and also enhances chemo and protects other healthy organs from its harmful effect.

turmeric is a very powerful anti-inflammatory agent. That is why it is useful to treat pain and diseases, such as arthritis or osteoarthritis, to prevent cardiovascular and cognitive diseases.s (Parkinson's and Alzheimer's). It even works very well to improve gastrointestinal diseases such as slow digestion, gastric acid imbalance or lack of appetite. It already seems like a plant miracle, but it is not all! Theturmeric is a powerful detoxifier! It purifies the liver and increases the production of bile which helps to lower the level of cholesterol in the blood.

In the end it turns out that curcumin is so so powerful, that you have to tBe careful when taking certain medications, because it can increase their effect. One of the drugs is anticoagulants, because curcumin along with all the above is a powerful anticoagulant (.nih.gov / pubmed / 22531131 "> 4 ). Well in this case maybe it is worth taking curcumin daily instead of taking medications, because curcumin has no side effects, although each case is veryparticular and you have to consult with your doctor. What is certain, that if you are planning a surgery, you should stop taking curcumin a couple of weeks before, to prevent blood loss. In case of taking turmeric concentration of curcumin.

Turmeric and its absorption
To increase the absorption of turmeric at the intestinal level and therefore enhance its anticancer power, it should be mixed with black pepper - better always freshly ground - and some fattyto healthy, for example extra virgin olive oil, flax oil, nuts or others. Black pepper contains piperine, a component that increases the absorption of curcumin by 2000% more (cts / ejournals / abstract / 10.1055 / s-2006-957450 "> 5 ). And if we also put it in contact with a healthy fat, it absorbs even better. It is exactly what our-chai.html "target =" _ blank "> Turmeric Chai from Teresa's Juicery.

The daily amount of curcumin , which they use in most studies, is 2 g per day. And turmeric powder no hThere is a lot of scientific data, but in some studies they use 8 g per day. And also in all sources they say that it is not toxic at all and there is no risk of overdose, although most of the studies were short-term and longer studies are lacking.ion. But in any case, moderation please! In special cases - consult your doctor.

Pepper polyphenol "piperine" increases turmeric absorption by 20 times!

There are many ways to consume turmeric in your diet, either in powder or root form, such as:

  • Make the mixture of turmeric powder, freshly ground black pepper and olive oil as a vinaigrette andadd it to the salad or vegetable plate.
  • Make an infusion or green tea, turmeric , black pepper and a few drops of lemon juice. if we add it to green tea we increase the effectiveness of turmeric (nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21780253 "> 6 ).
  • Add it to cooking legumes, cereals, stews, soups and vegetable creams.
  • Add it to green juices and smoothies, either with the root or directly in powder. Vitamin Cof fruit and vegetable juices increases the stability of curcumin ( 7 ).
  • Add a teaspoon of turmeric powder in the preparation of homemade bread, and better if it iswith sourdough, because a fermentation increases the benefits of the spice ( 8 ).
  • Take achai.html "target =" _ blank "> Turmeric Chai or other Teresa's Juicery drinks that carry this wonderful spice, such ashtml "target =" _ blank "> Forever Young.


Green tea with Turmeric
Ingredients:

1 teaspoon Sencha green tea leaves
1 piece of fresh turmeric or 1teaspoon ground turmeric
1 pinch of black pepper
Lemon peel
1 cup of water

Preparation

  • Put all the ingredients except the water in a kettle.
  • Heat the water to about 90º, making sure it never boils, and turn off when it starts to bubble.
  • Pour the water into the kettle and infuse for about 8 minutes.
  • Strain and drink.

Mireia Cervera Nutritionist Teresa Carles Healthy Foods Group - Flax & Kale