Turmeric , a plant, a flower, a powder, an ingredient much loved for its intense color that takes us far away with the mind, but also for its characteristic scent. Those who know its properties, cannot help but consider it useful, those who are unaware of it, do not know what they are missing and it is better to learn how and when to use this spice rich in beneficial properties for health.
Turmeric Plant
As a plant it is known by the name of C. Longa, it belongs to the Zingiberaceae family just like ginger and cardamom and is often renamed kurkum, “Indian saffron” or “poor man’s saffron” . This is partly due to the fact that it is a spontaneous perennial plant and that it does not struggle to grow even up to a meter in height.
The Curcuma Longa plant is about one meter tall, with leaves of about 30 cm. Turmeric powder with healing properties is obtained from the roots of the plant.
The world’s leading producer of turmeric is India, and in particular the state of Andhra Pradesh, in central-eastern India. Curcuma Longa plants also grow wild in other states of southern Asia, such as Bangladesh and Malaysia.
Adorned with large and very green daughters, the Cur c uma plant produces large yellow flowers while its well-known root is cylindrical and orange. The root is the part that interests us most, selfishly, because it has those properties that we seek to feel better. It is harvested in autumn but around we can buy it all year round, fresh or dried and ground.
For more information, you might be interested in reading our article dedicated to the turmeric flower , where you can also discover its meaning.
Properties of Turmeric
The properties have been known for a long time and come from far away just like this spice that is thought to have Chinese origins. It is thought because Marco Polo suggests it when he talks about it in his writings of the 13th century, what is certain is that it grows spontaneously both in Asia and in India and Malaysia.
Surprisingly, however, it was the Greeks who discovered and publicized its properties by writing a medical book with lots of advice for fighting liver problems. In addition to these health benefits, our C. also seems to be a lucky charm: on their wedding day, Indian women wear a small piece of it around their neck to accompany them to the altar. Another less mysterious but very useful property of turmeric is that it has a colorant, as well as a spice for tasty curry dishes.
Benefits of Turmeric
There is not much choice, I have to bore you a bit with a list because the benefits associated with it are numerous and it would be incorrect to keep silent about some of them. It has important anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-tumor properties, if not also antibacterial and antihistaminic. It is a good ingredient for digestion and has a neuroprotective, purifying effect and also acts as an antispasmodic. Is there something missing from this spice?
I would add that turmeric is also a very powerful antioxidant that can significantly counteract the body’s production of free radicals. Many people consume this spice also because of its detoxifying properties and some doctors recommend it to detoxify the liver.
Curcumin also stimulates the production of bile by the liver and is considered a liver protector as well as a blood thinner.
Turmeric: recipes
For those who are watching their figure, let’s clarify before sitting down to eat that 100 grams of turmeric contain 354 Kcal, clearly this number must be considered considering that very little turmeric is used, as always with spices, certainly not to be eaten by the spoonful.
To benefit from the properties of this powder, the best way is to cook good dishes , also using it for its flavor and aroma. There are many Indian-inspired recipes, both for drinks and for very rich single dishes, it can then be used to prepare masala, curry and tasty recipes based on meat or vegetables, such as lentil soup with spices called “Dahl”.
For those who don’t want to experiment too much but still want to use turmeric, there is no shortage of risottos and omelettes with a European flavour but with a touch of turmeric that enriches and makes digestion easier.
Turmeric: nutritional values
Not all spices are rich in precious vitamins and minerals essential for our well-being like this one. In the case of turmeric we are faced with a natural source of vitamin C but also vitamin E and vitamin K. There is also vitamin B6, in significant quantities, and this is very important because it is an essential vitamin for the proper functioning of metabolism and neurotransmitters. We also talked about minerals as well as vitamins. In turmeric there are iron, copper, magnesium, manganese and potassium in discrete quantities.
Turmeric and honey
If this spice alone is already very powerful, together with honey which acts as a natural antibiotic , it becomes a very powerful natural antibiotic capable of destroying the most common bacteria and at the same time preventing the diseases of the bad season, increasing the natural defenses of our organism. All this without having negative effects on the intestinal microflora , which other less natural antibiotics do.
Turmeric Tea
To prepare a hot turmeric drink, you only need a little and the benefits that you get from sipping it are priceless. Take 2 teaspoons of powder of this spice and pour them into boiling water, adding honey and a pinch of lemon juice. Black pepper , then, improves the absorption of the beneficial properties of turmeric, so we can add a pinch and we will obtain a good remedy against colds .
Turmeric powder
In addition to herbal tea, the powder is also useful in cooking, in fact, it will be essential once you have tried it. However, there are other ways to take this substance, which can also be purchased in pills and supplements , or as a base for an essential oil. If while we decide we want to sip a cup of turmeric tea, a 1 kg package of the powder with which to prepare it is online at 17.55 Euros on Amazon .
