The Truth About Turmeric
Turmeric is one of the most well-known herbal medicines the world over. Most of our healing knowledge about Turmeric root comes from the age-old Ayurvedic Tradition of herbal medicine, born out of India. In recent years, the Western Scientific community has added their voices to touting Turmeric as a wonder herb with numerous studies on its main constituent: Curcumin. Turmeric is now available as a fresh root in many natural food stores, as a ground dried spice, and constitutes one of the main ingredients in curry powder. There are also many commercialized remedies featuring Curcumin or turmeric powder in capsules, teabags, or tincture form.
The medicinal uses of turmeric are many. A powerful anti-inflammatory, it can help alleviate or prevent chronic diseases in most body systems, such as cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative diseases, autoimmune diseases, and metabolic diseases. It can also help heal bruises or injured muscles as well as relieve topical infections. Turmeric can improve digestive assimilation, as well as dissolve gallstones gently and effectively. A supreme liver herb, it can help regulate blood sugar in diabetics, heal hepatitis, and balance hormones. It can relieve PMS symptoms and coordinate menstrual irregularities into a more rhythmic cycle.
Now, please trust me when I say that you need to take all your turmeric teas, Curcumin supplements, and powder-filled capsules and toss them out. If that seems drastic, in the very least don’t waste your money on them in the future. What modern science and therefore the commercial market has failed to express about turmeric is the intricacies of its actions as a whole plant. It has been shown that isolated curcumin is not metabolized into our system, but rather absorbed into the waste products of our body and escorted out. It is not a readily bio-available constituent, and the secret to accessing the wonders of Turmeric is held in the traditional uses for the root in Indian food and medicine.
When the whole root is used for a culinary dish, other compounds in the plant help the body absorb Curcumin. The Piperine in pepper also increases the bio-availability of curcumin by 2,000%. Furthermore, the medicinal qualities of Turmeric have a poor aqueous solubility, which means your turmeric tea is not going to extract much at all. As far as popping a capsule of the dried root, this is quite literally the most useless way you could use Turmeric. The compounds in turmeric, including Curcumin, bind easily with liposomes, which means it needs to be cooked beforehand with some sort of fat. For those cultures in which Turmeric is native, this is known intuitively by the women feeding their families and community. Pairing curry powder with coconut milk or cream to create delicious curries and soups will give you a beautiful experience with Turmeric, as will making a cup of Golden Milk, so long as a high-fat dairy or coconut product is used to simmer the herb. Also, spicing Turmeric-based dishes with Pepper will also deepen your relationship with this root, giving your body access to the medicine held inside the bright orange flesh.
The Western approach to Turmeric has a lot to teach us about the heart of Herbalism. Herbalism is so much more than memorizing several uses for each plant; it is understanding the plant on a much more intimate level to understand how best to encourage her to release her nourishment and medicinal qualities. It is also absolutely essential to trace back the folklore of well-known herbs to see how the native people use the plant in its native habitat. Modern science is curious, interesting, and often extremely useful. However, it’s prerogative when it comes to plant medicine is often in direct contradiction to the Wise Woman Way. We do not seek to isolate, strengthen, and commercialize our plant allies. We seek to spend time with them in as whole a form as possible, and to honor the wisdom of cultures who have spent thousands of years building relationships with them.
If you are attracted to Turmeric, I hope this can guide you to the most effective and delightful experiences with her. Be well!
In Love,
Susan Marie
P.S. If you enjoyed this article, please visit The Blog for more in-depth articles on how to engage with our green allies and choose wellness.