Turmeric

I thought I’d add in a little more about turmeric since I had briefly mentioned it in the previous post.

“Basics” about turmeric
Turmeric belongs to the ginger family and is derived from the plant Curcuma longa.

1. Turmeric is called Haldi in Hindi and it was the British who called it curry spice
2. This is a spice which is widely cultivated in India, China, Asia and many tropical countries

Interesting things about turmeric

It is actually CURCUMIN which gives turmeric its orange-yellow colour

It is used extensively

• 
  
  For its medicinal properties
• 
  
  As a spice
• 
  
  For preserving food
• 
  
  To colour material

So the super cool interesting part which gets me really excited ( because I begin thinking of all the possibilities and it’s just nice you know, knowing about how natural things out there have medicinal property and that we can incorporate these things in our lifestyles) are below ( keep in mind that curcumin is the active ingredient, yup remember that thing which gives turmeric it’s yellow colour? :> )

Used to treat

1. Skin problems ( skin inflammation),
2. pulmonary, and gastrointestinal systems,
3. Alzheimer's disease
4. aches and pains,
5. arthritis,
6. wounds,
7. sprains,
8. liver disorders
9. diabetes,
10. allergies,
11. chronic illnesses.

 An example of  a product sold which incorporates turmeric as it's main ingredient

Turmeric has also been found to  reduce hyperpigmentation, be an antioxidant, be antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, antiinflammatory, an anticancer spice, chemopreventive, and have antineurodegenerative properties.





HOWEVER…………..

Let’s not get too excited ( reminder to self) ha ha ha, as after ANIMAL studies, it has been found that


turmeric extracts can be toxic to the liver when taken in high doses or for a prolonged periods of time. Those who suffer from liver problems and diseases, those who drink excessively and those who may be on medication which is already hard on the liver must be cautious as too much turmeric in such circumstances can lead to skin problems and stomach ulcers. Also, it has been found that since curcumin ( yes the thing that gives the orangy-yellow colour yey you remember) has stimulating effects on the gallbladder, hence those who may have gallbladder disease must be careful and shouldn’t even think about using turmeric without the advice of a doctor.

So let's keep in mind that before we head out to the pharmacy to get medication we could try something natural first? ( That's if the condition of the problem doesn't need immediate/urgent attention)

Hope this has been informative, tooodlessss rainbowZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!