(Popular Herb Series 6/9) Turmeric Turmeric has been gaining popularity over the last decade or so, but has been used for thousands of years, with the most recorded use in Ayurveda, Siddha medicine, and Chinese medicine. Turmeric is known in Sanskrit as kanchani, the “golden goddess”. Ayurvedic practitioners write that turmeric emanates the energy of the divine feminine and helps grant prosperity.
Turmeric is anti-inflammatory, hypolipidemic, antimicrobial, and antioxidant. It is a blood purifier and digestive tonic, and is also soothing to respiratory challenges like asthma. It can be used as a topical paste, tea, gargle, in food, and boiled with milk. The part of the plant used is the rhizome, which can be consumed dried, cooked, or raw and has a slightly peppery, mildly bitter, and earthy flavor. Curcumin is what gives turmeric its bright color and is the component most studied.
Most Westerners use this herb to soothe inflammation of the throat and tonsils and as an anti-inflammatory herb for many other aches and pains including muscle aches, back pain, cramping, and joint pain.
Because it has been found that turmeric is rapidly metabolized byt the liver and intestines, its beneficial properties may not be as effective unless it is consumed with black pepper, which has been found to enhance the bioavailability of the curcumin in turmeric by 2000%.
Turmeric is used to aid in digestion, and in ayurveda it is used to kindle digestive fire, or agni. It stimulates bile production and can ease the symptoms of many digestive complaints.
It has also been studied extensively for its potential anticancer action, including its ability to inhibit cell growth and metastases. Curcumin may also help protect against alzheimer’s disease, because it triggers a gene that codes antioxidant production which helps protect the brain from oxidative damage.
Many herbalists suggest following the traditional use of decocting or using in food, preferably with a bit of black pepper. Because curcumin is fat soluble, consuming turmeric with fats aids in absorption; this is why traditional decoctions in milk are often preferred over water decoctions.
Adult dosage is 10-30 drops of a tincture, or 2-4 fluid ounces of decoction. Standardized extracts are also popular, look for 1-2g capsules of curcumin that you divide into multiple doses.
Overuse may cause GI disturbance, and is considered contraindicated in the case of biliary tract obstruction. Turmeric may have antiplatelet and blood-thinning activity, so individuals on blood-thinning medications should exercise caution before taking therapeutic doses of turmeric. Turmeric should also not be taken in high doses by pregnant or nursing women. Turmeric may also increase risk of kidney stone formation in susceptible individuals.
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