A very bright bright yellow color characterizes the turmeric, a spice that is very widespread throughout the Indian sub-continent.
To give her this warm nuance is a substance called curcumin ; its strong and pungent taste is instead due to the presence of turmerone .
From the processing of the plant a thin powder is obtained which is the most frequent way in which it is marketed because it is extremely versatile and modular ; more rarely and for completely different purposes, it is used in capsules whose use is referred to the doctor's advice.
Without the official presentation, let's see more about this spice with a thousand properties!
Turmeric in Ayurvedic medicine
Turmeric is very well known in India, just think that it is one of the ingredients of the famous curry.
In Ayurvedic medicine it is considered an excellent antiseptic and a fantastic antioxidant .
Its use is interesting as an anti-inflammatory of the digestive tract and antispasmodic as well as a protector of the liver and balancing of cholesterol levels.
Its healing action is also valid and it is used to treat wounds, stings and burns. On an aesthetic level, it is considered a friend of the skin so much that it is an ingredient in many beauty masks and creams, and is also used to prepare the turmeric decoction, useful against skin inflammation .
Ayurveda classifies the taste of this spice as spicy, astringent and bitter and considers it overall an excellent balance of doshas: its heating power acts on Kapha and Vata, its bitter taste on Pitta.
Try the purifying dandelion and turmeric herbal tea
Turmeric in traditional medicine
If in Ayurvedic medicine the use of turmeric is lost in the mists of time, Western medicine has discovered relatively recently this spice, until a few centuries ago rare in our latitudes.
A study on the anticarcinogenic properties of turmeric has recently been published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research .
More precisely, a research conducted by the University of Lousville (USA) has shown that, in the treatment of breast cancer, curcumin is able to reduce the size of the tumor in laboratory animals and to slow down the reproduction of cancer cells.
Similar results have been achieved by a group of researchers in New Jersey regarding the use of this spice in prostate cancer treatment.
Moving to this side of the Atlantic, the studies of the CNR of Catania in collaboration with the Chemical College of New York and the University of Pavia have shown that the antioxidants present in turmeric counteract the onset of problems linked to brain aging . such as Alzheimer.
Potential hopes to be explored
Research conducted so far has shown very promising results regarding the therapeutic use of turmeric .
It is hoped that these tempting premises will stimulate further studies, thus carrying out a symbolic reunion between traditional medicine and Ayurvedic medicine.
