CurcuminMy mother just turned 80 the other day and she does not look a day older than 60, she is always looking for better ways to stay in shape, she walks daily, still lifts light weights, and  generally eats very healthy, she does love her white and red wine. In any case this weekend she looked better than I had seen her in a while, and I made the comment to her and she thanked me, I said it must be the white wine, she smiled and said either that or the turmeric, apparently a friend also of older age had mentioned taking a tablespoon of turmeric in the morning with a half glass of water, and that she had  also used it frequently in cooking. So I decided to do a little bit of research on turmeric or also known as curcumin.

So what is it good for besides cooking ?

Turmeric (Curcumin) has been used for years in Southern asia as an antiseptics and for treating cuts, bruises and even burns, it has also been used in asian countries to treat stomach disorders and indigestion, in fact Pakistanis use turmeric for its anti inflammatory properties and the ability to remedy gastrointestinal comfort, including irritable bowel syndrome. In fact Turmeric (Curcumin) has been used in the treatment of anorexia, liver disease and has even been used in the aid to lower cholesterol.

Son in short Turmeric (Curcumin) is

A skin conditioner to help treat skin disorders, cuts scrapes burns and is used as an antiseptic, on cuts and scrapes, simply  clean the wound thoroughly with sopa and water  and sprinkle natural turmeric on the affected area.

For digestive and stomach ailments ,take a half teaspoon and mix in water, it does leave a bitter after taste, but think of the digetive benefits of better intestinal flora and better bowel movements, which I have tried and it does work :-) it also improves and stimulates bile production which helps disolve and dilute fat form the human organism, many studies claim Turmeric improves liver function and helps heal damaged liver tissue.

Turmeric to treat arthritis, since turmeric does contain inflammatory properties it can be beneficial in helping relieve some of the painful discomfort in arthritis patients.

Improve circulation and improve overall heart function “not scientifically proven” due to cholesterol reduction which after all can help decrease chances of blood clots and stroke.

Turmeric can be obtained in capsule form in many health food stores, or just simply buy the spice off the shelf at you local supermarket.