Turmeric
Curcuma longa
The most studied part of turmeric is the compound curcumin, which is responsible for the yellow pigment. Curcumin has been shown to be a more potent anti-oxidant than vitamin E. It has anti-cancer properties, preventing the development of some cancer cells. It is anti-inflammatory, and is very useful in the treatment of arthritis and other inflammatory conditions. It has a slightly stimulating effect on liver function, reducing total cholesterol levels. Regular use offers some protection against many of the diseases of ageing, and contrary to popular myth, will not turn you yellow. We should be encouraging people with greenhouses to start growing turmeric in this Country rather than talking about putting everyone on statins.
In the meantime you can buy a 1kg bag of turmeric powder (£2.95, last time I looked) from an Asian supermarket, such as the Indian Sweetmart on St Marks Road in Bristol, and make your own tincture preparation. You can buy pharmaceutical versions of turmeric in health food shops – but why bother? It's far cheaper and much more satisfying to make your own – and doesn't require much effort, although can be a little messy.
Put it in a sealable jar and cover with minimum 40% vodka. Shake until all the powder is thoroughly soaked and keep adding vodka – enough to ensure the whole lot is swimming in it. Shake the jar every day for a month and then strain it through a triple folded muslin cloth lining a big sieve, and leave overnight for all the liquid to drip through into a large saucepan. If still cloudy you may need to double filter it using a standard coffee filter. Store in dark bottles and it will keep for ever.
If you have a big enough jar – and I would recommend a 3 litre kilner jar, you should get 2 litres of good quality tincture from a kilo of turmeric powder, providing you use enough vodka (obviously the vodka is the main cost element here, but any old vodka will do, providing it's strong enough). This will easily last you a year. One or two teaspoons per day, diluted with a little water if you like, is easily enough to get some real benefits from turmeric for long term maintenance and prevention of disease. You may want to start with a lower dose and work upwards, as I have found with some people turmeric can be a little stimulating at first.
Actions
- Anti-inflammatory
- Antioxidant
- Antimicrobial
- Antiplatelet
- Hypolipidaemic
- Carminative
- Alterative
- Cholagogue
Uses
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Osteoarthritis
- Cancer
- Raised cholesterol
- Asthma
- Eczema
- Psoriasis
- long term prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease
- improvement of hepatic and gastric functions
