Eating healthy is one thing, but ensuring your body is able to absorb the nutrients is a whole other story! Turmeric, native to India, has been used since ancient times as a color additive and as a household remedy for all kinds of aches and pains.
Benefits:
- Anti-inflammatory
- Antioxidant
- Anticancer
- Antiseptic
- Immune System Booster
- Lowers the risk of heart disease, which is the deadliest killer in the world
- Lowers the risk of brain disease
- May be useful in preventing and treating Alzheimer’s Disease
Since inflammation is the basis of many diseases, it is essential to keep it under control. It is important to incorporate this plant root into our everyday lives
Turmeric is fat soluble, meaning it dissolves in fat. Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, has a difficult time passing through the stomach into the small intestine without fat. The curcumin content in very low in turmeric- only 3-5%. In order to reap the benefits of turmeric, you must either ingest large amounts of turmeric or increase curcumin’s bioavailability. Bioavailability is the degree and rate at which the substances absorbed into a living system or are made available. Since piperine, the active ingredient in black pepper increases curcumin’s bioavailability by a thousand folds, you should add crushed black pepper while ingesting turmeric.
Remember when any recipe, like an Indian curry, involves fat and turmeric, you should include crushed black pepper to increase curcumin’s bioavailability. To incorporate turmeric into your food, add small amounts to any recipe that requires fat and black pepper. For example, guacamole, eggs, roasted vegetables, soups, and smoothies.
Remember to use high-quality organic turmeric as often as you can. You can either use the powder, raw, or a paste; I recommend the raw or paste version.
So it is better to be safe rather than sorry. As a preventative, incorporate this beautiful root in your cooking. Remember to add crushed black pepper! If you are not able to ingest turmeric with food, you should take a supplement.
| Property of Curcumin | Prevented Disease |
| Travels through the Blood Brain Barrier and Blocks NF kB* | Heart Disease, Cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease, IBD, Osteoporosis, Diabetes |
| Anti-inflammatory | Alzheimer’s Disease, Heart Diseases |
| Antioxidant | Alzheimer’s Disease, Heart Diseases, Cancer |
| Increase BDNF** levels in the brain | Depression, Alzheimer’s Disease |
| Improvement in endothelium function | Heart Disease |
*NF kB is active in many chronic diseases including heart diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, arthritis, cancer, and inflammation.
**BDNF, Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, is a gene that promotes neural survival in the adult brain. BDNF levels decrease in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s Disease.
Golden Milk Recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of whole milk (can be substituted with almond or hemp milk)
- ½ tsp Ghee or coconut oil
- ¼ to ½ tsp of turmeric powder, grated raw turmeric, or turmeric paste
- ½ tsp freshly crushed Black pepper
- Small pinch of saffron (optional but highly recommended!)
- natural sweetener (optional)
NOTE: If one cup of milk is too much, you can substitute by using ½ cup of milk to a ½ cup of water.
Directions:
- Warm the milk in a small pan over low-medium heat, while stirring occasionally.
- Once warm, slowly add the ghee or coconut oil and spices while continuing to stir. Mix until there are no chunks and the turmeric has fully absorbed into the milk. If you have a hand blender, this works particularly well and it also creates a yummy frothy texture.
- Let it cool to a drinkable temperature and add sweetness if desired. Sit, sip and enjoy… for a good night sleep!!
1 comment
Comment by Rahul
Rahul March 6, 2018 at 3:42 am
Excellent article