Turmeric - spice or medicine?

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Turmeric is extenisvely used in cooking various dishes in South Asia.  It is a key ingredient in curry powder. Turmeric is dried and ground into a powder and used in combination with many other spices such as black pepper to flavor dishes. In the western world, turmeric has been used as a food coloring or additive.

Turmeric has a lot of medicinal properties.  Ayurvedic medicine utilizes turmeric for the treatment of ailments such as digestive problems, inflammation, and also as an anti-bacterial agent for treatment of cuts and bruises. Modern research has now corroborated certain facts about turmeric's medicinal properties.  Turmeric contains curcumin which has been identified as a key active substance in turmeric.

I personally use turmeric and black pepper for the treatment of common cold and cough and it works very well. Add 1/2 a spoon of turmeric powder and a 1/4 spoon of black pepper powder to 4 ounces of warm milk.  Stir well and drink to get immediate relief from cough.  It is not easy to drink this concoction but if you do manage to drink this, it will soothe your cough and speed your recovery.