Do you already know how incredibly healthy curcuma is? At first, I was only familiar with the spice as the yellow-colored powdery ingredient in just about every curry recipe out there. To be completely honest with you, I even suspected that curcuma was merely a food colorant (seeing as it costs only a fraction of what saffron goes for in my local shops). I couldn’t have been more wrong — curcuma is actually a super spice with tons of healing properties.

A bit of biology

Curcuma longa is a flowering plant that belongs to the ginger family. The most well-known representative is curcuma — and its name is a derivative of the word ‘kurkum’, which is Arabic for ‘saffron’. In German-speaking countries, it also goes by the names “Indian saffron” or turmeric. A substance called curcumin can be extracted from the roots of the flower and is commonly used as a yellow dye, being especially popular in the food industry. The dye is often written as E100 on food labels.

At first glance, the curcuma turnip looks like ginger. However, it is actually bright orange on the inside, with varying yellow shades — like colors found in curries, mustards, and egg yolks. The root of the plant contains about 3-6% of the dye substance curcumin and has anti-carcinogenic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. In terms of its composition, curcuma consists of 5% essential oils and 30-40% starch.

A multi-purpose spice

For thousands of years, curcuma has been used in India and is considered to be holy in Indian Ayurvedic medicine. There are many cleansing and energizing effects attributed to this so-called “hot spice” — like ginger, curcuma is known to aid in stimulating the digestive system: gastric & bile production are heightened, whereas blood fat levels are lowered. You can add curcuma to tea, sauces, vegetable dishes, soups, and smoothies — to name only a few!

Curcuma-Mango Smoothie

(for 2 servings)

• 250ml milk or joghurt (all dairy can be replaced by soy, rice or oat products)
• mango
• 1 tsp curcuma
• 1 tbsp lineseed oil
• a piece of ginger, size approx. 1 cm

Optional: Mint leaves, lime juice, honey or elderberry syrup to sweeten.

Curcuma doesn’t dissolve in water, and when used as a spice, it’s best with a bit of oil and some black pepper. Just puree all the ingredients and add ice cubes. Enjoy!

Curcuma against common illnesses

Since we here at Amazingy lack proper medical training, you should take our claims about the certain therapeutic effects of this super spice with a grain of salt. But there have been many long-term studies on the health benefits of curcuma; these provide us with food for thought and reveal the value of learning more about this intriguing spice.

Curcuminoids against inflammation & cancer

It is scientifically proven that curcuma possesses anti-inflammatory properties, allowing it to block certain enzymes from interacting with the body. On a molecular level, there is evidence that curcuma can help alleviate some symptoms of knee osteoarthritis. Furthermore, it could potentially aid in reducing the risk of colon cancer. Intestinal polyps that occur naturally in the intestines can multiply excessively in certain hereditary genetic dispositions. Left untreated, these polyps can then develop cancerous cells. By ingesting curcuma, however, the polyps may start to recede. Concerning breast cancer, positive results indicate that adding curcuma to one’s diet can prevent the formation of tumors.

It works as an antioxidant

First a bit of science: free radicals are the results of oxidative processes that occur in our body at a cellular level. Whenever two atoms form a ‘weak bond’, they leave a molecule with an odd pair of electrons — thus creating a free radical. This is dangerous because the free radical aims to attack the nearest stable molecule in order to gain back an even number of electrons. Because of this, free radicals in the body are undesirable; they combine themselves with molecules they do not necessarily belong with, which can, in the worst-case scenario, cause genetic damage and/or mutation.

Antioxidant-rich foods neutralize free radicals by donating one of their own electrons. Whenever antioxidants aren’t readily available, or if these oxidative mechanisms occur excessively, the body’s cells become the first victims. Free radicalization is responsible for many deteriorating effects, not in the least for premature aging of the skin. But curcuma — with its antioxidant properties — can help put an end to this vicious cycle. And it even helps stimulate the body’s defense systems, amplifying the production of its own antioxidant enzymes. In other words: it’s basically an anti-aging agent.

And that’s not all:

• It can be equally as effective as Prozac and other drugs traditionally used for the treatment of mental health issues
• It also helps with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
• Because of its high vitamin B6 concentration, it helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease; this is the leading cause of death in many regions across the globe

Nowadays there are dietary supplements available containing a high dosage of curcuma; this is ensures that you receive the prescribed amount on a daily basis. However, the side effects of these supplements are still unclear, so just eat as healthy as possible. And always contact your medical practitioner first before taking any supplements — especially if it’s in combination with any other medications. Otherwise, happy eating with your new best friend, Curcuma the Super Spice!

Resources:
https://deine-gesundheit.net/kurkuma-wirkung/
http://www.biothemen.de/Heilpflanzen/steckbrief/curcuma.html
http://authoritynutrition.com/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-turmeric/
http://csglobe.com/science-confirms-turmeric-as-effective-as-14-drugs/
http://www.zentrum-der-gesundheit.de/kurkuma.html

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in November 2014 and was updated in May 2018 for accuracy.