You've probably heard of the amazing powers of turmeric by now.
The culinary spice is enjoying a heyday, with health experts, foodies, and regular folks all touting its incredible abilities.
And it turns out, they're really onto something! Turmeric is, in fact, pretty amazing.
Turmeric is a relative of ginger, whose health benefits are widely known and celebrated. Like ginger, it's a rhizome (rather than a root) and has been used for food, medicine, and more for hundreds of years in China, India, and Indonesia.
It's long been prized for its deep golden hue and its rich, smoky, earthy flavor, as well as the many health benefits it's been shown to have.
The bright yellow that characterizes turmeric is present thanks to a chemical known as curcumin, which is turmeric's "active ingredient." Not only is it responsible for the color, but it's also used around the world in foods, cosmetics, and as a dietary supplement.
Recently, studies have been started to see if turmeric can be used in treatments for more serious medical issues, including cancer and Alzheimer's — and it's already known to be rich with antioxidants, which help your body repair cells from free radical damage and reduce inflammation.
But turmeric also has a lot of unexpected uses that can benefit you every day! Read on to discover how to bring this beautiful golden spice into your life.
Would you ever use turmeric? Let us know in the comments below!
Thumbnail Photo: Wikimedia
What Is Turmeric?
Turmeric is a rhizome native to southwest India. It grows in hot, tropical places, and is related to ginger.
Like ginger, it's celebrated for both its distinct flavor and its medicinal uses.
Does It Come In Any Other Forms?
While you can absolutely buy turmeric in its natural, root-like state, it can also be found in powder form in the spice aisle.
Turmeric has been used as both food and medicine for centuries — and it's currently being studied as a potential treatment for a wide variety of illnesses, including cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's, and kidney and cardiovascular diseases!
But turmeric has many benefits, both inside and outside the body! Read below to discover more about this fascinating ingredient.
Ways To Use Turmeric Turmeric Use #1: Brighten Your Smile
While it's known for turning everything yellow, turmeric actually has the opposite effect on your teeth.
Simply sprinkle a tiny pinch onto your toothpaste and brush, and you'll see some effects in time!
Turmeric Use #2: Boost Your Foundation
Foundation with a gray cast will make you look less than cute, but here's the good news.
A careful pinch of turmeric (very careful, you don't want to look bright yellow) into foundation or tinted moisturizer will give your makeup a warm, sunkissed glow.
Women in India have used turmeric in cosmetics for hundreds of years, and it's also said to soften skin.
Turmeric Use #3: Relieve Dandruff
A mixture of olive oil and turmeric is what some people swear by when it comes to soothing a flaky scalp.
The turmeric and oil is mixed into a paste and massaged into the scalp, left on for 15 minutes, and washed out.
You can also use coconut or jojoba oil, which have great moisturizing and softening properties.
Turmeric Use #4: Soothe Swimmer's Ear
If you're looking for an all-natural remedy for an ear clogged with water, a mix of warmed garlic oil and turmeric can do the trick.
The oil helps push the water out, and the turmeric soothes any inflammation.
Turmeric Use #5: Calm Your Tummy
Upset stomachs are easily calmed with a bit of turmeric. If you're having stomach troubles, a 500 mg dose of turmeric will soothe it.
In addition, turmeric has been shown to be beneficial to the liver, slowing damage and prolonging health.
One caveat: people with gallbladder diseases are advised to not overdo it on the turmeric, as it can exacerbate the issues.
Turmeric Use #6: Boost Your Overall Health
Turmeric has been used as an overall health booster for a long time, including in preventative measures against cancer and as a possible treatment for Alzheimer's.
Curcumin, the main chemical compound in turmeric, is responsible for this, and it's also been shown to ease pains associated with osteoarthritis and treat a variety of skin ailments.
Turmeric Use #7: Enrich Meals
Adding turmeric to meat can reduce heterocyclic amines (HCAs), which form when meat is cooked at high temperatures like on a grill.
Eating HCAs has been linked to higher cancer rates. The good news is that turmeric has been shown to reduce their formation by up to 40 percent.
Turmeric Use #8: Flavor Meals
Turmeric is beloved because taste-wise, it goes great with, well, everything, and it also adds a great golden color without any artificial additives.
Try it in everything from eggs to mashed potatoes to popcorn to chicken soups and even in a delicately sweet cake.
Turmeric Use #9: Make A Health-Boosting Tea
Boiling a teaspoon of turmeric in four cups of water for 10 minutes makes for a golden tea with an earthy flavor.
For extra goodness, add ginger and/or honey (which also have health benefits).
Turmeric tea is drunk daily in Okinawa, where life expectancy is one of the longest in the world.
Turmeric Use #10: Make A Cool Craft
Turmeric is not only used for food and medicine, but as a clothing dye. Add three tablespoons of turmeric to a pot of boiling water. Let simmer for about 15 minutes, and your dye bath is ready.
Bunching up a white T-shirt will give you a cool, golden-yellow tie-dye effect.
It's no wonder that turmeric has been a favorite for so long with amazing benefits and uses like these. The next time you're faced with a bland dish, try a sprinkle and watch it light up!
And be sure to SHARE this wonder spice with anyone who's been looking for that "magic ingredient" to add some flavor to their life!
