Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/041642_turmeric_curcumin_drug_alternatives.html#ixzz2iptOI9YZ

Here's a way to get turmeric into your diet according to Natural News...

http://www.naturalnews.com/040648_turmeric_healing_spices_curcumin.html


Seven ways to get more super-healing turmeric in your diet

Monday, May 27, 2013 by: PF Louis

(NaturalNews) You probably know by now that turmeric has been acknowledged as a potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-cancer substance. Turmeric is a rhizome with edible roots that grow underground horizontally. It's actually related to ginger and somewhat resembles it outwardly.

Turmeric's active ingredient, curcumin, is often extracted and used in many clinical studies for cancer and chronic inflammation such as rheumatoid arthritis.

But there are ways to enjoy turmeric as a spice to please your palate and add its active ingredient, curcumin, as a daily part of your body's biological chemistry.

Regardless of recipe differences, keep in mind that for optimum curcumin absorption from turmeric, three basic elements are required: cooking heat, a touch of black pepper for nutrient absorbing piperine, and a healthy fat of your choice to protect the turmeric's curcumin from stomach acids before entering the small intestines.

You can choose one or two fats from the following cold-pressed or organic fat sources: Ghee, almond oil, olive oil, coconut oil, coconut milk, almond milk, or goat and cow milk. Soy milk and Canola oil are not the best choices.

Easy ways to add more turmeric into your diet
(1) Turmeric can spice up your rice dishes. It's especially appropriate for organic white basmati or Indian "parboiled" rice. Parboiled white rice is often from India, and it is nutritious and digestible enough to be recommended by Ayurvedic doctors (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-parboiled-rice.htm).

By the way, Asian rices generally contain less arsenic than domestic rices.

Make sure the rice isn't overcooked or soggy, then lightly stir-fry the rice in a suitable pan with a cold-pressed organic oil of your choice sprinkled with black pepper. Add some chopped cilantro and/or whatever salivates your taste buds.

(2) Eggs can be fried or scrambled using butter or coconut oil with a liberal sprinkle of turmeric and sea salt. Don't forget the pepper.

(3) Spicy lentils. Use green or brown lentils that can be cooked in around a half-hour with a two-to-one liquid to lentil ratio. You might try organic vegetable stock instead of purified, fluoride-free water.

When the lentils are almost done, lightly stir fry-turmeric powder in ghee or coconut oil. Mix the turmeric and oil and with the lentils and some black pepper.

(4) You can create a similar dish with chick peas or garbanzo beans. If you use canned garbanzo beans, make sure they are organic and the cans are labeled BPA-free. But it's healthier and cheaper if you simply soak dry bulk organic chick peas in pure water overnight and boil them for a half-hour or so.

Either way, coat the chick peas with plenty of turmeric powder, black pepper, and some sea salt mixed with an organic cold-pressed oil of your choice. Then lightly roast the mixture on a medium level oven setting for 15 to 20 minutes.

(5) A cooling turmeric summer elixir can be prepared by first boiling some turmeric root, letting it cool down somewhat, discarding the root and adding honey, lemon or lime, and a dash of ground turmeric with a pinch of black pepper. Pour over ice and enjoy.

(6) How about a smoothie? You can blend a half or a whole banana with some grated or powdered ginger, raw honey, freshly squeezed lemon juice, a teaspoon of bee pollen with two teaspoons of turmeric paste made by stirring turmeric over heat in ghee or coconut oil and black pepper.

Blend with activated almond milk. Dana will tell you how to make activated almond milk here (http://www.foodcoachnyc.com).

(7) Here's a convenient way to ensure your daily turmeric: Prepare a turmeric paste that you can refrigerate for several days and use to quickly prepare a "Golden Milk". Here's a show and tell for that (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYCQb2YNGt4).

Sources for this article include:

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-9206/10-ways-to-get-more-turmeric.html

http://honestcooking.com/sidelicious-colorful-vegan-turmeric-rice/

http://vegetarian.about.com/od/morerecipes/r/TurmericTea.htm

http://www.turmericforhealth.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYCQb2YNGt4

Not only can turmeric help cure cancer, relieve asthma and arthritis symptoms, but it also can help prevent heart attacks. I have just ordered 3 more turmeric products to add to the ground turmeric powder and supplements I have.

http://www.naturalnews.com/040330_turmeric_heart_health_curcumin.html


Turmeric compounds improve heart health as much as exercise

Tuesday, May 14, 2013 by: David Gutierrez, staff writer

NaturalNews) A chemical that naturally occurs in turmeric root appears to improve heart health as much as moderate aerobic exercise, according to a trio of studies conducted by researchers from the University of Tsukuba in Japan.

Turmeric root has been an important component of traditional Asian medicinal systems for hundreds of years. In recent decades, scientific studies have confirmed the potent anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties of the trio of turmeric chemicals known as "curcuminoids," which give the root its distinctive yellow-orange color. Although only one of these chemicals is properly known as "curcumin," the name is commonly used to refer to all of them collectively.

The three new studies all compared the effects of exercise and curcumin on heart health and postmenopausal women over an eight-week period. All the studies were randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled. Curcumin was delivered by means of colloidal nanoparticles.

Can turmeric prevent heart disease?
In the first study, researchers assigned 32 women to either take a curcumin supplement, engage in moderate aerobic exercise training, or undergo no intervention at all. The researchers measured participants' vascular endothelial function - the responsiveness of the layer of cells that line the blood vessels, a key indicator of overall cardiovascular health - both at the beginning and end of the study. They found that while there was no improvement in the control group, endothelial function significantly increased in both the exercise and curcumin groups. Most surprisingly, the improvement in the two experimental groups was identical.

The second study examined curcumin's effects on the responsiveness of arteries to changes in blood pressure ("arterial compliance"), another key measure of cardiovascular health. In this study, 32 women were randomly assigned to receive either a curcumin supplement or a placebo pill, or to undergo an exercise routine plus either a curcumin or placebo pill. The researchers found no significant improvement in the control group, significant (and equivalent) improvements in both the exercise-only and curcumin-only groups, and the greatest improvement among participants who exercised and also took the supplements.

In the final study, researchers examined the effects of exercise and curcumin on the rate of age-related degeneration of the heart's left ventricle. 45 participants were randomly assigned into one of the same four groups used in the second study.

The researchers once again found that both exercise and curcumin produced significant increases in heart health. In this study, however, curcumin alone did not appear to provide any benefit. Specifically, brachial systolic blood pressure (SBP) decreased among participants who exercised, whether or not they took curcumin. In addition, heart-rate-corrected aortic augmentation index (AIx) and aortic SBP both decreased significantly only among participants who both exercised and took curcumin.

"Regular ingestion of curcumin could be a preventive measure against cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women," the authors of the first study wrote. "Furthermore, our results suggest that curcumin may be a potential alternative ... for patients who are unable to exercise."

Curcumin is best absorbed from turmeric root, rather than from supplements.

Sources for this article include:
http://www.vitalchoice.com/shop/pc/articlesViewprint.asp?id=1953

http://www.prohealth.com/library/showarticle.cfm?libid=17666
 

 

We’re commonly reminded to eat colorful plant foods because their pigments, which are associated with antioxidants — the wonder nutrients that experts believe protect and repair cells from damage caused by free radicals and that also have important anti-inflammatory properties. Turmeric’s intense color makes it a front-runner in this group of foods; curcumin, a compound found only in turmeric, appears to be the magic ingredient.

 

A cousin of ginger, this rhizome has a long history of use in herbal remedies, particularly in China, India and Indonesia. Many current studies are looking into turmeric to treat a whole host of health problems, and turmeric has ample other uses as well, as evidenced in the following applications.

 

Former Miss USA Susie Castillo swears by her recipe for homemade toothpaste, which includes turmeric powder. Although turmeric is known for its staining prowess, it is commonly (if not counter-intuitively) used to whiten teeth – presumably it’s not in contact with the enamel long enough to change the color. Here’s how to make your own version, and you can also sprinkle some on your commercial or other homemade toothpaste and brush as usual.

 

Ashy makeup makes a bad match for luminous skin. Actor Thandie Newton tackles the problem by adding turmeric to tinted moisturizer to achieve a perfect glow that matches her skin tone. And in fact, women in India often use turmeric in face creams and body scrubs to boost the glow factor; sprinkle in a bit at a time until you have the proper tone.

 

If you make homemade soap, adding several teaspoons of turmeric to it will not only dial up its color, but will boost its skin-friendly benefits as well.

 

Many swear by a combination of olive oil and turmeric to deter dandruff and to improve the overall condition of the scalp. Make a mix of turmeric and the oil of your choice (jojoba or coconut oil would be nice), massage into your scalp and leave on for 15 minutes, then shampoo and style as usual.

 

Use turmeric to create golden Mehndi, the temporary tattoos made with henna, or to add a pretty second color to an extant henna tattoo.

 

A traditional homeopathic sprain treatment involves making a paste using one part salt and two parts turmeric and enough water to make it spreadable. Apply to the affected joint and wrap in an old cloth that you don’t mind staining. Leave on for 20 minutes to an hour, once a day. (Don’t do this on body parts that can be seen; you don’t want a temporary yellow tinge!) Also of note: the University of Maryland Medical Center suggests taking turmeric to help reduce sprain swelling and makes the effect of bromelain (an anti-inflammatory derived from pineapple enzymes) stronger. Take 250 to 500 milligrams (mg) each of turmeric and bromelain, three times a day between meals.

 

Natural remedy aficionados recommend using warmed garlic oil to help push the water out of ears affected by swimming; adding turmeric to the mix is said to help as well. See home remedies for swimmer’s ear for more.

 

Turmeric has long used to quell bellies that aren’t behaving properly. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends 500 mg of turmeric four times daily to treat an upset stomach.

 

For osteoarthritis, NIH recommends 500 mg twice daily of a specific turmeric extract (like Meriva, Indena); 500 mg four times daily of a non-commercial product has also been used. For rheumatoid arthritis, they note that 500mg twice daily of a specific formulation of curcumin (like BCM-95, Arjuna Natural Extracts, India) can be used.

 

According to early experimental research at the Medical University Graz in Austria, the curcumin in turmeric may delay liver damage that can eventually lead to cirrhosis.

 

Turmeric seems to hold much promise for skin treatments, as well as possibly inhibiting certain forms of cancer. Among other studies, researchers at the University of Texas note that curcumin inhibits the growth of melanoma and may also impede the spread of breast cancer to the lungs.

 

The American Cancer Society says that laboratory studies have shown that curcumin interferes with several important molecular pathways involved in cancer development, growth and spread. Researchers have reported that curcumin can kill cancer cells in laboratory dishes and also slows the growth of the surviving cells. Human studies of curcumin in cancer prevention and treatment are in the early stages.

 

A clinical trial using curcumin extract published in the Journal of Neurochemistry found a 30 percent decrease in the size of Alzheimer's-associated brain plaque in treated mice — in only one week. 

 

Dr. Andrew Weil notes that people in Okinawa, the Japanese island nation with the world's longest average life span, drink turmeric tea daily. To make your own, boil four cups of water, add one teaspoon of ground turmeric, allow to simmer for 10 minutes, strain, and add ginger and/or honey to taste.

 

Yes, turmeric stains fabric … which means that it's an awesome fabric dye. Add three tablespoons of turmeric to a pot of boiling water, let it simmer for a while, and your dye bath is ready. (See more at this photo tutorial.)

 

Homemade play dough is as much fun to make as it is to play with once it’s made. And coloring it is especially fun. This recipe instructs on how to make it from scratch, and also how to turn it into a rainbow of colors using, among other natural ingredients, turmeric. (Bonus tip: You can scent homemade play dough with vanilla or peppermint extract.)

 

There’s something magical about mashing up natural dyestuffs in bowls and watching hard-boiled eggs transform into the jewel-like colors found in nature rather than in the lab. Beet juice, onion skin, blueberries, and of course, turmeric all do a bang-up job of the task. Get the how-to here: Eco Easter eggs.

 

Kansas State University researchers discovered that adding turmeric to meat can reduce the levels of heterocyclic amines (HCAs) by up to 40 percent. HCAs form on chicken and meat when cooked over high heat, like in grilling. Consumption of HCAs is linked to higher rates of cancer.

 

While Frito-Lay may rely on Yellow 6 and Red 40 to enhance its preternaturally vivid snacks like Cheetos and Nacho Cheese Doritos, you can skip the nasty artificial colors and add a dash of turmeric to brighten up otherwise insipid-looking food. Whimsical cooks and moms alike can benefit from adding it to eggs, mashed potatoes, soups, cauliflower, or anywhere else a bit of vibrancy is desired.

 

If there’s one thing turmeric is famous for, it’s the starring role in Indian curry. (There comes a point in every young Western cook’s life when they realize that curry isn’t one single spice, but a blend of many.) Making your own curry blend is simple and tastes remarkably bright and fresh; and you can customize it to reflect your personal taste. A good place to start is here.

 

No “uses for turmeric” article would be complete without reminding the reader of all the wonderful food that can be made with turmeric, even if it may not be the most surprising use on the list. Therefore, see: 5 dishes infused with curry.

 

Turmeric cake? Indeed. This Lebanese dessert is not too sweet and has an odd little earthy kick to it compliments of the turmeric. Find a basic recipe here and a vegan recipe here.

 

Note: Turmeric can be taken in powder or pill form, but use with caution and consult with your doctor first. It’s strong stuff. According to the National Institutes of Health, it is unsafe during pregnancy, can make gallbladder problems worse, can make stomach problems such as GERD (or Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) worse, and can slow blood clotting and might cause extra bleeding during and after surgery.

While I have been taking turmeric supplements for years, I had no idea how many ailments it can help. I started on my new information search on turmeric this week when a friend at work gave me a clipped out newspaper article about how turmeric can help relieve asthma symptoms.

Here's one of the articles I came across...

http://turmericforhealth.com/turmeric-cures/how-to-use-turmeric-for-asthma

How to use Turmeric for Asthma

A common upper respiratory tract disease affecting many people including children is asthma. An asthma attack causes inflammation of the lining of the lungs and airways. Phlegm or mucous may also get trapped in the airways. This in turn makes breathing difficult. Medications such as steroids, expectorants and bronchodilators are generally used to relieve the inflammation. But, they cause side effects in few people. A safe natural herb to relieve symptoms of asthma is turmeric. Use of turmeric for asthma offers quick relief.

Turmeric is root of the perennial plant Curcuma longa. It has thick brown skin and orange colored flesh. Turmeric that is similar to ginger is used as food and as a therapeutic agent. It is also known as Indian saffron or haldi. Turmeric is being used since centuries in Chinese and Indian medicine.

Properties of turmeric

    Yellowish orange in color.

    Strong odor.

    Peppery and slightly bitter taste.

    Possess anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant property.

    Rich source of minerals manganese, potassium and iron, vitamins B6 and fiber.

The anti-inflammatory action of curcumin relieves inflammation of the air ways and tightness of chest associated with asthma.
How to use turmeric for asthma?

Turmeric can be used to treat symptoms of asthma in various ways.

    Relieving congestion of bronchi: To relieve blocked bronchi turmeric has to be taken with salt mixed in hot water. Licking one teaspoon of turmeric along with ½ tsp of honey also offers relief from congestion of bronchi.
    Eliminate phlegm: Mix turmeric powder, banana ash and barley powder in equal proportions along with honey. Have this paste four to five times in a day to get rid of phlegm.
    Relieve irritation of bronchioles: Mix turmeric powder, ghee and black pepper powder to make a paste. Massage the chest and throat region using the paste to reduce irritation of the bronchioles.
    Burn turmeric till red hot and inhale the smoke. The smoke serves as a strong expectorant.
    Breathing problem commonly observed in asthma patients can be relieved by taking turmeric that is partially roasted and later ground using hot water.
    Boil a small piece of turmeric in milk. Now, sweeten the milk with jaggery and have it to obtain relief from asthma.
    Intake of 1/4tsp of turmeric along with a small glass of hot water helps prevent asthma attacks.

Recommended dosage of turmeric for asthma relief

Use of turmeric supplements in children is not yet studied. Hence, there is no recommended dosage for children. For adults the turmeric dosage depends on the form of turmeric being taken.

    1.5 – 3 g of cut root per day.
    1 – 3 g of dried and powdered root per day.
    400 – 600 mg of curcumin powder 3 times per day.
    30 – 90 drops of fluid extract (1:1) per day.
    15 – 30 drops of tincture (1:2) 4 times per day.

The dosage requirements may vary depending on your health status and tolerance levels. Hence, consult the physician before taking turmeric for asthma in any form to prevent complications.
Turmeric treatment for Asthmatic Bouts

Asthmatic bouts are a difficult period, especially if they occur very frequently. Turmeric can be effectively used for the same. I was reading a book by K H Krishnamurty, a well known writer on natural cure and herbal remedies. He suggests the following use of turmeric for Asthmatic bouts:

    Take 3 gms of turmeric powder and mix it with powder of 7 grains of black pepper. Mix this with pure mustard oil. Patient should lick this paste in the morning.
    Grind ~110 grams of Calotropis (also known as milk weed) and ~55 grams of turmeric. Use approx. Add 110 grams of any bitter oil in the mixture and then cook it till watery portion vanishes and only oil remains. Bring down the vessel and then let it cool. Strain the oil using a clean cloth and store the oil. This all has to applied to back, chest, belly and front throat through sprinkling it and through fomentation also.

Both of the above have to be carried for a week and monitor the condition. Several dietary precautions also need to be taken along with the treatment so to avoid any digestion related stress. Patients should:

    Not eat excessive fried and spicy food
    Should avoid consuming food such as jaggery, curd, black gram etc.
    Should avoid eating stale food
    Eat as much as green leafy vegetables, rice, wheat, etc. – basically very light meal

Selecting and storing of turmeric

If you suffer frequently from upper respiratory tract infections then it is highly recommended to store turmeric at home. To retain the medicinal value of the herb and to prevent mold infestations it has to be stored appropriately.

Consider purchasing turmeric from herbal stores renowned for offering genuine herbs. As mistaken by many color of turmeric is not an indicator for quality of the herb. If genuine turmeric powder cannot be found in the local stores then make turmeric powder from fresh roots by boiling, drying and grinding the dried roots.

Store turmeric powder in sealed tins and place them in dry, dark and cool place. Store the fresh root in refrigerator.

Lastly, use of turmeric for asthma should offer relief in ten minutes. If you do not find relief seek immediate medical attention.

It isn't only Natural News that has articles on the benefits of using turmeric. Just Google "turmeric benefits" and you'll get a ton of sites to explore.

Here's one of them...

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-6873/25-Reasons-Why-Turmeric-Can-Heal-You.html

25 Reasons Why Turmeric Can Heal You

By Jessica Cooper
November 21, 2012 12:18 PM


Turmeric grows wild in the forests of South and Southeast Asia. It's one of the key ingredients in many Pakistani, Indian, Persian and Thai dishes and has incredible medicinal value, too.