{"id":6273,"date":"2021-01-05T16:44:35","date_gmt":"2021-01-05T16:44:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wondermentgardens.com\/?p=6273"},"modified":"2021-01-05T23:12:40","modified_gmt":"2021-01-05T23:12:40","slug":"a-love-affair-with-turmeric","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wondermentgardens.com\/a-love-affair-with-turmeric\/","title":{"rendered":"A Love Affair with Turmeric"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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I’m having a love affair with Turmeric.\u00a0 Turmeric isn’t new to me.\u00a0 I’ve known and worked with this plant for a long time.\u00a0 Yet, lately, I can\u2019t seem to get enough. Its\u2019 warm, rich taste is balanced and smooth, just what my body and mind need. I\u2019m loving making curries, enjoying Turmeric tea, and my latest thing – Turmeric Latte. Yum, yum. (The recipe is below.)\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Turmeric (Curcuma longa, C aromatica and some others)<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Family: \tZingiberaceae (Ginger family)<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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This post contains affiliate links.\u00a0 That means, if you purchase a product through one of the links, I make a commission at no additional cost to you.\u00a0 I appreciate it each time you click on or make a purchase from one of my links.\u00a0 Rest assured, only superior products are suggested.\u00a0 Ones that I truly feel confident about.\u00a0 Thank you for your support.<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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History and Description of Turmeric<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The use of Turmeric dates to the Vedic Culture of the Indian subcontinent, somewhere between 4000 and 6000 years ago. It was and still is used in cooking, medicine, cosmetics and as a dye for textiles. The plant is so completely interwoven into the Indian culture that it has are 53 different Sanskrit names.\u00a0<\/p>

Native to India and Southern Asia, Turmeric slowly moved around the world and is now widely cultivated in the tropics. Common names vary by the country and culture in which the plant is grown.\u00a0 Because there are more than 130 species that have been identified worldwide, there are a lot of common names. Some of the more popular names include wild Turmeric, Yellow Root and Golden Root.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Curcuma belongs to the ginger family and is a herbaceous, perennial plant that grows about three feet tall with long oblong leaves. The flowers are funnel-shaped and range in color from white, yellow, or pink. They bloom between pale green, leafy bracts, or modified leaves of the plant. The flower structure is conical in shape and about 8 to 12 inches long.\u00a0<\/p>

Both the flowers and vegetative bracts are edible. Although I\u2019ve personally never eaten the flowers, they are reported to have a taste similar to butter lettuce, with subtle hints of the root spice.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The root or the rhizome is the part most used in cooking and medicine.<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The root, or rhizome, is tuberous. The skin is rough and segmented. Having a similar appearance to it is cousin ginger but with a deep yellow brown, to dark orange color. The roots are tapered and about one to three inches long and about 1 inch thick with smaller branching tubers.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"turmeric\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Primary Chemical Constituents<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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More than 100 chemical constituents have been isolated from Turmeric. Two primary, and well-known constituents are a volatile oil, containing turmerone and the curcuminoid curcumin. Both have potent anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and anti-platelet properties. The whole plant works as a whole (with all its constituents), which is probably why the whole plant has a stronger biochemical activity than isolated individual constituents. For a complete list along with an explanation of their actions visit the NCBI bookshelf and Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects. 2nd edition, chapter 13.<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Turmeric - Medicinal Properties and Actions <\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Medicinal properties include anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial, antioxidant, anticancer or antineoplastic, lowers cholesterol, antimicrobial, stimulant, carminative, alterative, and vulnerary. It grounds the body and mind as it gently energizes and modulates the immune system.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Energetics:\t<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Turmeric is bitter, astringent, heating and pungent.<\/p>

  • In Ayurvedic medicine the plant is used to balance the 3 doshas. However, it can increase pitta and vata in excess.<\/li>
  • In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Turmeric is used to promote blood circulation and dispel blood stagnation.<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Medicinal Uses of Turmeric<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    According to Dr. Vasant Lad of the American Ayurvedic Institute, Turmeric is the best medicine in Ayurveda for the whole person because it has beneficial effects on all the tissues and elements in the body. Working on both subtle and gross anatomy, the herbs purifies the channels of the subtle body and helps relax and stretch ligaments in the physical body, qualities that make it useful to anyone practicing yoga and meditation. Turmeric energizes the immune system, promoting proper metabolism, remedying both excesses and deficiencies. Use of the essential oil and\/or the herb brings a feeling of presence and grounding, relieving confusion and anxiety.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Turmeric as an Immune Modulator<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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