Turmeric is a Curcuma longa, a perennial plant that is part of the ginger family ‘Zingiberaceae’. You’re probably more familiar with it in its powdered form, however, which you might have encountered in your kitchen cupboard or in curries and other cooking.
This is a yellow-ish/orange spice that is used in place of saffron for curries thanks to its similar taste but lower price. It is also popular as a food dye, which can help make food appear more vibrant and interesting.
But while turmeric is popular for cooking, its uses go far beyond that! In fact, turmeric is commonly used for a whole range of different things, including a wide number of different health benefits. It is an important part of traditional Ayurvedic practices and is purported to have many uses and health effects. As it turns out, modern science is now uncovering evidence to back-up many of these traditional uses… and a whole host more besides!
This is an incredibly versatile and useful product to keep in your cupboard then – not just for cooking but also for your health. Read on and we’ll explore 30 fascinating uses for turmeric…
1. Antioxidant
Turmeric, or more precisely curcumin which is the active ingredient in the spice, is a very powerful antioxidant. This makes it highly effective at helping to combat the onset of cancer, aging, and other unwanted effects.
Antioxidants are essential compounds in our diet that neutralize ‘free radicals’ on contact. Free radicals meanwhile are substances that move around our system and are reactive when they interact with cells. This causes damage to our cell walls, but worse is that it can eventually cause damage to the DNA inside the nucleus. If the cell walls are bombarded by the free radicals continuously, they will eventually make it all the way through where they can damage the genetic code.
This is what leads to cancer: the damage can lead to mutations in the code and those mutations are then copied and multiplied each time that the cells split and multiply via mitosis.
Adding turmeric to your cooking then will improve the antioxidant benefits of whatever you’re eating, improving your health and longevity in the process!
