Herbs & Herbal Remedies @ Green Papaya

Healing with Curry

Family: Zingiberaceae; (includes Ginger)

Genus and Species: Curcuma Longa

Also known as: Curcuma

Parts used: Roots

Turmeric is a recent addition to most American spice racks, but it’s been a mainstay in Indian curries for thousands of years. Its arrival here is good news for our palate and our health.

Turmeric’s Healing benefits are still largely unknown in North America, but it helps aid digestion, may fight intestinal parasites, may protect the liver. may help prevent heart disease, and may one day playa role in the treatment of cancer.

Whole-Body Cleanser

Turmeric held a place of honor in India’s traditional Ayurvedic medicine. A symbol of prosperity, it was considered a cleansing herb for the whole body. Medically, it was used as a digestive aid and treatment for fever. infections, dysentery, arthritis, and jaundice and other liver problems.

Traditional Chinese physicians also used turmeric to treat . liver and gallbladder problems, stop bleeding, and treat chest congestion and menstrual discomforts.

The ancient Greeks were well aware of turmeric, but unlike its close botanical relative, ginger, it never caught on in the West as either a culinary or medicinal herb. It was, however, used to make orange-yellow dyes.

Turmeric Paper

In the 1870s, chemists discovered turmeric’s orange-yellow root powder turned reddish brown when exposed to alkaline chemicals. This discovery led to the development of “turmeric paper,” thin strips of tissue brushed with a decoction of turmeric, then dried. During the late 19th century, turmeric paper was used in laboratories around the world to test for alkalinity. Eventually, it was replaced by litmus paper, which is still used today.

American chemists used turmeric paper, but not even the botanically oriented 19th-century Eclectic physicians had much use for turmeric itself, except to add color to medicinal ointments.

Maude Grieve’s influential Modern Herbal, published in 1931, said turmeric was “once a cure for jaundice,” then dismissed it as “seldom used in medicine except as a coloring.”

Few contemporary herbalists recommend turmeric. The ones who do advocate it to treat fever, relieve pains and chest congestion, and restore menstrual regularity.

Western herbalists, wake up. Turmeric is a healer.

Turmeric has been revered in India for thousands of years, so it should come as no surprise that Indians have conducted most of the research into the Healing chemical it contains curcumin.

Wound Treatment - Like many culinary herbs, turmeric helps retard food spoilage because it has antibacterial action. To help prevent bacterial wound infections, sprinkle a bit on cuts and scrapes after they have been thoroughly washed.

Digestive Aid - Turmeric also helps stimulate the flow of bile, which helps digest fats, supporting its traditional use as a digestive herb.

Intestinal Parasites - Turmeric fights protozoans in laboratory tests, lending some credence to its traditional use in treating dysentery.

Liver Protection - One animal study showed curcumin has a protective effect on liver tissue exposed to liver-damaging drugs, lending support to the herb’s traditional use in liver ailments. If you drink alcohol regularly, and/or take frequent high doses of certain pharmaceutical drugs, including the common pain reliever, acetaminophen (Tylenol), you may be at risk for liver damage. Ask your physician about using turmeric to protect your liver.

Arthritis - Several studies show curcumin has anti-inflammatory action, lending some credence to its traditional use in treating arthritis. This effect may also help relieve wound inflammation.

Heart Protection - One animal study showed that like its botanical relative, ginger, turmeric may help reduce cholesterol. Another study showed it helps prevent the internal blood clots that trigger heart attack and some strokes. Animal results cannot necessarily be applied to people, but in recommended amounts, turmeric is a tasty spice that does no harm, and these studies suggest it might do some good.

Intriguing Possibilities - Recently, curcumin has also been shown to have some anti-cancer activity. A report published in Cancer Letters says it inhibits the growth of lymphoma tumor cells. And research at Rutgers University shows curcumin helps prevent tumor development in animals.

Myth - The Chinese used turmeric to stimulate menstruation, but no research to date has identified any effect on the uterus.

Rx for Turmeric

To treat minor wounds, wash them with soap and water, then sprinkle on some powdered herb and bandage.

For an infusion to help aid digestion and possibly help promote heart health, use 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder per cup of warm milk. Drink up to 3 cups a day. These infusions may also offer a measure of protection to the liver and help ease the inflammation of arthritis. Turmeric tastes pleasantly aromatic, but in large amounts, it becomes somewhat bitter.

Medicinal turmeric preparations should not be given to children under age 2. For older children and people over 65, start with low-strength preparations and increase strength if necessary.

One animal study showed the herb reduces fertility. This experiment has not been replicated, and its implications for human fertility, if any, remain unclear. But those trying to conceive and those with fertility problems should probably not use medicinal amounts.

Turmeric’s potential anti-clotting effect might cause problems for those with clotting disorders. If you have a blood-clotting problem, discuss this herb’s anti-clotting effect with your physician before using medicinal preparations.

Unusually large amounts of turmeric may cause stomach upset.

Other Cautions

Turmeric is on the Food and Drug Administration’s list of herbs generally regarded as safe. For otherwise healthy non-pregnant, non-nursing adults who are not taking anticoagulant medications, turmeric is considered safe in amounts typically recommended.

Turmeric should be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with your doctor. If turmeric causes minor discomforts, such as heartburn or stomach upset, use less or stop using it. Let your doctor know if you experience unpleasant effects or if the symptoms for which the herb is being used do not improve significantly in two weeks.

An Indian Import

Turmeric is not a garden herb in North America. Grown from India to Indonesia, it’s a perennial with pulpy, orange, tuberous roots that grow to about 2 feet in length. The aerial parts, which reach 3 feet, include large, lily-like leaves, a thick, squat, central flower spike, and funnel-shaped yellow flowers.