Gold. Dust. (Fondly called "Turmeric" by the general human population)

Okay, so before I even get into the health benefits, let me give you the inside scope.

Turmeric is basically the ugly stepchild of an herb...ish root. It’s a hoot, y’all! Just kidding. Kind of. Real talk though, turmeric is more specifically known in the scientific community as a “rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant of the ginger family.” Uh…..what? The part that has all of the health benefits is called the rhizome (pictured above). Apparently, it's pretty simple to grow your own turmeric (since the stuff is so dadgum expensive. I was able to find it at Whole Foods for $5.99/lb., which I still think to be ridiculous but, when compared to $19.99/lb. at my local health foods store, $5.99 is a pretty amazing deal). You plant it just like ginger - simply dig a hole about 2 inches deep in moist soil, drop your small piece of turmeric in the hole (make sure it has a few buds on it), then cover. Water it weekly (turmeric likes moist soil so, based upon your climate, water accordingly), wait patiently for 8-10 months (I know....ugh.), and unearth your beautiful, home grown turmeric to use in a plethora of ways! (I used this guide and this video to plant mine.)

Now, for the health benefits. In all reality, the true star of the show is Curcumin. It contains the powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory benefits. A bummer that I have unearthed is that, apparently, the Curcumin content in turmeric isn't really that high (about 3% depending on the size of your root). So, most of the studies conducted on the health benefits of turmeric have been done with a concentrated extract containing a high amount of Curcumin. 

Let me bunny trail for just a second. 

Supplements are expensive. Especially the high-quality supplements (which are really the only ones that you want to get). If all you can afford is the powdered turmeric found in the grocery store DO IT.  I alternate between powdered and raw on a daily basis. The health benefits are still there and will still help. Do what you can for your health - it's better than doing nothing at all simply because you can't afford the "highest quality, most publicized brand." 

Anyway.

Here is just a small list of the incredible power that turmeric has:

Anti-Inflammatory. 

This one is the most important to me. I am very familiar with anti-inflammatories. I look for them in foods that I consume every day. Living with Rheumatoid Arthritis is hard, y'all. Living with 3 other inflammatory diseases on top of RA is even worse. When I was diagnosed, my Rheumatologist put me on two medications to treat the inflammation that plagued my body and made it almost completely (and on some days, entirely) unable to walk: Plaquenil and Mobic. Here's the thing though, Plaquenil and Mobic destroy your gut lining. Seriously. My doctor put me on Prilosec along with the other meds by saying "you need to make sure that you take these medications with Prilosec because they will damage your stomach if you don't." Uhm. WHAT? I took it every day for two years. I couldn't walk, y'all. My pain levels were so high, breathing was sometimes a chore (and have ended up in the ER a few times because I couldn't breathe). Not being able to function at the level that you know you can is frustrating. So... I agreed to take the medications. But, I met with my naturopathic doctor the very next week and said "I want to get off of these as soon as possible. How can we do that?" I have been religiously working to heal my gut for the past 2+ years to, in turn, heal my body from the crap of 4 autoimmune diseases. Here's the thing though: I was working to heal my gut while, at the same time, taking medications that destroyed my gut. On October 1, 2016, I finally had enough and quit my meds cold turkey. In place of the meds, I started front-loading anti-inflammatory foods and liquids like crazy. It's all that I consumed for the better part of 6 weeks. 

Insert: Turmeric. Now, don't get me wrong, inflammation in small doses (acute) is important. It's what helps the body fight nasty creatures that try to creep into your system and wreak havoc. long-term inflammation (chronic) is a problem. So, anything that can help fend off inflammation in people that suffer from chronic conditions is good. The anti-inflammatory levels in Curcumin are so high that they match the effectiveness of some anti-inflammatory drugs. It actually targets the inflammatory pathway at a molecular level (read: it blocks the molecule NF-kB which turns on genes that cause inflammation. CRAZY!)

Boosts Brain Function.

This is perfect considering that last week's post was all about brain health. Curcumin increases the levels of BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) - the growth hormone that functions in the brain. This growth hormone is good because, when levels are low, brain disorders can be present (including depression and Alzheimer's). 

Heart Disease.

Curcumin improves the function of the endothelium (read: the lining of your blood vessels). This keeps your blood pressure regulated, keeps your blood clotting properly, and reduces oxidation.

Anti-Depressant.

This one sort of ties back to boosting brain function. When brain function is high, you get regular boosts of your brain neurotransmitters. Specifically, when taking turmeric on the reg, you get boosts of serotonin and dopamine which control your mood. Churchmen has been shown to be as effective as Prozac. Boom.

Diabetes.

Adding turmeric to your daily routine is said to be wonderful for lowering blood sugar and reversing insulin resistance. People with diabetes commonly take Metformin (or something similar) to improve insulin sensitivity. Curcumin is not only 400x more potent than this drug, it has also been shown to help balance many of the problems that come with insulin resistance and hyperglycemia.

Gastrointestinal Issues.

Studies have been conducted showing that patients with gastrointestinal issues (IBS, Crohn's disease, Ulcerative Colitis) and digestive diseases (Gastroparesis) saw leaps and bounds of improvement in their conditions and some were able to stop taking corticosteroids because of the drastic improvement they saw from adding turmeric/curcumin to their diets. Y'all. This is fascinating.

There are so many more benefits of taking turmeric that I just can't fit in a blog post, but the health benefits of adding just a small amount to your daily routine are astounding. 

I did see some information on the side effects of taking too much turmeric. Honestly, it made me chuckle a bit because I had just spent the day eating Curcumin capsules like candy after having major dental work done and being too darn stubborn to take an ibuprofen for the throbbing pain and swelling that resulted after the numbness went away. Real talk, I probably took 10 capsules. Of straight Curcumin. 

That being said, too much of anything isn't good. Even kale, which is healthy out the wazoo, when eaten is high doses can result in temporary digestion issues. 

Eat responsibly, my friends.

So, there you have it. Turmeric is incredible and, in my opinion, should be in everyone's diet in some percentage. It's super easy to find recipes that use turmeric so you can use it raw (or powdered. We already covered this). 

I recently (within the last couple of months) started adding Turmeric Lattes to my nightly routine.  Why are Turmeric Lattes so good? I could get extremely detailed, but who has time for that? Instead, here's just a quick run-through of a few of the health benefits:

                                                         Turmeric = anti-inflammatory

                                                         Ginger = anti-inflammatory + boosts immunity

                                                         Cinnamon = helps stabilize blood sugar levels

                                                         Cardamom = promotes digestive health

Enough said? 😘

XOXO,

Heather

P.S. Here's the recipe:

Turmeric Latte

Serves: 1

1 ½ C. Almond Milk

2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil

¾ teaspoon Coconut Sugar

1 teaspoon ground Turmeric*

1 teaspoon ground Ginger*

1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground Cardamom

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and heat through. Either blend in a blender or whip with an AeroLatte. Enjoy immediately and sleep like a baby.

*If using fresh, you’ll need about 1 Tablespoon vs. 1 teaspoon.

**You may find that you like it better strained through a sieve prior to drinking.