Turmeric The Golden Dust of Ayurveda

Use of Turmeric – Turmeric Ayurvedic Applications

Turmeric Ayurvedic Use : | Synopsis of Turmeric’s Healing Properties | Remedies |
Synopsis of Turmeric’s Healing Properties

Besides flavoring food, to purify the blood and skin conditions remedy is probably the most common use of Turmeric in Ayurveda.

• The main organs that turmeric treats are the skin, heart, liver and lungs.
• Turmeric is used for epilepsy and bleeding disorders, skin diseases, to purify the body-mind, and to help the lungs expel Kapha.
• Activities of Turmeric include: Alterative, analgesic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-allergic, antioxidant, antiseptic, antispasmodic, appetizer, astringent, cardiovascular, carminative, cholagogue, digestive, diuretic, stimulant, and vulnerary.
• Therapeutic uses of Turmeric: Anemia, cancer, diabetes, digestion, food poisoning, gallstones, indigestion, IBS, parasites, poor circulation, staph infections, and wounds.
• Turmeric helps to regulate the female reproductive system and purifies the uterus and breast milk, and in men it purifies and builds semen, which is counterintuitive for a pungent bitter.
• Turmeric reduces fevers, diarrhea, urinary disorders, insanity, poisoning, cough, and lactation problems in general.
• Turmeric is used to treat external ulcers that respond to nothing else. Turmeric decreases Kapha and so is used to remove mucus in the throat, watery discharges like leucorrhea, and any pus in the eyes, ears, or in wounds, etc.
• In Ayurvedic cooking, turmeric is everywhere, this multifaceted wonder spice helps
  • Detoxify the liver
  • Balance cholesterol levels
  • Fight allergies
  • Stimulate digestion
  • Boost immunity
  • Enhance the complexion

It is also an antioxidant Ayurveda recognizes turmeric as a heating spice, contributing bitter, pungent and astringent tastes.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/health-and-nutrition/23885-turmeric-the-golden-dust-of-ayurveda.html
Remedies

Anemia

Everyday take a dose of 1 tsp of turmeric juice mixed with honey.

Asthma

Boil 1 cup of milk with 1 tsp of turmeric powder. Drink warm.
Burns

Mix 1 tsp of turmeric with 1 tsp of aloe gel and apply to burnt area.
Conjunctivitis

Mix 1 tbsp of crushed, raw turmeric in 1/3 cup of water. Boil and sieve. 2–3 drops of this mixture may be used in each eye up to 3 times per day.
Complexion

Apply a paste of turmeric on the skin before bed, and wash off after a few minutes. In the morning, remove any remaining yellow tinge with a paste of chickpea flour (besan) and oil.
Dental problems

Mix 1 tsp of turmeric with ½ tsp of salt. Add mustard oil to make a paste. Rub the teeth and gums with this paste twice daily.
Diabetes

½–1 tsp of turmeric should be taken 3 times a day.
Diarrhea

Take ½ tsp of turmeric powder or juice in water, 3 times per day.
Pain

Mix 1 tsp of turmeric and 2 tsp of ginger with water to make a paste. Spread over a cloth, place on the affected area and bandage.
Add 1 tsp of turmeric to 1 cup of warm milk and drink before bed.
Other uses

In cooking, turmeric acts as a yellow coloring agent. It is an important herb in Hindu rituals. It is also a ingredient in cosmetics as it is beneficial for the skin. Burning turmeric can repel insects. Inhaling the smoke can assist in coughs, asthma and congested nasal passages.
Ears, Eyes, Nose and Mouth

Turmeric dust, with alum 1:20, is blown into the ear to treat chronic otorrhea.
Mix a pinch of Turmeric with organic ghee and apply it to the mucus lining of nose to stop the sniffles. It also stops nosebleeds, helps to clear the sinuses, restore a more acute sense of smell, and helps to purify the mind and brain.
Turmeric helps to maintain the shape and integrity of our eyes.
A Turmeric/water decoction, 1:20, is used to treat conjunctivitis and eye disease in general. Soak a cloth in the decoction and then cover the eye with it. This helps to relieve the pain as well.
Turmeric for Stomach and Intestines

Turmeric treats the whole Gastro - Intestinal system.
In general turmeric is used for

• Weak stomachs
• Poor digestion
• Dyspepsia
• To normalize metabolism
• To help digest protein
• To increase the bio-availability of food and the ability of the stomach to withstand digestive acids.

Turmeric is a great carminative, able to calm an upset digestive system by getting rid of gas and distention. Carminatives also tend to increase absorption and nurture the intestinal flora.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=23885
Taking Turmeric will work fine to balance an upset digestion. Just take a small spoonful of Turmeric and stir it in a cup of yogurt right after lunch.
Remedy for ‘piles’ is to directly apply a mixture of mustard oil, turmeric, and onion juice. To stop rectal bleeding take a 2 or 3 tablespoons of Turmeric every half hour until the bleeding stops, usually in an hour.

 
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rajkhalsa ji
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=23885

Did you know that the India Government has created a data base of folk medicine? The government has done this to protect the interests of the Indian people and Indian culture. it seems that turmeric is being packaged by many alternative medicine companies in a variety of different forms using advertising campaigns that claim that these turmeric remedies are their original inventions. This is also happening with many other ancient remedies known in India for thousands of years. By having the data base the government can make intellectual theft claims in international courts of law.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=23885

Turmeric is an amazing substance with amazing properties. Thanks for the post.

beautiful and useful post...will try a few of these remedies..thanks jio

Big fan of the spice myself.

It also turns dish clothes a nice shade of yellow, which really annoys my mum

vegangoth ji

Can't stand that either -- but it does wash out over time or with bleach. If you mix turmeric with a little hand lotion it makes a very good antiseptic cream for cuts and burns.

Has there been any research done this spice and its "remedies"?

Narayanjot Kaur ji, for turmeric to be a good antiseptic, it must kill the bacteria. Now I don't know if it actually kills bacteria... but assuming it does... WHY would you want that in your system??? Humans are a "storehouse" of bacteria. We need most of those bacteria!!
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=23885
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=23885
How Much Bacteria Live in Our Bodies?

Bhagat ji

I will leave it to those who like to mince around with quips and come-backs to talk more at length with you on this point.

There is a large body of research -- so much so that the government of India has become concerned that a folk remedy with scientifically demonstrated benefits has been hijacked by big drug companies who can profit big time when the poor of India cannot. I do not have time to produce all of that, do my regular job, keep house, address the needs of my family and moderate this forum. So you might want to do some of the leg work. If I have time on the weekend I will look some of it up.

In truth, I don't think you want staph or strepp bacteria crawling around open sores and burns in numbers greater than your white blood cells can tolerate.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=23885

Yes it is an antibacterial. Try it. You will see what I am talking about. As one of the more fact driven members of this forum -- how manmatth of me? - I wouldn't espouse this argument if it didn't measure up for me.

The Health Benefits of Turmeric

Both from a culinary and a medical perspective, the common curry ingredient, turmeric, is one of the most important spices. Researchers have found that it has outstanding properties as an anti-cancer and anti-Alzheimers's agent. Moreover, a landmark survey of all foods in the USA (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, July 2006) found that turmeric is one of the top five anti-oxidant foods. This makes it one of the most valuable foods that we can use to fight cancer, Alzheimer's disease, aging and conditions associated with free radical damage and oxidative stress.
Turmeric's principal compound, curcumin, is one of the most researched of all the spice compounds. Much of the research and interest in curcumin has centered on its role in preventing and treating breast cancer, but it has also been found to have protective effects against cancers of the bladder, stomach, uterus and cervix. When measured against other phytochemicals, curcumin exhibits at least a ten times greater chemoprotective potency against cancer than its closest rivals.
Turmeric and Cancer
Curcumin is known to protect against cancer through the following mechanisms.

• Assists the body's natural tumor-suppressing mechanisms.
• Destroys cancer cells by stimulating apoptosis (programmed cell death) in these cells thereby terminating the immortality so typical of cancer cell lines.
• Halts tumor proliferation by inhibiting DNA synthesis in the cancer cells and disrupting their replication.
• Inhibits the formation of the abnormal blood vessels that are essential for tumour growth.

One of turmeric's most promising uses is in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer. Most breast cancers are hormone dependent, requiring estrogen as a growth stimulant. Tamoxifen, which is one of the most used drugs in the treatment of breast cancer, works against this hormone-mediated process, interfering with estrogen's tumor stimulating effects. Curcumin exhibits its anti-estrongenic effects by blocking the estrogen-dependent receptors on tumor cells, thereby interrupting the stimulatory effects of estrogen and slowing tumor growth. Curcumin may be at least as effective as tamoxifen as an estrogen antagonist, with none of the attendant side effects of this drug.
Radiotherapy and chemotherapy are widely used, but imperfect treatments for cancer. Not only do they have serious, debilitating side effects, but tumor cells often develop resistance to these therapeutic modalities. They also activate COX-2 enzymes that are part of the inflammatory process underlying many cancers. Turmeric reduces the activation of COX-2 enzymes and sensitizes the tumor cells to both radiotherapy and chemotherapy, enhancing their therapeutic effects.
Apart from curcumin, other phytochemicals found in turmeric are also known to have chemoprotective effects. Therefore, when it comes to prevention, it is better to take the parent spice, turmeric, rather than the pure curcumin extract. However, the treatment of existing breast cancer may call for more specific dosages of curcumin, the administration of which would need to be supervised by a qualified health practitioner.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=23885
Alzheimer's (AD) and Parkinson's Diseases
Curcumin exhibits several properties that make it a valuable preventive agent for these two devastating and increasingly common diseases. Although turmeric is probably most effective as a preventive agent against these illnesses, it may also help by improving cognitive problems and inhibiting further deterioration of existing disease.
Curcumin works against neurodegenerative diseases via the following mechanisms:

• The accumulation of amyloid protein in the brain is an important factor associated with Alzheimer's disease. Its deposition is associated with oxidative damage and inflammation in the brain tissues. Curcumin is both a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent and has been shown to suppress oxidative damage, inflammation and the deposition of damaging amyloid protein in the brain. It is possible that it may actually disaggregate existing amyloid plaques and, in so doing, could possibly reverse the course of the disease.
• Another cause of amyloid deposition in the brain is probably due to the accumulation of certain metals, as higher concentrations of harmful metals have been found in the brains of AD sufferers that in non-AD individuals. Metal molecules that find their way into the brain can both induce amyloid aggregation and are directly toxic to brain cells. Certain chelating agents have shown promise in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and curcumin's chelating properties enable it to assist the body in the removal of potentially toxic metals from the brain and other tissues.
• The abnormal proliferation of the brain’s non-neuronal cells is another pathological process that is associated with the development of both Alzheimer's and Parkinson’s diseases. Curcumin prevents the proliferation of these cells which, if allowed to continue growing, cause damage to the brain’s neuronal tissue.

Inflammatory Diseases
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=23885
Much of turmeric's anti-inflammatory potency can be attributed to curcumin, which is both an effective COX-2 inhibitor as well as a strong antioxidant. However, other phytochemicals found in turmeric, in particular the salicylates, also make a valuable contribution to its anti-inflammatory activities and thereby its preventive properties against arthritis, autoimmune disorders and the general health consequences of chronic systemic inflammation and degenerative diseases.
Chelation
Copper and iron are both essential nutrients but if they accumulate in excessive quantities they can cause serious and sometimes irreversible inflammatory and oxidative damage to a variety of tissues. Curcumin is a powerful chelating agent for both metals, binding to the metal ions and allowing them to be safely excreted in the urine.
Traditional use and modern scientific research have shown that turmeric is one of the most valuable spices in our arsenal of disease fighting foods. Synergism between different spices enhances the bioavailability of important compounds such as curcumin. Therefore, to obtain optimum benefit from turmeric, it is important to take it with other common spices.
Those who are serious about maintaining a healthy lifestyle in order to enjoy a good quality of life and reduce the risk of acquiring conditions like Alzheimer's disease and cancer would do well to ensure a daily intake of this golden spice.
About The Author:
Keith Scott is a medical doctor who has a special interest in nutritional medicine. He has written several books on health related topics including Medicinal Seasonings, The Healing Power Of Spices and Natural Home Pharmacy. For more information about the preventive and therapeutic value of turmeric and other spices go to: http://medspice.com.

New study shows how turmeric's curative element works


March 9, 2009 - 0 comments




Washington, March 9:Adding more to the previous studies that have poured health benefits of Turmeric, an essential spice in Indian cuisine that also has long been known for its medicinal properties, a new study has revealed that this herb with a slew of medicinal qualities can spur human cell membranes behave for better health.



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Turmeric is a yellow-coloured rhizome thought to have many medicinal properties including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-cancer define agents. In India, it is being added to every vegetable and pulses dish cooked in kitchen. Indians also use this yellow Indian spice which belongs to ginger family Zingiberaceae as a readily available antiseptic for cuts, burns and bruises.
Also known as the Indian Saffron, Turmeric was always considered a magical herb in India, and has been used by traditional medicine systems like Ayurveda, Unani, and Siddha for treating wounds and infections. It has also been used in cosmetic preparations.



And, now a team of science experts in the United States have discovered what makes this herbal blood purifier and antiseptic "holy powder", revealing that curcumin is the its main curative ingredient responsible for the magic healing power of Turmeric.


The scientists’ team at Michigan University, led by Indian-origin researcher Ayyalusamy Ramamoorthy, who is a Professor of Biophysics at the University of Michigan (U-M), has claimed that curcumin fights infection and promotes good health by inserting itself into cell membranes and making them more orderly. By entering blood cells, it helps improve cells' resistance to infection and malignancy.



"The membrane goes from being crazy and floppy to being more disciplined and ordered, so that information flow through it can be controlled," says Prof Ramamoorthy.
So far, scientists were not fully aware about how exactly curcumin works inside the body. In the latest research Prof Ramamoorthy and colleagues looked at how curcumin works to increase the body's resistance to disease.


To probe the link between curcumin and membrane, the team used a technique called solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The researchers found that curcumin actually regulates the action of membrane proteins "indirectly", by altering the physical properties of the membrane.



"Probing high-resolution intermolecular interactions in the messy membrane environment has been a major challenge to commonly used biophysical techniques," Ramamoorthy said.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=23885



Prof. Ramamoorthy said his team is now planning to find out if other plant compounds interact with cells the same way as curcumin.


If in the other comparative studies curcumin gives desired results, then it could lead to the development of potent compounds to treat infection and other diseases, explains Ramamoorthy.



"We want to see how these various derivatives interact with the membrane, to see if the interactions are the same as observed. Such a study could lead to development of compounds to treat infection and other diseases," he said.



Prof. Ramamoorthy’s findings is published online in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.


New study shows how turmeric's curative element works | TheMedGuru