Turmeric is a deep orange-yellow spice in the ginger family and made from the powdered rhizome (root) of the plant. It is used to color mustard, in curry dishes and has a pungent bite like ginger.

The presence of compounds called, curcuminoids, are what give this spice its yellow color and its potent kick to a long-life.

Apply Tumeric Liberally for a Long Life:

Turmeric has been getting a lot press lately as a “super food” possessing numerous health benefits. One of the most noteworthy properties: it is a potent anti-inflammatory. Inflammation and anti-inflammatories have become the most recent buzzwords to rise to level of free-radicals and anti-oxidants. Inflammation is tied to all kinds of debilitating conditions and diseases: arthritis, arteriosclerosis, diabetes and its complications, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s and cancer to name a few.

Turmeric’s curcuminoids are also potent anti-oxidants that nix free-radicals; which , along with inflammation, are implicated in many disease states.

Turmeric Ki Bashes Alzheimer’s and Arthritis:

Promising research on turmeric and its curcuminoids shows it can prevent Alzheimer’s from forming. This is good news for baby boomers in light of the fact that the chance of developing this debilitating disease increases dramatically after age 65…after age 80…50/50 chance!

The link to Alzheimer’s and turmeric was first noticed in Indian populations who consume alot of it in their diet through curry dishes. The observation that curry consuming populations showed a lower incidence of this disease than non-curry consuming ones led to further research. Research in mice, showed that turmeric can block formation of the dreaded brain “plaque” associated with Alzheimer’s.

Baby boomers who want to stay active may want to consider turmeric for the inflammation of osteo-arthritis. Osteo-arthritis is present in just about everyone over 60. You know…the morning stiffness and pain, diminished range of motion, sore knees, elbows, and shoulders. The curcuminoids in turmeric are active against the biological mechanisms, inflammation and free-radical damage, responsible for arthritis.

How to Use Turmeric:

The pure ground whole spice contains, at the most, 3% by dry weight of the active curcuminoids. However, very small quantities can have big benefits. That benefits can occur from just dietary intake, as a seasoning, is evidenced by the low incidence of Alzheimer’s in curry eating populations. This is even more remarkable, since turmeric is only one of many spices that made up “curry spice”.

I would recommend using pure turmeric spice added to such things as deviled eggs, tomato soup, spaghetti sauce, mustard, stir fry and of course your favorite curry. Also use black pepper and olive oil in these dishes for better absorption of the precious curcuminoids.

Be forewarned, one of this spice’s traditional uses was as a dye. Therefore, it readily stains everything it comes in contact with…be ready with soap and water for immediate wipe-up.

Finally, their are standardized extracts of turmeric that contain up to 95% by weight of the active ingredients of curcuminoids. Swanson’smakes a capsulized turmeric extract containing 95% curcuminoids along with black pepper extract for better absorption and metabolism.

I cover all bases, by using the spice liberally on my foods and by taking a quality standardized extract in capsule form.