Curcumin (tumeric) 's Benefits.....

[rjroubi]

I've been reading alot about Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, lately. In Muscle and Fitness (March 2006) it states studies show it relieves pain and inflammation in patients who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis and is even better then some over the counter products (NSAIDS) for alleviating post-surgical inflammation. It decreased the inflammation by reducing histamine levels and raising natural cortisone production. I also read in Oxygen (April 2006) that it may have the power to stop breast cancer from spreading to the lungs.

Anyone care to have curry for lunch with me?:9

Robin

 

[MSJ]

Robin--thanks for the info--my husband suffers from arthritis and is interested in anything that might help. Would you have any idea about the amount you'd have to eat to have any benefit?

Maggie

 

[kathryn]

Turmeric is good to add to scrambled tofu and tofu mock-egg salad(but probably not in amounts that are clinically effective!).

 

[rjroubi]

Maggie,
The article suggested 200mg - 500mg two to three times a day.... it wasn't footnoted so I couldn't check out the information further. I just thought the information was worth sharing with others even if it was based on anecdotal studies being that Tumeric is such a commonly used herb and a tasty one at that;-)... (an extra 1/4-1/2 teaspoonful in my morning Tofu scramble sounds like a harmless healthy good deal to me on my Plyo days...as long as I don't attempt any headstands that day because the heartburn alone would probably kill me....LOL.)

Robin

 

[atiman]

Robin,
Tumeric is ONE of the ingredients to make a curry sauce, but by itself it pretty tasteless( bitter in larger quaunities), not spicy or much of anything. It's used mainly for color. Perhaps, you were thinking of curry powder (which contains all the other spices to make curry).

If you do use 1/2 teaspoon of tumeric, be careful because that seems like a lot for a single dish. The dish would be so yellow that it would stain your teeth and much, much more.


Oh, I read that tumeric helps slow down the absorption of glucose or glucose level, or something along those lines. And, this is why in countries like Indian, and Thailand, white rice doesn't have a negitive impact as it would normally.
If I find that book I'll post it.

Namita

 

[rjroubi]

Namita,
Thanks for the info on the spice! I've always used the 2 teaspoonsful cumin, 1/2 teaspoonful tumeric, and 1 teaspoonful paprika in my Tofu scrambled and wrongly "assummed" it was the tumeric that was spicy and gave it a zing..(gourmet cook I am not !). I sure do love that tofu scramble and it really does have 1/2 teaspoonful of tumeric. Now, I will have to look at my teeth in the mirror the next time I make it...yikes!

Please do post the book info

Robin

 

[atiman]

Wow, I don't know what's giving that spicy zing since none those are spicy...unless of course, the paprika is a hot version.

Maybe my teaspoon is a lot bigger than yours.....it is, especially when it comes to peanut butter.

I have a packet called tofu scramble. Is it the same thing or do you make it yourself?

Namita

 

[rjroubi]

Namita,
No I don't use a package mix....I found the recipe mixture off the web (It also has 1 teaspoonful of fresh thyme in it as well) and make it myself. I really cook so rarely that every time DH sees me by even by the stove, he asks me if I am an some sort of alien who took over his wife's body that needs to be destroyed I do make this one when I have tofu in the house and keep a knife by my side when I cook....just in case DH is not sure it is really me....

Robin:9

 

[MSJ]

Thanks for replying, Robin. I'm going to pass this information on to my DH. It can't hurt to try it at any rate

Maggie