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About the herb turmeric and curcumin
Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) is a perennial plant belonging to the ginger family Zingiberaceae in the order Zingiberales. It can
be over two meters high. It has lily-like leaves and pale yellow to pink flowers
in the shape of an ear of corn. Underground is a Tuberous root with several
cylindrical side roots.
Turmeric comes from Southeast Asia. The largest producer is India, but it is
also cultivated in China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Australia, Africa, Peru
and the Caribbean. Spices plant was probably brought to Europe by Marco Polo
(1254-1324). In his book A description of the world, he discusses the plant as
"a fruit resembling saffron.
Spice turmeric, sometimes called Indian saffron, is the dried and ground
Tuberous. The aroma is reminiscent of ginger, the taste is slightly bitter and
sharp. It is rarely used alone but is an important part of curry, of which it
gets its color. Also mustard and worchestershiresaus often contain turmeric.
Turmeric is light sensitive and must be stored dark.
Medical effect of the herb
The spice contains the substance curkummin, a drug that has long been considered to have healing effects against a variety of diseases. This is the substance giving the yellow flower. It also contains etherical oils.
Curcumine molecules have two phenolic units connected by an unsaturated carbon atom chain. Each phenolic unit has an -OCH3 group and the chain has two ketonic oxygen molecules attached.
The plant is used medicallly in the form of spice pouder or as a tea or as extracts.
Turmeric helps to reduce heart and circulatory problems through several mechanisms. It lowers the cholesterole level. It loweres the level of homocystein in the blood. It prevents cholesterole from being oxidized, a process promoting deposition of cholesterole in the walls of blood vessels. It helps to improve the ratio between HDL and LDL lipoproteins in the blood. Also anti-inflammatory properties may help against heart problems.
Turmeric hinders overgrowth of yeast and can therefore be used as a menas to treat yeast infection or candidiatis.
Turmeric is used as a general remedy against digestive trouble. especially irritable bowel syndrome.
It is used to treat inflammmations. It is also used to topically to prevent and treat infection in sores and to enhance the rate of sore healing. One uses turmeric in many products to heal problems in the skin.
It is being ivestigated as effector against Atzheimer's disease, arthritis and cancer.
Turmeric enhances nerve growth by increasing the level of neurotropic factor DNDF produced in the brain. Tis effect may be useful for treatment of nerve damage and degeneration and Altzheimer's dosease.
Turmeric plant - a free to reuse picture form wikipedia.or
