Forest Plants - Tumeric - Mecicinal Uses

By Liliana Usvat

Turmeric grows wild in the forests of South and Southeast Asia. Turmeric comes from the root of the Curcuma longa plant and has a tough brown skin and a deep orange flesh. Turmeric has long been used as a powerful anti-inflammatory in both the Chinese and Indian systems of medicine. Turmeric was traditionally called "Indian saffron" because of its deep yellow-orange color and has been used throughout history as a condiment, healing remedy and textile dye. 

Turmeric is an excellent source of both iron and manganese. It is also a good source of vitamin B6, dietary fiber, and potassium.

Culinary

 
Turmeric is widely used as a spice in South Asian and Middle Eastern cooking. Many Persian dishes use turmeric as a starter ingredient. Almost all Iranian fried dishes consist of oil, onions, and turmeric followed by any other ingredients that are to be included.

Turmeric is mostly used in savory dishes, but is used in some sweet dishes, such as the cake Sfouf. In India, turmeric plant leaf is used to prepare special sweet dishes, patoleo, by layering rice flour and coconut-jaggery mixture on the leaf, and then closing and steaming it in a special copper steamer (goa).

Folk medicine and traditional uses

In Tamilnadu, turmeric has been used traditionally for thousands of years as a remedy for stomach and liver ailments, as well as topically to heal sores, basically for its supposed antimicrobial property.

 In the Siddha system (since c. 1900 BCE) turmeric was a medicine for a range of diseases and conditions, including those of the skin, pulmonary, and gastrointestinal systems, aches, pains, wounds, sprains, and liver disorders. A fresh juice is commonly used in many skin conditions, including
 

• eczema, 
• chicken pox, 
• shingles, 
• allergy, and 
• scabies.

Manjal Pal (turmeric milk) is warm milk mixed with some turmeric powder. It is commonly used in Tamilnadu as a home remedy when someone is suffering from fever. Turmeric paste is often used in Tamilnadu as an antiseptic in open wounds, while chun-holud (turmeric with slaked lime) is used to stop bleeding as home remedies. It is also used as a detanning agent in Tamilnadu.

The active compound curcumin is believed to have a wide range of biological effects including 

• anti-inflammatory, 
• improved Liver Functions
• antioxidant, 
• antitumour,
• antibacterial, and
• antiviral activities, which indicate potential in clinical medicine. 
• In Chinese medicine, it is used for treatment of various infections and as an antiseptic.
• administration of curcumin or turmeric can suppress several stages of cancer development in multiple tumor models.

• irreversibly inhibit the multiplication of leukemia cells in a cell culture 
• Help for Cystic Fibrosis Sufferers 
• Epidemiological studies have linked the frequent use of turmeric to lower rates of breast, prostate, lung and colon cancer; laboratory experiments have shown curcumin can prevent tumors from forming; and research conducted at the University of Texas suggests that even when breast cancer is already present, curcumin can help slow the spread of breast cancer cells to the lungs in mice. 

• An Effective Treatment for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
• prevent the oxidation of cholesterol in the body. Since oxidized cholesterol is what damages blood vessels and builds up in the plaques that can lead to heart attack or stroke, preventing the oxidation of new cholesterol may help to reduce the progression of atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease.   
• Relief for Rheumatoid Arthritis 
  
  
• Inhibits Cancer Cell Growth and Metastases
  
• Protection against Alzheimer's Disease
• Turmeric and Onions May Help Prevent Colon Cancer. Curcumin, a phytonutrient found in the curry spice turmeric, and quercitin, an antioxidant in onions, reduce both the size and number of precancerous lesions in the human intestinal tract

Tips for Preparing Turmeric 

Be careful when using turmeric since its deep color can easily stain. To avoid a lasting stain, quickly wash any area with which it has made contact with soap and water. To prevent staining your hands, you might consider wearing kitchen gloves while handling turmeric. 

If you are able to find turmeric rhizomes in the grocery store, you can make your own fresh turmeric powder by boiling, drying and then grinding it into a fine consistency.

History

Turmeric has been used in Tamilnadu for thousands of years and is a major part of Siddha medicine. It was first used as a dye and then later for its medicinal properties.

 Siddha Medicine

Siddha Medicineis one of the oldest medical systems known to mankind  Reported to have surfaced more than 10000 years ago, the Siddha system of medicine is considered one of the most ancient traditional medical systems. 

The Siddha flourished in the period of Indus Valley civilization. Palm leaf manuscripts says that the Siddha system was first described by Lord Shiva to his wife Parvathy. Parvathy explained all this knowledge to her son Lord Muruga. He taught all these knowledge to his disciple sage Agasthya. Agasthya taught 18 Siddhars and they spread this knowledge to human beings.

 

Siddhars were of the concept that a healthy soul can only be developed through a healthy body. So they developed methods and medication that are believed to strengthen their physical body and thereby their souls.

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