Turmeric, a Toolbox of Good Health

Turmeric Curcuma longa

In the west, the root of this plant has been most well known for cooking. It is what gives curry its yellow colour, and it has been used as an adulterant of mustard. As a dye it creates a rich yellow colour. Turmeric paper can be made with tincture of Turmeric and used as a test for alkaloids and boric acid.

Although many cultures have traditionally recognized its medicinal benefits, here in the west well we are learning. Ever since I started learning about herbal medicine I’ve had a particular fondness for this spice and its medicinal benefits, and after my recent sifting through hundreds (literally) of medical journal articles on Turmeric, it seems that others have been realizing its usefulness too.
What are all those medical journals saying? While the majority of these studies have not been done on humans, here is just a tidbit of the many uses that are in the toolbox that is Turmeric, and that is being supported by modern scientific study: