Hi welcome to Lafiyata, are you adding tons of turmeric to your glass of water every day, hoping for some awesome health benefits? I hate to break it to you, but you're doing it wrong. In this post, I'm going to share with you some facts about turmeric and show you the right way of consuming it to actually get the benefits that you're looking for. If you're interested, please keep reading.
Turmeric's big star is curcumin, that's what gives turmeric its bright yellow color. Curcumin has been well researched for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. It's known for helping with liver function, boosting immunity, lowering stress, relieving arthritic pains, and much more.
Sounds great, right? That's why everybody is going crazy with turmeric these days, either in powdered form or as supplements. But here's the catch. Curcumin is super unstable.
It doesn't dissolve in water and it has poor bioavailability, meaning our body doesn't absorb it well. So that turmeric water that you're drinking, pretty much useless because your body is not taking in any of the good stuff. So let me break down a few things that nobody is telling you about turmeric.
1. Dosage of turmeric is the key
Turmeric is a spice and like all spices, it is a double-edged sword. The right amount can do wonders to your health, but too much can mess you up.
Turmeric is high in oxalates, which can cause gas, bloating, and diarrhea and even increase the risk of kidney stones. So don't overdo it and definitely stay away from high concentration turmeric supplements.
2. Mix turmeric right for better absorption
Here's where most people go wrong. Curcumin doesn't dissolve in water and it doesn't get absorbed very well in our body. Most of the curcumin simply passes through the digestive system without even entering the circulatory system.
This is why your curcumin supplements and turmeric water are an absolute waste because you are hardly absorbing any curcumin from these. Curcumin needs help to get absorbed in your body and here are two ways to boost the absorption of curcumin.
By mixing turmeric with fat
Curcumin is fat-soluble and it dissolves in fat. So if you mix turmeric with a healthy source of fat, it'll absorb way better.
By mixing turmeric with black pepper
The piperine in black pepper can boost the absorption of curcumin by 2000% and that is massive. So definitely add a pinch of black pepper whenever you're using turmeric.
Turmeric supplements vs whole turmeric.
Curcumin supplements are everywhere, but here's the thing, they are not regulated. So you don't really know how much you're getting and too much can cause some nasty side effects like gastric issues or even liver problems. Plus, research shows that whole turmeric is way better than curcumin supplements because whole turmeric has other compounds that add to its anti-inflammatory benefits.
Cooking turmeric is a game changer
There is evidence to believe that cooking turmeric in a source of fat like oil or butter boosts its antioxidant potential and it also helps in lowering those oxalates which can cause negative side effects. So cooking it for four to five minutes in your meal is a win-win approach.
So what's the best way to consume turmeric? If you want to benefit from the anti-inflammatory and therapeutic potential of turmeric and if you want to incorporate turmeric in a safe and effective manner in your daily routine, here's what I recommend.
1. Cooking. Add three-fourth to one teaspoon turmeric to your dals, curries, soups, sabzi or vegetable stir-fries.
Cooking turmeric in a fat like the oil that you use for cooking helps absorb the curcumin better and the heat enhances the benefits of turmeric.
2. Turmeric milk or haldi doodh. This one is my favourite.
Heat up some milk and add about half a teaspoon turmeric powder to it and let it simmer for five to six minutes. Your turmeric milk is ready. I also like to throw in some saffron to my turmeric milk.
The fat in the milk will help in better absorption of curcumin and the calcium in milk will help in lowering the oxalates in turmeric.
Turmeric pickle. This one requires you to use whole turmeric root.
Chop up the turmeric root into small pieces and sun dry it for one to two days. Add some mustard oil and spices to these turmeric roots, pour it out into a clean jar and keep it out in the sun for two to three days. Your turmeric pickle is ready for consumption.
Half teaspoon of this pickle with your lunch or dinner will give you your curcumin fix for the day.
That's all from me today. I hope this post helped in clearing out some turmeric confusion. Let me know in the comments how do you like to use your turmeric and do not forget to check out my recipe video on turmeric milk and turmeric pickle.