Steal This Health Secret: Turmeric
All About Turmeric Where it’s popular: India. This bright-yellow spice, a key ingredient in curries, is used to treat everything
All About Turmeric
- Where it’s popular: India. This bright-yellow spice, a key ingredient in curries, is used to treat everything from a runny nose to chest pain in traditional Asian medicine.
- Why you should try it: Small studies have found that curcumin, a component of turmeric, cuts cholesterol; animal research suggests it inhibits tumor formation. Now more than a dozen studies in humans are investigating whether it protects against cancer, Alzheimer’s, and other diseases.
- How to use it: Heat a little oil in a sauté pan, and toss in a tablespoon of turmeric, a dash of salt, and a generous pinch of black pepper (pepper can increase your uptake of curcumin by up to 2,000 percent). Stir for a minute, then add vegetables, shrimp, scallops, or thin strips of meat for a sunny-colored dish with earthy, peppery accents.
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Originally Published: April 23, 2009
Originally Published in Reader's Digest