Turmeric & its significance in India
Turmeric has a special place in Indian tradition and has been used in India for thousands of years. It is still an integral part of our food and traditional medicine. Moreover, it is used to worship the Sun God, Surya and is worn by people (tika/tilak) as a part of the purification process. Used as a beauty aid, spice, and medicine - Turmeric is no less than a magic herb because of its numerous benefits. It is thus not surprising that Haldi has such an important place in ancient Indian medical science – Ayurveda.
Why Turmeric?
Turmeric or Haldi is an integral part of the Indian diet. It acts like a medicine and a natural colouring agent. In fact in India, food is considered to become pure after adding Turmeric. The flavour imparted in food is phenomenal alongside the medicinal benefits. A bonus Haldi gives is the vibrancy it brings to the food, thus making it very pleasing to the eyes! The philosophy of taking care of one's body and mind through little and continuous practices has been the basis of Ayurvedic knowledge. The bioactive compound curcumin is the main hero in turmeric which has anti-inflammatory and has an abundance of antioxidants. Ayurveda has a lot to praise about turmeric. In Charaka Samhita, Maharishi Charakh has glorified Haldi for its antiseptic and healing properties. It helps improve energy levels, expel worms, improve digestion, regulate menstruation, solve gas problems, dissolve gallstones, and reduce arthritic pain.
Healing properties/Benefits of Turmeric
In a world full of impure products (filled with preservatives and adulterants), we must be careful about what products we ingest. Poor lifestyle choices might not show harmful results in the short-term, but these results tend to reveal themselves later (if not sooner). We tend to give in to the temptation of tasty food but harm our bodies by eating junk food. This is where our Vedic lifestyle comes with some solutions. Ayurvedic treatments are based on the root causes rather than the symptoms. There is a set of rules and practices we need to follow to keep our bodies fit and disease-free! Including Turmeric in one's everyday life can bring about a positive change. Following are some of the benefits it can offer:- The active compound Curcumin can boost brain-derived neurotrophic factors (BDNF). It is a gene responsible for promoting the life of neurons by making proteins necessary to survive.
- It has shown its merit for controlling various factors circling heart diseases
- It is effective in diminishing the cancer growth cells. Limiting the cells helps to prevent cancer.
- Alzheimer's treatment-Inflammation and oxidative problems are major factors to increase Alzheimer's. So turmeric fits perfectly opposite to cut them down.
- Arthritis leads to inflammation in joints. Haldi, on the other hand relieves our body of inflammation and can surely help with Arthiritis.
- Helps in dealing with respiratory and other infections.
- It helps regulate blood pressure.
- It helps to regulate cholesterol.
Skin
A particular ceremony during Indian weddings is quite popular - Haldi ceremony. Yes, it is named after Turmeric! Here, the bride and groom apply turmeric paste on the face and bodies to improve the skin's glow. Moreover, its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidising properties help in eliminating skin infections and disinfecting wounds. While Haldi is versatile and is an effective ailment for many problems, the amount of curcumin is scarce in bioavailability and is just 3 per cent by weight. Hence, it is enough for daily consumption!