How Is Turmeric Used in Ayurvedic Medicine?

Ayurvedic practitioners call turmeric the "golden spice of life." Its botanical name is "Curcuma longa," and it belongs to the Ginger family. Ayurveda, a 5,000 year old medical system, has used it for healing, eating and more. Turmeric was used in its earliest days as both a paste and a juice. When raw pieces of turmeric are crushed, the result is a translucent, reddish-yellow tasteless liquid which can be mixed with honey to give it some flavor. Turmeric liquid is used in Ayurveda as a blood purifier, and in cases of chronic illnesses and stomach problems. The paste is used to treat skin conditions, like eczema.

Turmeric's History

Turmeric has been used in Ayurveda for centuries both as a potent antioxidant and a powerful anti-inflammatory agent. In the late 20th century, it was discovered that "curcumin" was the ingredient responsible for most of the curative effects of turmeric. In 2005 the Wall Street Journal reported that research activity into curcumin was exploding. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved curcumin as "generally regarded as safe." But even though 40 clinical trials with it have been completed, it's usefulness for specific diseases has not been proven. Still, there are great hopes for it, and many people around the world use it for various ailments with great success.

Tumeric's Healing Powers

Ayurvedic and Western doctors now believe that turmeric has the power to:

Lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol
Increase the good HDL cholesterol.
Reduce blood sugar level in diabetics
Acts as an anticoagulant
Protect and is a tonic for the liver.
Boost the stomach's defenses against acid
Heal wounds. In Northwest Pakistan and Afghanistan, ground turmeric is applied to a piece of burnt cloth, and placed over a wound to clean and cure it.
Possibly fight cancer.
Be of possible benefit to Alzheimer's disease, and liver disorders.

Ayurveda Medicinal Use of Turmeric as Food

A strong Ayurvedic belief is that diet is a crucial aspect of the body's well-being.
Therefore, great attention is given to the foods that are chosen to eat, and how they are prepared. Turmeric has long been considered by Ayurvedic healers for its diverse and powerful healing properties.

Turmeric as a spice gives Indian dishes a deep, golden color. The roots of the plant are laid out in the sun to dry, then ground into a powder. Some people like to eat the roots pan fried in ghee (butter) with sauce and spices. Most people add the bright yellow powder into foods as they are cooking, to give flavor and color. It is not advised to eat turmeric without cooking it first.

Tumeric's Important Role in Ayurveda

In Ayurveda, the belief is that turmeric balances the three main characteristics of the human condition, also called doshas. Dosha means "change." The three Ayurvedic doshas are Pitta, Kapha and Vata. Kapha signifies water and earth. Pitta is the force between water and fire. And Vata is the force of ether and air. Older people are usually classified as Vata, since as we get older, we shrink and dry out. Teens are Pitta because during this stage, hormone changes transform us into adults. And Kapha is the dosha of children, who grow or increase in size and substance of the body.

Turmeric's Power Referred To In Ancient Book

The Charaka Saṃhitā Sutra, an ancient Indian Ayurvedic text on internal medicine written by Caraka is believed to be the oldest treatise on Ayurveda. This book is a huge "how-to" on Ayurveda. One of the traditional remedies it points out for jaundice is a combination of turmeric, triphala, neem bark, bala, licorice all cooked in milk and the ghee of a buffalo.

References

• Ayurvedic Use of Turmeric
• Ayurbalance.com
• The California College of Ayurveda