7 Easy Ways To Use Curcumin from Turmeric
Turmeric has long been hailed for its 'superfood' qualities, with endless celebrity fans and well documented efficacy against numerous health conditions. This golden spice can attribute its health benefits to the compound curcumin. Shona Wilkinson, nutritionist at SuperfoodUK.com tells us, “Turmeric contains the ingredient Curcumin that has been extensively studied for its potential to help control inflammation and pain, protect the joints and help maintain flexibility.”
Packed with antioxidants, Curcumin has an anti-inflammatory effect and is therefore often recommended for any health conditions caused by inflammation, such as rheumatoid arthritis and IBS or for anyone suffering swelling or stiffness. Some even use it to aid certain skin conditions.
Here are some easy ways to get more turmeric into your diet. Some of them might surprise you!
1 – The golden milk
It has been one of the biggest food trends over the last two years. ‘Golden Milk’ is essentially turmeric mixed with a milk of your choice (coconut, almond, soy). Turmeric tea and lattes are buzzwords within health circles and are known to have a whole host of health benefits.
For your own Golden Milk refreshment, just whisk coconut milk, cinnamon, turmeric, ginger and honey with water and simmer over a reduced heat for ten minutes. Then voila, enjoy your golden goodness!
2- Sass up your smoothies
The popularity of juices and smoothies has soared over the last couple of years, with companies forever trying to think of new ways to pack as many nutrients and goodness as possible into every sip. Shona Wilkinson recommends adding some curcumin to your smoothie or juice such as Quest CurQuMax (£9.97, www.qnutrapharma.com), which is a concentrated Curcumin supplement with over 95% Curcumin.
3 – Eggselent eggs
Scrambled eggs are a great healthy breakfast staple. If you find eating them regularly can get a bit repetitive, then try adding a sprinkle of turmeric to your eggs. Not only does it add flavour and color but you will also get the added health benefits. If you want to get the most of the Curcumin then combine with Pepper as black pepper enhances the absorption of turmeric by up to 2000%.
4– Let’s face it…
We all want our skin to look fresh, clear and healthy, so much so that many of us are willing to fork out for expensive face creams, serums or even go under the knife to achieve optimum results. As a natural alternative, turmeric can be used to help exfoliate and brighten skin. Again the anti inflammatory properties can work wonders on skin conditions such as acne, dry skin, psoriasis and eczema. Find more information on www.turmericforhealth.com.
Alternatively, just add to some flour and milk for your very own facial mask. Not only will your skin look and feel fabulous, but you’ll also save money on skincare.
5 – Look after those locks:
Thanks to Turmeric’s antibacterial antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, this spice can naturally cleanse the scalp and help reduce dandruff by stimulating blood circulation. If you suffer from dandruff, simply apply a mixture of turmeric and olive oil to your scalp before taking a shower. Leave for 15 minutes, and then rinse the hair with a natural shampoo.
6 – Brush those pearly whites
The idea of coating your teeth in a yellow substance does sound pretty counter intuitive, but as turmeric contains vitamin C, calcium,
magnesium, and selenium (which are essential to strong, healthy teeth) it may be worth considering.
7 – Cheat
You’ll often see supplements that are labeled ‘curcumin’ rather than turmeric. This is because curcumin is thought to be the main active constituent of turmeric, and so many supplements are concentrated to contain a high percentage of it – often 95%, compared to only around 2 or 3% in pure turmeric. This means that one capsule can give you as much curcumin as several teaspoons of turmeric powder!
Courtesy of www.ccdpr.com