TURMERIC – What’s in a Name

Turmeric is a remarkable plant that has been talked about a lot for a while now. Known originally in the West solely as an important ingredient in many Indian curries and as a source of dye, it is now also lauded for its impressive health properties. It is said to be strongly antioxidant, reduce inflammation and pain response, and has a positive impact on the gut amongst many other benefits.

In Chinese medicine, turmeric is called ‘Jiang Huang’, which simply means ‘Yellow Ginger’ - turmeric indeed belongs to the ginger family and the bright yellow/orange colour of the herb is obvious. Turmeric is energetically warm and strongly moves Qi (Energy) and Blood, thus breaking up any stagnation, which in Chinese medicine is the cause of pain.

If you plan on cooking with turmeric from now on, be aware that it is not easily absorbed by the body (same goes for powders or supplements). You can facilitate absorption by adding for example a little bit of black pepper – but careful if you have a constitution that runs hot – don’t overdo it .. 😊

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