Why should you drink turmeric tea when you wake up?
By Magaly Muciño
Tired of chamomile, green, black or even chai tea? Turmeric tea is the healthy infusion that you need to try.
What is curcuma longa?
Curcuma longa is the name of this similar root or of the ginger family and from this the “curcumin” is extracted, yes, that characteristic powder (which in fact it is the active ingredient) that gives that yellow-orange color to the curry of your favorite food, India. oh! and that it also has multiple health benefits even if you don't believe it yet.
According to the New York Times, this plant native to South Asia is one of the fastest growing as a dietary supplement, in fact in 2018 these products accumulated 328 million dollars in sales in the United States alone, seven times more than in 2017 according to a report in the Nutrition Business Journal.
The root has an amber-like color while its flavor is somewhat bitter and its fame is due to the fact that in India it has been widely used in cooking, as a dye and other therapeutic uses that make it a part of Ayurvedic medicine . Curcumin, its phenolic compound, is just one of the other curcuminoids, comprising 3% of the spice. In the West it is also very common and is considered a nutraceutical, that is, a food that provides medical benefits or for the prevention of some diseases.
Its uses in the world.
In India it is added to curries, in Japan it is drunk as a tea, in Thailand it is also included as an ingredient in cosmetics and skin care, in China as a tincture, in Malaysia as an antiseptic, in Pakistan as an anti-inflammatory agent, and in India. West like the United States it is added to mustards, cheeses, butters, French fries as a preservative and coloring. So if you look, there are countless ways you can find it, but speaking of its therapeutic effects, the most common is in the form of roots, capsules, supplements, tablets, ointments and powders, these for tea.
How to prepare turmeric tea?
The tea itself can be prepared from powder, dried, grated or ground turmeric. You choose, but if you already buy a ready-to-serve product, many of them claim to have a higher concentration of curcumin. One way to prepare it according to what we find can be:
- Boil 1 liter of water.
- Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the powder or turmeric and mix. < li>Let it simmer for 10 minutes.
- Strain the tea and let it cool.
- You can add honey to sweeten, lemon juice, orange, pepper, ginger, ghee, Milk replacer for added flavor and consistency.
Most studies in adults show that 400 to 600 mg of pure curcumin powder or 1 to 3 g per day as root or grated are safe for those who consume it. In fact, curcumin is not that easy to absorb, it is metabolized and eliminated from the body quickly since it is not very soluble in water and is easily degraded. According to the literature, one way to increase its bioavailability by about 20 times is by adding pepper, this will enhance its effect.
Its properties and benefits.
In her 2019 article for the Elsevier journal Chemical-Biological Interactions, Elenora Hay states that as a natural remedy it has great medicinal value. Among the properties of curcumin are antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant and anticancer.
Do you want to know more?
And remember that like everything else, its consumption should be moderate if you don't want to also experience side effects.