101 Amazing Uses for Turmeric: Reduce Joint Pain, Soothe Your Stomach, Make a Delicious Dinner and 98 More!
by Susan Branson
Familius LLC 2018 (143 pages)
I've been interested in the ability of Turmeric to calm down inflammation. It is one of the most important things for keeping any type of disease away---banishing inflammation. For me and my autoimmune conditions, it is a constant battle. So, if Turmeric can do it for me, I'm all in. So far so good as far as my flare-ups are concerned.
Did you know that Turmeric comes from the Ginger family? It looks very similar, and in fact, you use the rhizomes just like you would for ginger. "The main rhizome tends to grow up to three inches long and an inch in diameter, with smaller rhizomes branching off in all directions. The rhizomes are tuberous, segmented, and rough in appearance. The outside of the turmeric rhizome is a yellowish-brown color, and the inside is orange, similar to that of a carrot.... The rhizomes are harvested, boiled for roughly forty minutes, dried in ovens, and then ground into the familiar yellowish-orange powder," the author states.
Within the pages, you learn of the many varied uses for turmeric. And varied they are. Everything from hot turmeric milk for children and adults with bronchitis, to popsicles, tooth whitener and coloring for homemade playdough. I like how the book is laid out in sections for health, wellness, beauty and crafts. And things like AIDS, Herpes or Cardiomyopathy are not left out either. It doesn't specifically talk about inflammation (that's a recent craze), but it does talk about various conditions that involve inflammation. I was specifically interested in the section on psoriasis, since I deal with that through my PsA (Psoriatic Arthritis). Any type of stress or life changes can trigger a flare up and the immune system goes into overdrive, with the white blood cells getting confused and attacking healthy skin cells. That results in an overgrowth of skin cells and plaques, redness, itching and inflammation. About 30% of those with PsA also get joint pain and I'm one of those lucky 30%. It is no fun. But currently, I'm using UVA light and red-light therapy which helps. Wouldn't you know it, but the author says that when I orally take the Turmeric (which contains curcumin), it has been shown to be effective at reducing the body surface area after this treatment protocol. I can attest that I am having success. It's a short book, but one that will give you a look into a different side of Turmeric and an interesting read.
Susan Branson is a researcher and writer as well as a holistic nutritional consultant. She is a member of CSNN's Alumni Association, Canada's leading holistic nutrition school. She has published over thirteen books, her latest being "Scientific Americans: Invention, Technology, and National Identity". She has written other books in the 101 Uses series on various healing plants and spices.
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