Chef Gio - Turmeric

It’s been a while since I’ve been writing last, it feels even longer as I’m writing this post. I’ve missed you, and I hope you missed me too, a bit.

Today I want to talk about spices, it has been an hidden passion of mine for quite a while, and in some ways Chinese medicine has been amplifying it tenfolds.

Today’s Queen of the show it’s Turmeric, also known as Curcuma (this is also the way I used to call it in Italy).

Turmeric is the one plant which with his promise of anti-carcinogenic properties (for some specific cancers), always tickled my interest, however, her prowess go beyond this simple mere fact. Turmeric is a fantastic natural anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant, in a world where we are constantly exposed to inflammatory food (e.g. sugar, processed and ultra-processed foods etc…) and inflammatory stressful life (including some people in our lives and illegal occupations which disregards any international law and human rights) it’s a great companion which could help you take off the edge of all of this for a bit.

In classic Chinese Medicine, it’s often prescribed as a remedy for pain or menstrual irregularities, in the specific the bitter taste of Turmeric seems to have a cleansing effect against Heat and Damp.

Ok, enough of me geeking around, I use it a lot when doing condiments for salads or in any kind of stew (beans, chickpeas, meats you name it), I’ve even mixed it in the Seitan I made yesterday, and please don’t tell my mum *whispering* “even in risottos“! shhhtt…

Jokes aside, I find it excellent as all-around anti-inflammatory food, however, there’s more to it… this spice Queen has a trusted companion of some sort, drum-rolls … black pepper!

Yes, from a very old study from 1997 and still referenced in more recent studies, black pepper seems to increase turmeric bioavailability by 2000%, in other words, it makes your body absorb it more effectively.

I always mix them together in most of my kitchen preparations without messing with the taste of food too much.

How much should I take?

Glad you asked, first and foremost don’t take too much of it, as it can as well give you a very strong tummy ache following with nausea and loose stools. That said, Harvard Health guarantees that up to 3 teaspoon of over-the-ounter ground spice turmeric it’s safe to take, I personally don’t got further than 1 teaspoon (and always go for organic versions of this spice), but I guess just try it in very small doses and build up from there to see how much you can tolerate without going too much overboard.

And you? Do you use Turmeric in your kitchen already or is does this sound like a novelty trick?

Least but not last, if you have any allergies or conditions for which you have dietary limitation, please consult your physician first before taking any new supplement or ingredient, this is a very generic blog post on a spice I use since a long while so do take care on how you approach it, as everything in life.

References:

• Influence of Piperine on the Pharmacokinetics of Curcumin in Animals and Human Volunteers : https://www.thieme-connect.de/products/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/s-2006-957450

• Turmeric benefits: A look at the evidence: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/turmeric-benefits-a-look-at-the-evidence#:~:text=Safety%20of%20turmeric%20and%20curcumin,when%20taken%20in%20high%20doses.

• Curcumin: A Review of Its Effects on Human Health: https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/6/10/92#B17-foods-06-00092

• Why Turmeric and Black Pepper Is a Powerful Combination: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/turmeric-and-black-pepper#curcumin-absorption