Magical mystical turmeric, it’s the yellow powder known to stain fingers and countertops alike that has become hugely popular in the West over the last several years. Turmeric has become sort of a panacea of cures proven to help with inflammation and pain. Curcumin is the active compound in turmeric that provides these benefits. But did you know that just sprinkling the yellow powder alone in your food or in a drink isn’t really giving you the real benefits?

First and foremost curcumin is activated by piperine, the active compound in black pepper. What this means is that taking turmeric without adding pepper is largely wasting the benefits of curcumin. Secondly, every herb and spice, especially when taken in medicinal quantities has properties that are cooling, warming, drying, or moisturizing.  What this means it that it is important to balance the property of the herb you are taking with the addition of foods or other balancing herbs because in short too much even if it’s a good thing, is still too much.

Turmeric according to Vedic science is drying and heating. For a person who is already predisposed to these qualities taking turmeric with wild abandon can create more of the same, which is too much for the system. For people who do not have a natural disposition toward dryness and heat, taking too much turmeric without consideration to these qualities can still cause imbalance in the body. So what can you do?

The best way to use turmeric is to mix it with cooling spices like coriander and fennel, and then to use it with ghee, milk, or honey to add a moisturizing quality. Typically using turmeric in your everyday cooking with additional spices, veggies, lentils and rice is a great way to ensure your getting the best qualities from this super star spice while also balancing its drying and heating characteristics

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And as always, wishing you more ups then downs in this journey of life. Comment, Like and/or Share. Namaste.