On this page you can acquire knowledge about the effects our Indian spices can have on your health. You can also read how the different spices can be used.
Organic, whole cardamom is used in food and beverages. It is also used in Auyrvedic medicine.
The green cardamom is used throughout South Asia to treat:
Cardamom is used in teas, breads, meat dishes, rice and soups and gives a slightly characteristic pleasant spice.
The organic chili powder is used to treat osteoarthritis, which is commonly known as osteoarthritis. The chili powder acts anti-inflammatory and relieves swelling in sore joints and increases blood circulation.
Although many chili powders cause upset the stomach, red chili powder actually prevents the backflow of acid and destroys the bacteria that cause stomach ulcers. So it helps to calm the stomach.
Ginger is an herb. The rhizome root is used as a spice and in some cultures as a medicine. It is used fresh, dried and powdered as a beverage or in oil marinades.
Ginger is used to stabilize many stomach problems:
Turmeric is made from dried rhizome of Curcuma longa, which is in the same family with ginger. It is called “the golden spice” and gives curry its characteristic yellow color. In addition, turmeric is also referred as “the healing herb” by the ancients, and has been used as a medicinal herb in Ayurveda and Unani medicine (traditional Indian medical systems) for more than 6000 years.
In traditional medicine, turmeric is used for various conditions:
Internally, it was used to treat fevers, stomach problems, allergies, diarrhea, chronic cough, heartburn, bloating, colic, flatulence, bronchial asthma, as well as jaundice and other liver diseases.
Externally, it has been used for reducing inflammation and swelling due to sprains, cuts, and bruises. [1].
Today, turmeric has been widely used as a colorant, an antioxidant, and specially as a functional ingredient for various medicinal use. Now, modern techniques have revealed the science behind its amazing effects.
Bioactive components in turmeric:
There are two mainly types of components in turmeric, the essential oil and curcuminoids.
The essential oil, which makes up 3-7% of turmeric, gives the characteristic aroma of the spice.
Curcuminoids (mainly composed of curcumin), are the bioactive compounds in turmeric. It represents 2-10% of the spice and gives the beautiful yellow-orange colour. [2]. Curcuminoids are the most abundant and medicinally valuable compounds in turmeric. The major curcuminoids, curcumin, exhibits a broad spectrum of biological activities and helps your body in many different ways.
How to use:
Curcumin is insoluble in water, and is difficult to be absorbed by your body after taken. It is recommended to take curcumin together with black pepper, which contains a compound called piperine that can improve the absorption of curcumin by 2000%. [3]
Turmeric and curcumin intake is generally safe and nontoxic. Safety trials have concluded that curcumin is safe even when consumed at a daily dose of 12 g for 3 months [4]. They can also be used externally for skin care preparations.
Turmeric has been scientifically proven to:
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