Turmeric is the 4,000-year-old golden spice that’s managed to modernise a host of food flavours based on one major promise: an improvement in your health.
From turmeric lattes to turmeric kombucha, turmeric crisps and even turmeric gelato, the health food world has fallen in love with the ancient culinary spice from India. But is there any point in eating turmeric-flavoured foods just for a health kick?
Turmeric contains bioactive compounds called curcuminoids. Curcumin, the agent that gives the spice its distinct colour and flavour, is one of these compounds. Research shows that curcumin has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.
According to some of the world’s oldest healing systems – Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine – turmeric has traditionally been used to provide pain relief, act as an antibacterial agent to clean a wound, assist with skin healing, improve the immune system and treat digestive tract ailments.
“When I was wheezing, my aunt used to make me a cup of warm milk with turmeric and black pepper to drink at night. It’s a good remedy to relieve congestion and coughing.”
Raji Jayadev, an Accredited Practising Dietitian who grew up in India, remembers drinking turmeric milk as a child whenever she had a cough or cold.
“I am asthmatic and when I was growing up, there was no medication for asthma,” says Jayadev, who migrated to Australia almost 50 years ago.
“When I was wheezing, my aunt used to make me a cup of warm milk with turmeric and black pepper to drink at night. It’s a good remedy to relieve congestion and coughing.”
Turmeric and curcumin have other proven health benefits. Research has shown they may protect patients at risk of cardiovascular disease. They can relieve osteoarthritis symptoms; assist with weight loss and reduce the incidence of obesity-related diseases, and provide strong antibacterial and antifungal effects.
Should I keep drinking turmeric lattes?
While all of these health findings are wonderful, do they automatically confer if your main source of the spice is via the occasional turmeric latte or turmeric curry?
“To get the health benefits, you have to have a significant amount of turmeric almost every day,” Jayadev tells SBS. “If you just consume it every now and again, it will not have any effect. One to three grams (about one-fifth to half a teaspoon) of turmeric spice powder in food or drink per day is needed to produce health benefits.”
In other words, drinking a turmeric latte once a week won’t make you healthier – all other things remain equal. But if you consume sufficient amounts of turmeric regularly, as may be the case in some Asian cultures, you’re more likely to reap the health rewards.
“It’s always better to use turmeric in your dishes as part of a balanced diet.”
Another thing: if you take curcumin supplements, don’t expect them to provide the exact health benefits that would be acquired if you consumed the spice. Curcumin has poor bioavailability so, as a supplement, it may not always work the same way as it does when ingested as turmeric with food.
“We also don’t know the quality and quantity of turmeric or curcumin used in most supplements. High doses of curcumin may cause health problems for some people. It’s always better to use turmeric in your dishes as part of a balanced diet.”
Head these health warnings
There are some warnings to observe with consuming turmeric too.
People with diabetes or pre-diabetes should be careful about regular turmeric use. Although curcumin can help to reduce your blood sugar, the drop may be drastic. Pregnant women, people with gallbladder problems, gastroesophageal reflux disorder, infertility, blood thinning concerns, liver disease and hormonal issues should also be cautious about using too much turmeric on a regular basis.
If you have a medical condition, always consult your doctor for personalised advice.
A big issue with curcumin
Another major downside of curcumin is that it is poorly absorbed by our bodies, as it metabolises quite fast and gets excreted quickly. However, research has identified a few cooking hacks that increase the bioavailability of curcumin when consumed as turmeric.
Firstly, encapsulating turmeric in lipids (fats) like whole milk may improve curcumin’s bioavailability and effectiveness as a health food. Research also shows that combining turmeric with black pepper also increases curcumin’s bioavailability by 2000 per cent, thereby enhancing its ability to provide multiple health benefits.
Jayadev’s recipe for turmeric milk combines both health tips. It’s a more advanced version of the drink she used to have as a child when she had a cough but it features black pepper and half a teaspoon of ground turmeric. These ingredients are combined with milk, honey, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom.
“If you have this turmeric milk every night, you will consume a significant amount of turmeric regularly and be able to get its health benefits,” she says.
Cooks can also add black pepper and turmeric to soups, pasta and to vegetables before baking. “The addition of a small amount of turmeric [in these examples] will change the colour of the dish but not the flavour.”
“If you have this turmeric milk every night, you will consume a significant amount of turmeric regularly and be able to get its health benefits.”
As is the case with everything related to good health, the key is balance.
If you want to reap the health benefits of turmeric, you’re best to avoid eating too many turmeric-flavoured crisps. Consume sufficient amounts of the spice daily if there are no medical cautions you need to pay attention to. Then settle in each night of quality sleep, and relax with a cosy cup of turmeric milk before bed.
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