Here are the top 10, evidence-based health benefits of Turmeric and 10 simple Turmeric Recipes to help heal, soothe and protect. A natural anti-inflammatory and powerful antioxidant, here are 10 easy delicious recipes to harness the benefits of turmeric and easily incorporate it into our everyday diets. Vegan Adaptable!
If you’ve been a regular at FEASTING AT HOME, one thing you will notice is how often I use fresh turmeric in recipes. To me, it’s one of the first things I reach for when I’m feeling under the weather or run down. But more and more, I’ve been adding this fresh root to my diet on a daily basis -giving my body the little boost it needs to stay healthy and energized every day.
Modern science is finally catching up with what Eastern medicine has known for thousands of years – Turmeric is incredibly healing. The root contains powerful bioactive compounds called curcuminoids, which have medicinal properties that help our bodies in a multitude of ways. Turmeric contains 20 molecules that are antibiotic in nature, 14 that prevent cancer, 12 that actually fight cancer cells, 12 that heal and soothe inflammation, with more than 10 incredible antioxidants. A healing POWERHOUSE!
Turmeric’s TOP 3 Health Benefits:
- ANTI-INFLAMMATORY: Turmeric fights chronic inflammation which plays a significant role in so many diseases – arthritis & rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s – and it does so at the molecular level. Research shows it does this just as well as pharmaceuticals, with absolutely no side effects. It’s also beneficial after surgery to decrease pain, inflammation and accelerate healing. I’ve often taken it for pain instead of Advil, with good results. If you are curious about the dangers (heart attack or stroke) of pharmaceutical anti-inflammatories please read this. Don’t take my word for it, do the research and see for yourselves. Seriously, it’s worth looking up.
- ANTIOXIDANT: Turmeric is also a powerful purifier and antioxidant, giving our overworked liver a little boost, helping it do its job better. Yes, we already have an incredible “built-in” detox system in our bodies – the liver – but living in this modern world, we ingest pesticides, additives, toxins, heavy metals and countless other chemicals more often than we know and should. Our liver’s main function is to help expel these toxins from our bloodstream, which it does incredibly well, most of the time. The compounds in turmeric aid the liver in doing its job even better by protecting and strengthening it, supporting it and giving it a little boost. There are studies that show that turmeric can actually help rebuild the liver if damaged.
- CANCER-FIGHTING: Research is showing turmeric fights cancer in three ways: it neutralizes the substances and conditions which can cause cancer; it directly helps a cell retain its integrity and heal if threatened by carcinogens; and lastly, if a tumor does grow, the curcumins in turmeric can often destroy it. Again, not my words, do your own research and see for yourself.
Used for over 5000 years in Ayurvedic Medicine, turmeric is believed to balance the three doshas, stimulate and purify the blood, protect and fortify the liver, assist in balancing our hormones, help with digestion, and heal and soothe the skin. It truly is a golden root.
Here are 10 simple recipes to harness the power of turmeric and incorporate it into our everyday diet!
1.) Make Turmeric Tea. Flush out toxins with this Ayurvedic Turmeric Detox Tea. This daily sipping tea is made with fresh turmeric root, whole spices, ginger root and your choice of tea- green tea, yerba matte, tulsi, mint, chamomile or any herbal blend. Make a batch in the morning, then simply refill with hot water, and sip throughout the day.
2.) Make turmeric soup. Hands down my most popular recipe to date, this healing Turmeric Broth Detox Soup is soothing, flavorful and restorative. Adapt it to your particular taste. Simply make the flavorful base, then add rice noodles, greens & chickpeas, or chicken and rice, vegges and tofu, or seriously whatever you like….totally up to you! The healing broth is good for the tummy and very healing if feeling sick or under the weather. It is also very uplifting, and I will sometimes make it when feeling blue or in a funk. It’s like a bowl of sunshine.
3.) Add to fruit salads and morning bowls! Grated fresh turmeric over salad like in this Turmeric Fruit Salad – Liven up your morning fruit salad with a little fresh grated turmeric and fresh squeezed lime juice. Not only will turmeric add a lovely exotic flavor, it will exponentioally increase your intake of antioxidants, and support your liver in purifying and detoxing your blood. It pairs deliciously with fresh fruit!
4.) Add fresh turmeric root to curries and sauces! This recipe for vegan Lentil Meatballs with Indian Fenugreek Sauce is full of delicious flavor. One of my all-time favorites, and voted best vegan recipe on Food 52!
5.) Infuse grains or beans with turmeric in the cooking water. Here is a simple healing recipe for Khichadi, an Ayurvedic Detox Bowl (also called Khichari) made w/ mung beans, kashi, detoxing veggies & soothing turmeric. Vegan and GF.
6.) Add fresh turmeric to soup! This creamy, luscious Glowing Carrot and Turmeric Soup is vegan and gluten-free. Earthy and flavorful with hints of ginger, and a subtle sweet from the carrots and coconut milk, this easy quick meal is healthy, delicious and very affordable, made with the simplest ingredients. For extra carrot flavor use fresh carrot juice instead of veggie stock. Soothing and comforting, it nurtures and heals.
7.) Add turmeric to drinks – juice, smoothies, lemonades, spritzers and mocktails!
Turmeric Gingerade is an energizing “lemonade”, sweetened only with fresh apple juice. It’s zingy and bright, the perfect afternoon pick-me-up. Meyer Lemons are particularly tasty here and watch how this drink really uplifts the spirit. It’s Like a glass of sunshine in the midst of winter. Drink it strait or dilute with sparkling water. Sometimes I’ll add a shot to my morning carrot juice.
8.) Add it to vinaigrettes and dressings! This Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Kale and Farro has a simple Turmeric Dressing that can be used on other salads as well.
9.) Make big-batch healing elixirs! This Balinese, anti-inflammatory elixir is called Jamu Juice and it can be served hot like tea or chilled. I personally make a big batch each week, and store it in a mason jar in the fridge. In the winter I warm it up and serve it in a cozy mug like tea.
In the summer I serve Jamu Juice cold like iced tea. Very soothing to the body, and especially nice after workouts or if feeling achy, tired or sick.
10.) Sprinkle fresh turmeric over salads. This cleansing Watercress and Citrus Salad with Turmeric Dressing is another winter favorite. Juicy oranges and ripe avocado balance the peppery cress while freshly grated turmeric gives it such a lovely exotic flavor. A boost of anti-oxidants!
Add fresh or ground turmeric to hearty ethnic-inspired stews. This simple, healthy Tunisian Chickpea Stew with Carrot and their tops, turmeric, kale and a “Quick Harissa” sauce– is hearty and delicious, perfect for cozy nights.
Add turmeric to pickles or fermentations. A fun little project is to make a quick, small-batch or Turmeric Sauerkruat. It is more simple than you think, just mix and set on the counter for a few day- and you’ll end up with a delicious tasting condiment full of healthy probiotics that can be served alongside anything!
Add to Curries! This recipe for Turmeric Curry Tofu with Coconut and Shiitakes comes together in 20 minutes flat. Serve it over grains for extra heartiness, or simply have it on its own, like a thick and hearty stew. Fresh grated turmeric gives this its beautiful color, but if fresh turmeric is unavailable, ground turmeric will work fine too. Use the flavorful base to hold your favorite veggies.
Add to Fried Rice. This Flavorful Indian Fried Rice is full of healthy veggies and can be made in under 30 minutes. Vegetarian, Vegan adaptable, fast and easy!
Add to your breakfast Scrambles! This Vegan Tofu Scramble – is loaded up with healthy seasonal veggies that you already have on hand. Turmeric gives it its lovely golden color. This vegan breakfast can be made in 15 minutes flat! Healthy, Fast, delicious!
Turmeric Golden Root juice – a fresh juice harnessing the power of turmeric root – to soothe inflammation, aid in cleansing the body and fight illness.
Pick a few of these healthy, delicious Turmeric Recipes to Heal, Sooth and Protect this week and see how you feel!
xo
I love fresh turmeric, and these are some great suggestions for other ways to use it. You are very brave to grate turmeric with bare hands. That root stains everything bright orange; ceramic pots, dutch ovens, knives, and especially skin. I use latex exam gloves whenever I get near it. It does eventually fade away from all of the above, but walking around for 3-4 days with orange fingers is a bit strange, (except maybe at Halloween).
Hi Joseph! It seems to wash off- and actually, now that I think about it, I don’t always peel it, maybe why my hands don’t get too stained? 😉
when I read Your Blogs I have found such useful information, fresh content.Thank you for sharing such a wonderful article about HEALING TURMERIC RECIPES .
Thanks so much!
The ”evidence” that turmeric is “healing” is pseudoscience: belief vs evidence based, and nobody should be pretending otherwise. First—Sylvia, what is your background in cell biology, cancer biology and immunology that qualifies you to make these claims? How many peer reviewed studies did you consult (and what were the sample sizes, controls, author credentials…, on what basis do you distinguish between evidence based research and belief based correlative studies? Pro tip—when someone cites “research shows” but doesn’t back up the claim with actual references (real science is not afraid to explicitly reference its sources—in fact, the lack of references is a hallmark of pseudoscience)—the claim is highly suspect. For the record, there is no credible evidence that turmeric helps cells “heal”—I am a cell biologist—DNA damage is complex molecular biology and yes, can cause cell death and cancer when it cannot be repaired, but there is no evidence that curcumin in any way promotes DNA repair and “healing”.
Pro-tip2: “natural” prodcts aren’t automatically healthy—cocaine is natural, as is ricin, alcohol, arsenic…etc
Hey Bri,The comment you made seems to me you might be overworked or it was a bad day. We all have those. I appreciate research a lot but even going as far as you can w/ molecular makeup or trying to find a root reason for something that works or doesn’t, you can lose your perspective. The author did tell us to look for ourselves. Nonetheless, anything from a basic in food form, common sense says this is better. If you didn’t grow up eating a lb. of dirt, that is, the good soil, as a kid, you might have missed out. Whatever secrets are in our food sources that we grow ourselves, I will side with. And history, well we all have a choice to believe or not. I believe because I have seen things like this work and even if I didn’t, I’d rather chew tree bark than most of what man-made products are in meds. Just like that book that was written centuries ago that is still the no.1 book read today, you can find the answers of today’s questions. Take a break and a long walk and enjoy some golden. silence.
Hi Bri- I have linked the research above.
My 2 1/2 year old loves this smoothie and drinks half of mine every morning. Should I worry about him drinking this daily? (I’m not sure if the medicinal properties may be detrimental for a toddler?) Thanks for this great recipe!
Hi Lilly- that is a great question and honestly I don’t know the answer. Do research or ask your doctor?
Awesome recipe, thank you for sharing…. big HUG from Cyprus
I’ll take it…thanks, needed a hug today. 😉
I just wanted to put in my two cents. My roots are from Asia and turmeric is a spice that is used daily in our food but this post has really given me an eye opener as to how many different ways it can be used.
Awesome post: Please post more recipes with exotic spices like turmeric
Amy Knoll
Excellent recipes and very easy to cook