Medicinal Properties of Turmeric

Turmeric is a house hold spice in India. It is used in every salt and spiced dish. Turmeric is a common home remedy for many ailments like wounds, cough, cold etc. It is also used as a main ingredient in many home made face packs and other beauty preparations.

Ayurveda acaharyas have coined many Sanskrit names in praise of its physical appearance and medicinal properties. It is known as Haridra as it enhances glow and complexion of skin. Its golden yellow colour has led to the coining of word “Kanchani” . A lady who uses turmeric regularly in her face pack gets a glow like a full moon. Hence the name “Nisha”.

Regular consumption of turmeric helps to reduce intestinal parasites. This medicinal property has allowed it to gain the name “krimighni”.

Turmeric was very popular among ladies in olden days as it was used for many gynecological disorders. “Yoshita Priya” was the name given for turmeric considering this popularity.

Turmeric is known to rejuvenate liver and purify blood. Hence regular consumption of turmeric leads to clean and clear skin. It enhances glow and fairness when applied externally. A mixture of honey and turmeric help to reduce dark pigments.

Indian brides and bridegrooms are smeared with turmeric paste from head to toe on previous day of marriage. And later it is washed off with water. In some regions they mix sandal powder and saffron to water. This ceremony is known as “haldi”.

Turmeric has excellent healing properties. Indian mothers pull out turmeric jars from their kitchen shelves as soon as they sight a wound. Application of turmeric paste on wounds accelerates healing process and also keeps the microbes away. It acts like an antibiotic and prevents entering of germs into body through open wounds.

It goes into Indian pickles as a preservative and coloring agent.

Regular consumption of this wonderful herb boosts body immunity and helps in many conditions like arthritis, gout, diabetes and joint pains. Simple recipes with turmeric act as excellent remedies for many health conditions.

Here are few simple home remedies with turmeric.

Boil ¼ spoon of turmeric and one spoon of ghee with a glass of milk and add a spoonful of powdered sugar candy (misri) to it. Filter this milk to remove granules of turmeric. Drinking this hot turmeric milk at night relieves chronic dry cough and soothes sore throat.

Mix one spoon of honey and 1 spoon of turmeric. Massage this on dark pigments and leave it for 20 minutes. Wash this off with plain water. This helps to reduce darkness of pigments, scars and marks.

08-May-2011

More by : Dr. Savitha Suri

Top | Ayurveda

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