With its recent rise to superfood status Turmeric, while generating a lot of interest, is still little known and understood. We have been growing and using turmeric for 6 years now and still finding ways to incorporate it into our diets without destroying all the goodies in it. Most people are focused on the Curcumin content believing they have isolated the active ingredient. I disagree, Turmeric is much more complex and its traditional health benefits come from using the fresh rhizome which have heat sensitive alkaloids. The Indonesians have understood this for some time with their Jamu drink. The best Indian curries also use fresh turmeric with the other element of the curry keeping the active ingredients in Turmeric viable.
The interesting thing is scientists studying turmeric are getting confused as its sometimes giving false positives in their marker tests for a wide variety of human ailments and some see it as the trickster. I think it’s the way its prepared and the traces of alkaloids left that makes the difference with testing much like bioflavonoids and vitamin C. Once understood I think we will see Turmeric as a solution to inflammation dis-eases including Alzheimer’s.
There are two main types of Turmeric and Chinese herbalists see them as very different medicines.
Curcuma Longa (sometimes called Curcuma Domestica) is the traditional Indian variety with a yellow to orange rhizome and a white flower with no aroma. It contains lots of complex alkaloids and has tolyl methylcarbinol and may be the better variety for treating inflammation. It has a slightly bitter taste raw. Chinese herb- Jianghuane.
Curcuma Aromatica (sometimes referred to as wild turmeric). Has an orange to red rhizome and a red flower with a strong scent. It contains more curcumin than longa, fewer alkaloids and more essential oils. It has a semi sweet undertone raw. The Indians use it in Ayurvedic medicine and the Chinese herb- yujin.
An excellent crop of both Red and Yellow Turmeric this year 2021.
