Wednesday31 Jan 11:11 AM
Turmeric Rising: Spice Healing Mind Body + Merzbow
Scientific American is currently featuring an interesting story about the wonders of turmeric and her constituent compounds (science prefers molecules!).
Turmeric (Wikipedia) is known popularly as a spice and gives curries an intense burnt yellow color. A member of the ginger family, turmeric is used often in Ayurvedic medicine as an antiseptic for cuts and burns. It is well-regarded as a healing food (or tea) and often prescribed for stomach problems and hosts of other ailments.
The particular compounds that scientists have been investigating are curcumin and related compounds called curcuminoids. The reason? An explosion in research regarding the rhizome's growing list of scientifically-verified healing properties—
"Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties, with potential activity against cancer, diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer's disease and other chronic maladies..."
Gary Stix, Scientific American (Feb 2007)
Just how much research has been happening lately?
In 2005 nearly 300 scientific and technical papers referenced curcumin in the National Library of Medicine's PubMed database, compared with about 100 just five years earlier [1,700 such references in total]... Scientists who sometimes jokingly label themselves curcuminologists are drawn to the compound both because of its many possible valuable effects in the body and its apparent low toxicity. They ponder how the spice or its derivatives might be used, not just as a treatment but as a low-cost preventive medication for some of the most feared ailments. As a treatment, it also has some enticing attributes. Because curcumin targets so many biological pathways, it could have benefits for cancer therapy: malignant cells may be slow to acquire resistance to it and so might have to go through multiple mutations to avoid the substance's multipronged attack.
Gary Stix, Scientific American (Feb 2007)
It's great news that Turmeric's healing qualities are finding their way into the "mainstream," and more importantly, that the beneficent qualities of Turmeric are spreading to the peeps who need it.
The bad news is basic 21st century pharmaceutical capitalism: the race to isolate compounds, then tweak them slightly, patent/copyright the "new" compound, and (if successful) make loads of money off it. This not only strips Turmeric of her essence, but the resultant new compounds just haven't withstood the tests of time. But that's the world today.
Turmeric Stains
Just a warning here: turmeric stains. It's often used as fabric dye, but also criticized because it fades in sunlight. Although that didn't stop this artisian from crafting delicious beauty (click the image to find out more about the piece)—
Mythography of Tumeric
In one version of the birth of Ganesha story (e.g., Wikipedia), Parvarti sculpted a boy out of turmeric paste which she had prepared to cleanse her body, infused life into it, and thus Ganesha was born.
During Ganesha Chaturthi, it is common practice to sculpt a Ganesha idol from turmeric paste for worship during the festival.
And Turmeric, she is also a Goddess herself.
Tumeric Audio
In researching Turmeric I found two excellent audio resources.
- The first is a Keralan piece sung during powder-drawing rituals, using turmeric for yellow.
- Then there's the 4cd box set, Turmeric, by the prolific zen noise legend, Merzbow. Treat your pals to some audio therapy next time they even think about ordering chicken curry.
Remarks
1 total remarks for this post. Add your own remarks below.
Fri 20 Apr 2007 at 07:47PM
Scott Blossom
Blessings!
Thanks for the news letter! I look forward to seeing and chanting with you next week. Maybe we can get Raviji to wax poetic about the wonders of turmeric for spring time Ayurvedic application. Personally, I think it may be the most important and missing spice from the Standard American Diet (SAD).
Just imagine an old gas stove whose burners produce jets of flame in a lopsided way becasue some of the holes are clogged. The big T strightens that shit out!
Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha!
Scott
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