Turmeric

Turmeric is an incredibly healing herb. Turmeric is a root, similar to ginger.  It contains curcuminoids, the most important of which is curcumin, which has powerful anti-inflammatory effects. It is also a potent anti-oxidant. Curcumin does not absorb well into the bloodstream without the addition of black pepper or ginger, which enhances the absorption rate by 2,000%. Turmeric/Curcumin is fat soluble and best used with fatty meals or drinks like Golden Milk Tea (with goat milk and almond oil).  *It is also a natural blood thinner (and should not be used in large doses prior to a surgery), emulsifies fats and regulates insulin levels (boosting metabolism), improves the endothelium thus assisting with heart disease, regulates blood pressure, decreases the metastasis and angiogenesis of cancer, benefits arthritis and depression/neurological disorders, etc.

*Medicinal dose of Turmeric is 1/8tsp/10lbs of body weight per day

 

In some cases, in the event of fatty gallbladder disease Turmeric is so effective that metabolizing and breaking up fats that it may too quickly flush the fat deposits in the gall bladder out into the body, causing negative side effects.  It should be used with care and under veterinary supervision if fatty gallbladder is assumed or confirmed.

 

Turmeric should also not be used if it has been stored in a plastic container

Indian scientific Journals (pg 2) states in regard to Turmeric storage in different types of plastic, “...change was negligible during the first 30 days of storage" (indicating that after 30 days the change was no longer negligible)…  "Laminated aluminum foil and plastic jars were suitable for long duration storage of turmeric powder under refrigerated as well as ambient conditions followed by HDPE (high density polyethylene) films, whereas LDPE (low density polyethylene) and PP (polypropylene) packs becomes sticky only after 30 days of storage period." "Statistical analysis showed that storage condition has non-significant effect, whereas storage duration and packaging material has significant effect at the level of 5% on the quality of turmeric powder. Plastic jar and laminated aluminum foil packs were significantly better packaging material for storage of turmeric powder."

 

Therefore if any Turmeric product is, at any point pre or post manufacture, kept in a plastic package for more than 30 days "significant" contamination of plastic endocrine inhibitors from the packaging is possible. This means that if the company that harvested the Turmeric put it in plastic, the company that purchased from the harvester put it in plastic, the company that manufactured it into a product put it in plastic, or the product itself is kept in plastic for more than 30 days at any given point, it could be full of plastic endocrine inhibitors. If the plastic is HDPE (high density) less plastic will get into the product over time, but that doesn’t mean that no plastic will get into it. Paper/Cardboard, Stainless Steel, Glass or Ceramic packaging is ideal for Turmeric storage.

 

The Ecology Center lists “product packaging and food wrap plastic” under the section for Phthalates (DEHP, DINP, and others) and states that they are Endocrine Disruptors, like those in the plastic packages that Turmeric consumes.  These endocrine inhibitors may cause asthma, developmental and reproductive effects, release of dioxins and mercury, including cancer, birth defects, hormonal changes, decreasing sperm counts, infertility, endometriosis and immune system impairment.”


http://www.indianjournals.com/ijor.aspx?target=ijor:jre&volume=47&issue=1and2&article=017

http://repository.lib.ncsu.edu/ir/handle/1840.16/2459

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