The Powerhouse Plant: Turmeric

By Jordana Brown

If you've had a good curry lately, congratulations! You've upped your protection against indigestion, free-radical damage, inflammation, atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and cancer. OK, yes, just temporarily, but still, turmeric -- the spice that gives curry its color and flavor -- is gaining quite a reputation as a powerhouse plant.

Taken from the underground stalk of the Curcuma longa plant, turmeric has long been used by Ayurveda (a holistic medical system from India) and other traditional medical practices to treat various complaints. Many of turmeric's benefits can be traced to a single compound: the polyphenol curcumin.

Curcumin, which is responsible for the spice's yellow color, is known primarily as an anti-inflammatory with enormous potential. It may treat everything from arthritis to atherosclerosis. Preliminary research by Clark Lantz, Ph.D., a professor of cell biology and anatomy at the University of Arizona, has shown that if patients are given components of turmeric before a likely arthritis flare-up, the treatment inhibits and, in some cases, completely prevents the attack. "If it's given after the fact, we're not sure whether it will work, but certainly as a preventive measure, it seems to be effective," Lantz says.

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