Turmeric grows wild in the forests of South and Southeast Asia. It is one of the key ingredients in many Asian dishes. Tamil traditional medicine, called Siddha, has recommended turmeric for medicine. Turmeric is basically an Indian spice used to give the curry a golden hue. It’s derived from the rhizome and roots of the Curcuma longa plant and has been used as an Ayurvedic medicine for centuries. Its medicinal properties stem from ‘Curcumin’, an active constituent of turmeric. Turmeric is known for its antioxidant and anti-aging properties.
The most important chemical components of turmeric are a group of compounds called curcuminoids, which include curcumin (diferuloylmethane), demethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin. The best studied compound is curcumin, which constitutes 3.14% (on average) of powdered turmeric.In addition there are other important volatile oils such as turmerone, atlantone, and zingiberene. Some general constituents are sugars, proteins, and resins.
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