Turmeric, a yellow-orange spice known for being a prominent ingredient in Asian cooking, has more benefits than adding flavor to your favorite curry recipe.
The spice’s bright color hails from Curcumin, a natural chemical in the plant and a prominent ingredient in some of the oldest forms of holistic medicine due to its anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties.
Golden History
Native to India and Southeast Asia, turmeric is a plant in the ginger family. India is the largest producer of turmeric in the world, accounting for 70-75% of total global production.
Farmers harvest the rhizomes by pulling them out of the ground and grinding them into a deep orange-yellow powder. Though the pungent, earthy spice is commonly used for cooking, Asian cultures often use turmeric in skin care, clothing dye, and naturopathic remedies.
How does turmeric fight COVID-19?
While waiting for the vaccine, experts say the best thing you can do to prevent the virus is boosting your immunity. According to the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona, curcumin “reduces attachment, entry, replication, and activation and suppresses key cytokines involved in the cytokine storm of COVID-19.” This means that ingesting turmeric may protect your body by preventing the virus from entering and making copies of itself.
The renewed attention to turmeric’s medicinal properties has caused “the demand for raw turmeric [to] jump by 300%”, said Kaushal Khakhar, chief executive officer at Kay Bee Exports, India’s largest integrated exporter of vegetables to Europe.
Eating meals rich in turmeric can improve your body’s immune response—strengthening your first defense against the virus. Some hidden ways to incorporate turmeric into your diet are by adding it to rice, blending it in smoothies, or using it to enhance baked goods like banana bread. It is also recommended to mix the spice into coconut milk, a drink dubbed “the golden latte”.
Buying turmeric is a way to not only add spice to your life, but also to ward off COVID-19 and support Asian economies like the ones Pockets of Promise provides aid to. In our current situation, it’s as good as gold!
Pockets of Promise is dedicated to providing nutritious food to underprivileged children in our Feeding Program. Learn more about how Pockets of Promise aids India, Ghana, and Uganda, and click the button below to donate.
Disclaimer: The heath topics discussed on this website are intended for informational purposes only. They are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment. Never ignore professional medical advice in seeking treatment because of something you have read on this site.
Keywords: covid immunity, covid 19 immunity, coronavirus immunity, coronavirus immune system, turmeric covid 19, curcumin covid 19