All About Turmeric Powder

Any nutritionist or dietitian will tell you that the benefits of turmeric are abundant. The question is: how can you take advantage of these nutritious tuberous roots? By reading the title of this article you can already assume our bias- powder, of course!

 

Studies show that fresh turmeric and turmeric powder have the same nutritional value, which is great because the powder form is the much more versatile option. It is less work than preparing fresh turmeric but you can still take advantage of the tangy taste (as opposed to taking turmeric capsules everyday, which we will also discuss below).

Turmeric powder can be used in numerous ways, including:

• Cooking
• Baked Goods
• Smoothies
• Turmeric powder tea
• Spreads & Dips
• Vinaigrettes/Salad dressing
• Turmeric paste
• Golden Milk

We’ll get to the turmeric recipes later, but first we should discuss the actual benefits of turmeric powder and how much turmeric powder a day should you take. There are many questions to ask when adding any new herb or supplement to your diet. Here are the basics of improving your nutrition with turmeric powder!

 

Benefits of Turmeric

 

Turmeric is nutritious in many ways. First and foremost- it is a powerful antioxidant. This means that it helps to fight the oxidative damage done by free radicals. Free radicals are the bad molecules that attack vital cells in your body containing DNA, lipids and proteins. Oxidative damage, as it is called, can lead to cancer and other serious health issues. The antioxidants in turmeric neutralize free radicals, preventing them from causing harm.

Secondly, turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties. The causes of inflammation are plenty, including:

• auto-immune diseases
• poor nutrition habits
• lack of exercise
• stress

Common symptoms of inflammation can include muscle and join pain, swelling, stiffness, digestive problems, and even sleep apnea.

The anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric help to reduce inflammation by reducing the levels of enzymes that cause inflammation. It also helps prevent platelets from creating damaging blood clots.

The anti-inflammatory effects of turmeric can be greatly beneficial for those with arthritis and osteoarthritis. Studies have also shown that a diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods such as turmeric can help with joint pain and swelling.

Another excellent quality of turmeric is its benefits on the digestive system. As mentioned above, turmeric is an anti-inflammatory, so it helps reduce inflammation in the intestines as well as joints and muscles. This helps to relieve abdominal pain and distension. Turmeric also has shown to improve acid reflux and indigestion.

Once again, all these excellent nutritional benefits of turmeric can be obtained through turmeric powder just as well as fresh turmeric.

 

How much turmeric per day?

 

How much turmeric you take per day depends on the type of turmeric powder you purchase and how you plan to use it.

For example, Orgen Organic Turmeric Powder has a serving size of 4g (approximately 1 tsp*) per day. If you plan on using it in a smoothie, salad dressing, or Golden Milk, one 4g scoop will be plenty. If you are using it in a larger dish such as turmeric rice or preparing turmeric paste, you will likely require a little more. For turmeric teas you may want to reduce the amount to 3g (1/2 tsp).

Always remember, too much of a good thing can become a bad thing in time. Having too much turmeric in your diet can become problematic. One turmeric based dish or beverage is plenty to obtain the nutritious benefits that this wonderful root offers. Consuming too much turmeric can lead to an upset stomach, diarrhea, nausea, and may even lead to the development of kidney stones.

*The conversion of g to tsp is most often listed as 1 tsp equalling approximately 4.93g. However, this number is derived using water as the measuring tool. Powders have a different density and therefore have a different conversion rate. When using baking powder as a measurement tool, 1 tsp equals 4g.

 

Turmeric Capsules

 

Turmeric capsules are another great way to incorporate the health benefits of turmeric into your daily diet. Although a capsule is obviously smaller than a large turmeric root, it contains pure turmeric extract that is highly concentrated. This means that it contains the same amount of nutrients as the fresh turmeric or turmeric powder would.

For example, Orgen Turmeric capsules contain 500mg of a potent 10:1 rhizome extract. This means that it has the equivalency of 5,000mg (5g) of turmeric powder.

The benefit of choosing the Turmeric capsules would be the convenience, however the downside is that you will miss out on the great flavour. If you are a fan of the tangy taste of turmeric, the powder would be the best option for you!

 

Turmeric Powder Recipes

As mentioned above, the turmeric powder uses are many. Below are the best 5 turmeric powder recipes we have tried.

Enjoy!

 

5. Turmeric Paste

Turmeric paste is great because it can be used in so many different ways- spread it on pita bread, using it as a dipping sauce, add it to tacos, mix it into Golden Milk or a smoothie, and even use it as a marinade.

 Get the recipe here.

 

 

4. Tropical Turmeric Smoothie

Our next favourite turmeric powder recipe is our very own Tropical Turmeric Smoothie. This tropical treat is an antioxidant dream serum, packed with a massive number of vitamins and minerals. The tropical flavours of banana, pineapple, mango, and coconut milk mix wonderfully with the tangy kick of turmeric to create a unique, flavourful summer drink!

Get the recipe here.

 

3. Turmeric Chicken

As we mentioned before, the lesser-known use for turmeric paste is as a marinade. Using this paste as a marinade works best on chicken thighs but can also be used on chicken breasts as well.

Get the recipe here.

 

 

2. Tangy Turmeric & Moringa Vinaigrette

This tasty vinaigrette can be used as a salad dressing, dipping sauce for pita breads and chips, or even as a marinade for chicken. To add an extra kick, this dressing also includes Organic Moringa Powder as well.

Get the recipe here.

 

 

1. Golden Milk

At last, we finally get to the best recipe using our turmeric powder yet! Golden milk is a time-honoured tradition that helps relax, replenish, and reinvigorate.

Golden milk can be made using either turmeric powder or turmeric paste. Our recipe card includes both options (the turmeric paste used in our golden milk is the one mentioned in #5).

Get the recipes here.