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When I heard about the health benefits of turmeric, I decided that I definitely wanted to incorporate it into my daily regime! But I wondered how to use turmeric. Do you just sprinkle it on your food or is there a beneficial way to consume it?
Turmeric is a super spice that has great anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and a ton of health benefits! It seems like turmeric can help just about everything! Turmeric is beneficial for: the immune system, digestive system, cholesterol, blood sugar, joint health, arthritis, skin, liver, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and autoimmune diseases.
Turmeric contains the main active ingredient curcumin and is in the same family as ginger. It has been used in ayurvedic and Chinese medicines as a natural remedy for thousands of years.
When I was researching how to use turmeric, I found some important facts you should know when adding turmeric to your diet. According to Natural News, in order to get the optimum benefit from consuming turmeric –
1. Turmeric should be exposed to cooking heat.
2. Black pepper should always be included to get proper absorption of the nutrient piperine.
3. A healthy fat (such as coconut oil) should be consumed with the turmeric to not expose the curcumin to harsh stomach acids on its way to the small intestines. Other healthy fats that can be added include; ghee, olive oil, goat, almond or cow milk.
How to Use Turmeric:
1. Scrambled Eggs – My favorite and one easy way to use turmeric is to put coconut oil in a fry pan and scramble organic eggs with it. Make sure you add the turmeric while cooking and sprinkle with a little black pepper.
2. Rice/Sir-Fry – Turmeric can be added to rice. You can add it to a stir-fry with olive oil and black pepper.
3. Sautéed Onions – Add turmeric while cooking with coconut or olive oil (add veggies)
4. Cauliflower – Steam and add healthy oil and turmeric
5. Turmeric Tea – Add a ½ teaspoon of ground turmeric to two cups hot water, simmer 10 minutes, strain and add honey, lemon or ginger.
6. Golden Milk – Great way to get health benefits. First make a turmeric paste (below), then add ¼ teaspoon of paste to a cup of warm milk (add a few drops of healthy oil, like olive or ghee for maximum absorption). Optional – Add honey or maple syrup for sweetness.
- Turmeric paste – Put 1/2 cup water in pan, add ¼ cup turmeric powder and sprinkle of black pepper, cook for approximately 5 minutes and continue stirring until it becomes a creamy paste. You can keep the paste in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.
*Bonus use: For skin, add turmeric to honey for a great paste, apply to face
or make a scrub of turmeric, a little water and lemon juice
How do you use turmeric?
Sources:
http://www.naturalnews.com/040648_turmeric_healing_spices_curcumin.html#ixzz2m61O3MV6
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02833/turmeric-tea
Left my tumeric paste out all nite, made with coconut water, safe to drink?
I think I would make a fresh one just incase.
Hi there, i would like to ask you if i can store in the refrigerator freshly raw ground turmeric root cover with olive oil unheated (no water, no black pepper) in a glass container for daily use? And for how long? I started to have a spoon today but don’t know how to store correctly! Any advice will be very helpful and appreciated.
Yes, you can store it in the fridge. I would try to use it up within the week, otherwise freeze it.
Hi.
Is turmeric good for goiter
I have just cracked two eggs, poured them, 1 teaspoon of turmeric, half teaspoon of cayenne pepper and a dash of whole milk into a cup. Mixed them with a fork and scrambled them in a non stick pan. Hey presto! Healthy scrambled eggs on 2 pieces of wholemeal toast. Use turmeric with everything…… if you can! xxx
That’s awesome!
I make a delicious hot tea! I drink 1 glass before bed and it helps me sleep. It has also completely stopped my chronic tailbone pain and given my skin an unmeasured radiance! I wish I would have discovered this 20 years ago! Here are the ingredients I use:
Turmeric (3 tsp)
Coconut oil (1 tsp)
Ground Ginger (1 tsp)
Pepper (20 dashes)
Ground Cinnamon (1 tsp)
Lemon Juice (1 tbsp)
Hot water (at least 4 oz)
That sounds fantastic!
Did anyone find info of effects of tumeric on cancer?
I have interstitial cysts I have been reading the benifits of turmeric and black pepper, my concern is the black pepper ic patients are advised to stay away from spices . Do you know of any people with ic whom uses this mixture
My packet of turmeric says must be cooked before consumption why
Hi Lori……because I can’t drink coffee now as I have a heart problem and my doctor advise me not to drink coffee anymore…a friend of mine advise me to drink turmeric as a tea as it has so many benefits in our health…..I have athritis too…I use powder turmeric….Itb.spoon of turmeric powder in a cup of hot water….I drink one in the morning, one in the afternoon and one before I go to sleep…..I also use it in some of my dishes…….is it okey? Won’t I be drinking too much? But sometimes I drink hot choco or hot tea or ginger tea also…….
Hi Maria, I haven’t come across any research about concerns with taking it 3 times a day. You may want to check with your doc. just to be sure.
I grate fresh raw turmeric into vegetable and red quinoa soup (dill, onions and yam). I also add in some Red Palm oil, which is supposed to be high in antioxidants. I add some Himalayan pink salt as well instead of table salt. I then cook it for about 30 minutes, and serve.
The red palm oil and Himalayan salt are both sold at Whole Foods.
That sounds amazing!
I make tumeric tea. 4 cups of hot water, 1 heaping tsp of tumeric. Boil the water and add the tumeric and let simmer 10 minutes. Then I use a white handkerchief and a strainer to strain it into a container. I then add 4 cups of ice and 5 little tiny scoops of stevia. I drink it throughout the day.
I eat a lot of black pepper.
I also use coconut and tumeric as my toothpaste.
Sounds awesome!
I was wondering about fresh turmeric in apple cider vinegar as an anti inflammatory is this OK and how much and how many times a day???
I try to have both daily
I use Tumeric when juicing. I juice kale, spinach , apples, ginger, celery stalk.
Can u use pill form of turmeric and get same benefits? If so how many milligrams ?
Probably fresh turmeric contains the most nutrients, but pill form can be beneficial too.
You can buy capsules at the drug store and fill them with organic tumeric. Each capsule is about 1/4 tsp. 5 capsules is about 1 gram. Therapeutic dose is 2-3 grams per day.
I sautée 1/2 to 1 cup of veggies (spinach, mushrooms..) with 2 tbsp ground flax, turmeric, black pepper and other seasonings according to my mood for the day. Then I pour in 1/2 cup of egg whites, cover and cook on low until the top is set. This is super filling, low cal and helped bring my cholesterol down 60 points.
Sounds amazing! I’ll have to try it!
I *am wondering about pans to cook it in, searched the internet and for Chinese herbs they say no metal pans.
That’s really interesting! Maybe glass would be the best option.
Why do you use dried turmeric instead of fresh? Wouldn’t fresh be more healthful?
I use fresh when I can find it. But, often times food stores around where I live don’t carry it fresh so then I’ll use the dried turmeric.
Is a turmeric, black pepper, & oil mix more effective when heated?
Yes, it’s better absorbed when heated.
Hi –
Based on everything I have been reading, you must have fresh ground pepper (not ground from the store) and safe oil like coconut.
Based on another blog, I have tried the following and wanted your thoughts.
You do not notice the cayenne burn at all – so don’t know if that’s a good thing and keep mixing w/ just hot water alone itself.
1/2 tsp of organic turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, cayenne (35,000) and 1/4 tsp of organic fresh ground black peppercorn.
Add 1 tbs of pressed coconut oil and mix in a shot glass then consume.
Now my question is this… If I heated the oil would it help? Kinda like ‘infusing’?
And would there be any other spice I might want to add to the mix? Again, organic when/where possible.
That sounds like a great combo of spices. You could warm it, but I just wouldn’t over heat it as it may decrease the nutrients.
Is there something other than black pepper a person can use? My daughter is highly allergic to pepper.
You can still get many of the benefits without the black pepper. I’m not sure if any other spices enhance the benefits the same. The only study I found examined the incorporation of black pepper to enhance the benefits.
Hi, I am from India and in India other than using it in daily cooking, turmeric is always given in warm milk (without pepper) for various things e.g. if someone has got injury (internal or otherwise), cold, infections etc. It is part of life here (many families still use the traditional methods). Its paste is also applied on the wounds, sprains. I am sure even though pepper will boost its benefits it still is quite beneficial without it.
That’s awesome! I still need to use it more.
How does it taste ? I see a lot of people love it
Well black pepper adds a benefit of purifying blood in general as it is supposed to be a good natural blood purifier. What I know is adding black pepper in turmeric milk helps in cutting out the extra fat that is added & contained in milk and also help in keeping it safe from intestines and stomach.
If your kiddo is allergic to pepper just try adding less turmeric, I am sure it would still help as consuming this milk would be a part of everyday life.
Above is just from my research and taking advice from oldie goldie people, I am not a professional but I hope it helps.
Thanks for sharing!
I have heard that ginger works the same as black pepper with turmeric.
Lori,
Would grassfed butter also be a fat that would work in addition to olive and coconut oil? Also what are the benefits of using it topically as you suggested?
Definitely! Grass-fed butter would work great and taste amazing 🙂 I’ve been using it as a face mask and I think it is reducing breakouts.
I mix coconut oil (1tsp), pepper(1/8tsp) and tumeric (1tsp) and take it straight like that without heat. Is this fine? Also how many times a day should I take?
Sounds like a great combination! How does it taste? I usually try to have turmeric 3 times a week.
I put all in oatmeal tumeric ginger root coconut oil and honey tastes great
Sounds awesome!
I’ve actually tried the coconut oil and turmeric mixture and put it on saltine crackers, a couple of crackers a day and I’ve already noticed a difference.
I wanna use turmeric.coconut oil in cold milk in summers…will it b beneficial?
That’s a great way to use turmeric!
I mix the powder with my mustard and use on sandwiches.. In that case it is not heated. Is that beneficial?
That’s great to have it raw and unheated; you get the full benefits!
Sorry but I’m a bit confused about heated vs. unheated Turmeric.
In the article, you say that it has to be exposed to cooking heat but in your response here, you say raw and unheated gives the full benefits. I’m not trying to debate, I’m just a bit confused.
I’ve read about people taking Turmeric capsules with the powder in them, I assume this powder has not been heated, either.
I want to take it for pain and I’ll be honest, I don’t LOVE the taste of it (I’m making Golden Milk tomorrow, I might like that…hopefully!), so if I can take it in capsule form and not have to worry about the heating step, I would love that.
I would be taking it for arthritis pain.
I would appreciate a little help…thanks!
Sorry, yes the research says it is most beneficial when heated but to only low or medium temps. If over heated, it can destroy some of the beneficial nutrients.
In concerns with an easy way to get the proper heat without overdoing it ,I picked up a single egg poacher from Wally world.. And if you add the turmeric and pepper right after the egg goes into the poacher it will combine with the egg prior to being steamed .at this point you can cook the egg loose or hard and the turm/pep mix won’t get over cooked or dried out. You can add other things also like diced onions etc.. ..change it up! It never gets boring.
Great suggestions!
One of my favorite things to mince and add to the poached egg method is shiitake mushrooms. Portabella shrooms also fantastic. As u can see, you are only limited by your imagination. An incredibly powerful snack/ meal that you can customize to your personal preference. Enjoy and be well folks!
I take 1 -1000 mg of trumice w/ Curcumin capsules with 1 teaspoon of coconut oil .. With 8 ounce water in the morning For inflammatory disease .. My doctor recommended he’s from India .. I’m enjoying the benefits
Hi Lori
I also make eggs in the morning, using coconut oil to cook in and then I sprinkle on the turmeric and black pepper. I don’t actually cook the turmeric and pepper while cooking my eggs, I was wondering was this enough heat just sprinkling on the eggs while they were hot. I started using turmeric to help with pain in my knees but have been very happy to continue to learn all the other benefits to using turmeric and really enjoy reading your post!
I do the same thing! I sprinkle it on my eggs in the morning. It is a great meal to add it too because of the fats in the oil and eggs, which makes it easily absorbed.
My mother has a stroke I use turmeric with hot water is it good for her .
I need your advice please.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience. Your post that turmeric should be heated and used with some type of fat
is correct. I found this out by accident just recently. I have arthritis and have been mixing turmeric, black pepper,
Ceylon cinnamon, and ground cloves in water and drinking it to help relieve my pain and inflammation.
The other day I decided to make a sauce with the above ingredients, heated them along with some grape seed oil
and was very surprised at how much better it worked! Thanks again for all of your posts they have been very
helpful.
Thanks Linda, glad you have noticed a difference.
Hi , I hope this helps grape seed oil is not good for inflammatory , Common Cooking OilsPro-inflammatory Agent: Common vegetable cooking oils used in many homes and restaurants have very high omega-6 fatty acids and dismally low omega-3 fats. A diet consisting of a highly imbalanced omega-6 to omega-3 ratio promotes inflammation and breeds inflammatory diseases like heart disease and cancer.
Find them in: Polyunsaturated vegetable oils such as grape seed, cottonseed, safflower, corn and sunflower oils. These industrial vegetable oils are also commonly used to prepare most processed foods and takeaways.
Inflammation-dousing Substitute: Replace your omega-6-saturated cooking oils with macadamia oil, extra virgin olive oil, or other edible oils with a more balanced omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids ratio. Macadamia oil, for instance, has an almost one-to-one ratio of omega-6:3 fats, and it is also rich in oleic acid, a heart-healthy, monounsaturated fatty acid.
I love all things turmeric! It leaves a nice yellow stain on my hands though, when working with it. Wouldn’t it stain my fave as well if I used it as a scrub?
“Fave” = “face”
It shouldn’t stain you’re skin, bu if any yellow stain is left, you can use a gentle exfoliator like baking soda.
Actually turmeric stains everything, even stainless steel. It washes off with heavy scrubbing or regular use, but there is a yellow film that sticks to everything
Good to know, thanks!
I am pale enough that yes, it does stain my face! Takes a couple days and multiple washes to come off.
Thank you for sharing!
Could someone PLEASE tell me how much one should take on a daily basis for maintainence? Also how much is too much? Some of us have issues of inflammation and would like to take therapeutic amounts. What would that look like? I have read soooo many articles telling me the benefits of Turmeric but no one is telling us how much is reasonable or therapeutic. SOMEONE PLEASE!!!
I use about 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon.
Would that be fresh or dry? and how often- once or twice a day? Thank you.
Fresh is always best, but powder turmeric also has great benefits. I usually have to use turmeric powder because it is hard to find it fresh locally.
I microwave a sweet potato scoop out a little in the Center add turamac then mix some raw honey and pepper
That sounds good!
Except your nuking any nutritional benefits with the microwave!
I heard you can add to water and drink in the morning on an empty stomach to cleans liver, if true, what ratio of water to turmeric
Heard you can add turmeric to water in the morning and drink on an empty stomach.. Cleanses the liver. Is this true? If so , what is ratio of water and turmeric?
I haven’t tried that myself. Let us know if you give it a try.
I have rurnuric iin liquid form. I have tried a few thing to mask the taste.
A glass of wine does that perfectly
Interesting!
I drink 2 cups daily…am & pm!! It has helped my Arthritis tremendously! This is my tea! I also add ginger, sometimes cardamom, lemon & honey! I even make it as an iced tea & my friends and family love it! They are all onboard now!
So glad it’s helping.
Hello Lori I’m Demarco in Detroit, it so funny, the first I saw when I came on the site was you expressing ” what’s wrong with just having it fresh/raw, so I was wondering if there were any concerns when consuming turmeric raw, because I had been putting it in my smoothies? And also is there a certain consumption amount per day or per serving….
You can eat it raw. Some add it to salads etc.
1 CUP MIXED POWDERS:
Turmeric 3/4 tsp
Ginger. 1/2 tsp
Ceylon cinnamon 1/2 tsp
Black pepper to taste
Add :
Stevia (1/16 or pinch for sweetener)
1 tbs Coconut oil for brain and other health
(Can add: 1 tbs collagen hydrolisate for joints)
Must be added to hot milk or water.
PS: drink 2 cups daily
If it’s the regular spice powder (the one you cook with) You are supposed to take 400 to 600 mg per day . That converts to 0.4grams to 0.6grams.
Refer to website: https://m.wikihow.com/Take-Turmeric-Powder
Hello
I am writing for more details on oil & turmeric – I am very interested in maximizing absorption and make something easy to take.
I made the paste for golden milk outlined here drarjan and added pepper and melted coconut oil and add this to the paste – Do you think that sounds like a good idea?
Thanks for your articles – Angela in BC Canada
Sounds like a great idea to add some coconut oil.
Turmeric is God gifted herb. I use turmeric along with black pepper for several purposes. A honey paste of turmeric and black pepper solved my problem of acne and give me a flexible white skin. I also use turmeric black pepper sprinkle on honey for stomach and intestinal problems. These three products having anti oxidants antiviral and antibacterial properties . It can keep away from seasonal diseases. Now it is my habit to use turmeric in honey juice. A very good combination for saying bye bye to diarrhea.
Thanks for sharing!
What about using palm oil in place of coconut oil
Sure! Any oil will work.
As long as it’s sustainably sourced! Rainforests are destroyed at terrifying rates to grow palm oil. The author should really have said that!
Hi Lori,
I like the idea of having the paste made up ahead of time because my family’s not totally on board yet with having the taste of turmeric in as many dishes as I’m willing to put it in (they prefer taking it in capsule form). Now I can just add it to my food and not the entire dish. I’m also adding the coconut oil to the initial recipe so I know for sure all the ingredients are in the paste in case whatever I put it in is missing the oil (I can’t believe that would ever happen in my cooking but just to be safe).
Glad the post was helpful 🙂
Hi ,I can use turmeric everyday in the morning with cold milk , honey and flexi seed . What is your suggestion? Thank you azeb
I use warm milk, but I don’t see why using cold wouldn’t still be beneficial.
I use turmeric every morning for 1 month now. I add 1 tsp to 6 oz of cold lemon water with cinnamon and 1/8 tsp of raw honey. I haven’t seen any results so far. I wonder if it could be the cold water
I have same question but no one seems to.have a streight answer if cold has same effect
its warm water, or hot & lemon juice first thing in the morn before food, this get all the juices going
Can I convince turmeric with any other medications? Thanks
is it safe to take with celexa
It states near the top of the article, that heat must be added. So taking it with cold milk may not prove to be affective. I was having trouble with an annoying ache at the base of my skull every night when lying down. I started drinking the golden milk twice a day. Even after the first time, the ache disappeared.
i don’t recommend fleexseeds thay are bad for your health you can Google it. some people may tell you the truth turmeric on other hand its amazing
flax seeds are really great for your health