The Magic of Turmeric Unveiled!

Turmeric has long been known as an auspicious spice in India. It has been used not only in cooking but also in spiritual and social rituals. The vedic shastras laud its benefits. So much so, that even a pinch of turmeric is considered enough! Click here to watch Vaidya talk about the top 20 benefits of turmeric. But should we just gowith what the shastras say or is there any scientific validation for this? Is it just an ancient indian myth or can it have meaning for us in our modern daily lives?
If you have not had the opportunity to check, you might want to google turmeric and scientific findings. The literature is recent, vast, and growing. Over the past few years, interest in turmeric has grown exponentially, hundreds of studies have been conducted not only confirming what the ancient vedic scriptures spoke of thousands of years ago, but also showing the potential this spice has for healing and preventing so many of our modern chronic and fatal diseases. So it’s good for you! But what does that mean? And how and why is it good for you? The scientific world will say that it contains specific chemicals (curcumin) that behave a certain way when ingested, and therefore heal. But there is a much bigger picture to things. Here is what Vaidya Mishra has to say about turmeric. His SVA explanation of turmeric is very distinct and as always particular to his lineage. You will not be able to read this anywhere else!

THE SVA PERSPECTIVE :
Vaidya explains that turmeric is highly pranic. We have learnt that Prana is itself made of three components, Soma, Agni and Marut. Turmeric is mostly made up of Marut and Agni. Because turmeric has more Marut and Agni, it is a very active ingredient that acts as a catalyst when ingested or applied transdermally. It does not sit idle. The healing and health-supporting effect of turmeric derives primarily from its characteristics of Agni and Marut. This is why detox is its primary property. In addition, it target a specific organ first and foremost: the liver. To define it in one sentence: turmeric detoxifies the liver. That is its primary target. Because it addresses the liver first, it also supports and helps the whole cellular system of the body – through its primary action on the liver it supports all the 5 Agni-s or metabolic factors that are seated in the liver. Each Bhutagni (or agni of the liver) corresponds to an element: space, air, fire, earth and water. The liver is primarily made of Agni and Marut but it also has some Soma. When the liver is intelligent (meaning it is able to perform its activities in the way it was meant to) and does not meet any hindrances for absorbing, processing and transforming Soma, then it can produce intelligent blood. When blood is intelligent (meaning it is not overloaded with toxins due to a weak liver, it carries all the information it is meant to, and is full of Prana due to a good satwic diet), then such blood supports the immune system and helps maintain the health of all the organs and organ systems in the body, maintaining as well the pH of the blood. This, in turn, reduces inflammation in the body overall. Inflammation can be the number one cause of many diseases. Turmeric is thus an alkalizing and therefore an anti-inflammatory. Its ability to support the liver in processing and transforming Soma results in alkalinity in the body. In scientific terms, researchers confirm that turmeric is an immuno-modulator, anti-inflam atory, it helps balance cholesterol, as a result it repairs DNA, is good for chemo-prevention, helps in senile dementia… and these are just a few of the findings… (see the column to your right for additional research references). Does this mean we should be ingesting large doses of turmeric? Nowadays curcumin capsules are prevalent in health food stores across the country, and countless people are swallowing a couple capsules a day. SVA explains that this can be highly detrimental to your health. In fact, if used improperly, turmeric can have unwanted negative results. So what is the proper use of turmeric then? Click here to watch Vaidya explain all about it.

HOW MUCH TURMERIC IS TOO MUCH?
In traditional ayurvedic medicine, it is not recommended that turmeric be used alone. It is also not recommended that turmeric be consumed raw. Why? As explained, the primary effect of turmeric is on the liver organ. Turmeric activates the liver and promotes its detox. turmeric brideWhen the liver starts to leach out toxins with the help of turmeric, and if the detox pathways found all over the body are not ready (they could be blocked, or incapable to handle a sudden toxic load efficiently) then this will affect the rest of the organs. Similarly, if the other organs such as the kidneys, or the urinary tract , or the colon, have not been prepped to handle the release of large toxic loads, then the toxic waste being released by the liver all at once without previous preparation will surely result in a “detox crisis.” It can rupture the circulatory channels while moving here and there, and worst of all, if it does not find its way out of the body safely and effectively, it will get reabsorbed which can result n auto-immune conditions. To use a simple analogy: a fast-forward detox with turmeric when you have never done any gentle detox protocols would be like trying to clean your house when you’ve not done it in years (5,10, 15 or more!). One fine morning you bring in this expert contractor, Turmeric Inc., who tells you have to start from the most important room in your house (your liver) that happens to be in the middle of the house (situated in terms of its role). So while you are discharging loads of junk and garbage from that room you have to be able to move and throw it all out, but all the pathways are filled with clutter, there’s barely any room to move or walk, so you start to put little little bags here and there in an effort to clean that first room, but you end up making the rest of the house even more cluttered, even more messy. What’s worse, you move things that had been sitting in their place and putrifying for a long long time, and naturally when you move them, you notice that there are strong chemi al reactions, toxic gases that are released but you are not able to open your windows and doors to bring in some fresh air as everything is backed up against walls… What a mess! So the first rule of thumb: 1) never consume turmeric raw. The second: 2) never eat it alone. After discovering turmeric for the first time and tasting its gentle bitter taste and reading about its health benefits, many people start to leave it on their tables along with the salt and pepper in a little shaker! When you visit Whole Foods market, you will in fact see next to their salad bar a little shaker with turmeric in it for those who are more health conscious! Someone should notify their management that it is a health risk…

A DELICIOUS AND SAFE SPICE MIXTURE:
SVA recommends that turmeric be cooked. If you are introducing turmeric to your diet for the first time, you must do so only in pinches.
SVA also recommends that turmeric be cooked with other spices. Here is a safe and delicious spice recipe with turmeric. Combine 1 part turmeric powder with 1 part cumin, 6 parts coriander, and 6 parts fennel. The cumin, coriander and fennel seeds will be measured in seed form, then ground and then added to the turmeric powder. This recipe is not only delicious but it also has very specific effects. This is what the rest of the spices do.
Cumin helps to open the circulatory channels and restore their intelligence. Cumin has more Marut than Agni, it is not as pungent as chilies. It also knows what to absorb and what to eliminate. Coriander has the amazing quality of collecting and binding toxins from and in the blood and exiting them through the urinary tract.
Fennel is added to this mixture because the detox process initiated by the previous spices creates a little more cleansing activity in the body, and something is needed to overlook the cleansing operation to make sure everything is progressing on schedule. Fennel creates a friendly and cooling environment at the same time supporting the enzymatic processes to make sure detox happens safely and effectively.
Even though this recipe is balanced and balancing, if this is your first time introducing spices to your diet you must start using this mixture only in pinches. Add a pinch or two to your food while it is cooking. Increase a pinch every three days and go up to half a teaspoon and eventually up to a teaspoon. Do not sprinkle on your food for added flavor!
If you experience unwanted rash or nausea, or bloating and gas, reduce the dose until you feel comfortable again. Do not make tea out of this mixture, always only cook with it (protein, vegetables, lentils).
Put enough water in your vegetables or lentils so that the water becomes the medium for the transformative power of the spice. And then add a lipid medium as well, like ghee or olive oil, that way you can get both the lipid soluble and the water soluble factions of the spices. It is recommended that you cover your pot while cooking so as to preserve the aroma in the Soma.

TURMERIC AND SOCIAL RITES AND RITUALS:
Turmeric is considered a divine tuber. For any auspicious ritual celebration turmeric is used either as a powder or a paste. Clothes are dyed in turmeric. A mixture of turmeric and sandalwood paste is made to and applied on the body (face, limbs, etc) of brides and grooms before their wedding ceremony.

Only if death occurs, then turmeric should not be used. Why? When you grieving, mourning, your Sadhak Pitta is high. All the Pitta subdoshas (the metabolic principles of the physiology) are related to the liver and its 5 Agnis. If you ignite the fires in your liver, it will also increase the fires residing elsewhere in your body, and you don’t want to increase Sadhak Pitta when it is already high due to loss. In vedic India, when a person passes away, no turmeric is used during the 13 day vedic ritual. All close members dress in white as a sign of mourning, and avoid eating heating foods or agni-enhancing foods (turmeric, ginger, onion, garlic, or other spicy foods).
You need more Soma during periods of high grief or emotional turmoil, more Soma and more Ojas to connect your brain to your heart. Anything that consumes Soma is counter-indicated.

COUNTER-INDICATIONS:
Since turmeric ignites the five Agni-s of the liver Turmeric is also contraindicated in cases of high fever, chicken pox, small pox, active hemorrhoids, tuberculosis. if you are currently on any medication or are experiencing any serious health conditions, you must check with your medical doctor before perusing any turmeric or turmeric products.