India's 'holy powder' finally reveals its centuries-old secret

April 20th, 2009
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Scientists have unlocked the secrets of the "holy powder" turmeric. Image: Wikimedia Commons

Scientists
in Michigan are reporting discovery of the secret behind the fabled
healing power of the main ingredient in turmeric — a spice revered in
India as "holy powder." Their study on the ingredient, curcumin,
appears in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
In the study, Ayyalusamy Ramamoorthy and colleagues point out that
turmeric has been used for centuries in folk medicine to treat wounds,
infections, and other health problems. Although modern scientific
research on the spice has burgeoned in recent years, scientists until
now did not know exactly how curcumin works inside the body.
Using a high-tech instrument termed solid-state NMR spectroscopy,
the scientists discovered that molecules of curcumin act like a
biochemical disciplinarian. They insert themselves into cell membranes
and make the membranes more stable and orderly in a way that increases
cells' resistance to infection by disease-causing microbes.
More information: "Determining the Effects of Lipophillic
Drugs on Membrane Structure by Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy -- the Case
of the Antioxidant Curcumin," Journal of the American Chemical Society.
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Went shpping for Herbs and Spices at the Health Food store on Sat. FYI bulk spices and herbs sell here by the OZ.
Turmeric was only .25 an OZ.