Turmeric has enjoyed the reputation of a miracle root for thousands of years because of the countless health benefits it offers. Let's take a look at the benefits of using fresh, dried or powder turmeric and how to pick the best kind of turmeric supplements.

Fresh, dried and powdered Turmeric

Turmeric as a whole root (or rhizome) looks quite like Ginger, with an orange tint to the thin skin. It can be used as fresh, dried up or even in powder form. As powder form, it is used in most Indian curries to give them the colour and to enhance its nutritional value.

The health benefits of turmeric are credited to the presence of the bioactive compound curcumin, which is known to be a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory in nature. But while the powdered form of turmeric is the most commonly used, it's the crude and unprocessed root form of the spice that retains more nutrients.

Adding turmeric in small amounts to your diet is suitable for everyday and for long-term health benefits.

So not only can you add turmeric to your curries, you can also add it to your soups and even make a Golden Latte with milk.

How to choose Turmeric for cooking?

When choosing Turmeric for cooking, always look for organic options. Check your local farmers market that offers high quality Turmeric root.

When picking dried Turmeric, buy small quantity as dried herbs and spices lose their potency over time. So, take only what you'll use in a few months as it can lose its aroma and flavor.

Raw Turmeric v/s Powder

Using fresh, raw turmeric is considered to be more beneficial as opposed to the powder form because of the following reasons:

• More Curcumin: Curcumin- the active compound that gives turmeric most of its health benefits is present  more in turmeric root than its processed form or powdered form.
• Essential Oils: Turmeric root may contain more natural oils than turmeric powder as some amount may be lost during processing and drying.
• No Artificial Colouring: As turmeric is a very popular spice, it is also one of the most adulterated spices around. By using turmeric root instead of powder, you can ensure that you are not consuming artificial colouring agents.

Why Turmeric Supplements?

The curcumin content of the turmeric as gifted by nature is generally 3-12 % which when consumed takes a long time to offer the desired health benefits.

Whereas the Turmeric Supplements available in the market are generally created to offer high concentrations of curcumin up to 95% in the form of curcumin extract. An extract provides a concentrated, potent serving designed for specific health conditions that can offer faster relief.

By consuming turmeric in its raw form, your body will need to do the extraction itself, which will require more effort. Furthermore, curcumin is not easily absorbed in the body and needs the assistance of piperine in black pepper or some fat to be absorbed by the body.  For this reason, you'll need to consume a large amount of turmeric daily with black pepper and some fat soluble ingredients such as clarified butter or coconut oil to receive the same benefit.

Having said that, consuming curcumin in extract form is not a natural process and hence not the best form.

How to pick the best Turmeric Supplement for maximum health benefits.

Picking an organic turmeric supplement that has all the natural goodness of the turmeric intact is far better than the ones available in extract form.

Forest Raga's Turmeric+ is the purest form of Turmeric picked from the forest with minimal intervention. It is the sun and shade-dried, powdered and packed into capsule form, just the way it is without any additives and retaining the essential oils. 

Why capsules and not tablets?

Capsules tend to break down more quickly than tablets and hence offer faster relief from symptoms than tablets. Capsules are less likely to have an unpleasant taste or odour too.

Our Forest Raga's Turmeric+ are capsules designed with the right percentage of black pepper and ginger to help curcumin get absorbed by the body. To optimise the absorption further, we recommend you to have them with some fat like almond milk or coconut milk in order to reap maximum health benefits. Shop Now

The long and short of it!

Cook with Turmeric for everyday health needs but reach for a supplement that's pure, potent and has been especially formulated for specific health needs.