In previous blog posts, we have discussed turmeric supplements and powders. But another (and sometimes more fun) way to get the same minerals and magic nutrients curcumin offers is to use its mother spice, turmeric in a number of interesting, exotic and delicious recipes. Here, Nutent Therapeutics explores different recipes that incorporate our signature, turmeric.

Iced Turmeric Latte

For this refreshing beverage, whisk milk, turmeric, palm sugar, ginger, lemon juice, cardamom and salt in a small bowl until sugar and salt have dissolved; let sit 5 minutes to let flavors meld. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a measuring cup, pressing on solids to extract juices; discard solids. Fill a glass with ice. Pour latte over, serve with lemon wedge and enjoy!

Salmon With Cucumber–Yogurt Sauce and Carrot Salad

This recipe may sound somewhat involved, but its delicious taste makes it totally worth the effort and different steps. To make the yogurt sauce, simply combine yogurt, garlic, lemon zest and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Fold in cucumber and season with fine sea salt and pepper. For the carrot salad, toast cumin seeds in a small dry skillet over medium heat, about 1 minute. Add turmeric for the last 15–20 seconds and toast until fragrant. Combine toasted spices, carrot, cilantro, oil and 1 Tbsp. lemon juice in a medium bowl. Toss and season with fine sea salt, pepper and lemon juice. After this is accomplished, season salmon with fine sea salt and pepper. Heat 1 Tbsp. neutral oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high. Then, cook the salmon, skin side down, undisturbed, until salmon skin is crisped and browned, 3–4 minutes. Gently turn fillets and cook until salmon is just opaque at the center, 1–2 minutes for medium rare. Divide fillets among plates, skin side up and serve with cucumber-yogurt sauce and carrot salad. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Voila, you have a healthy, delightful meal!

Red Curry and Noodles

Curry is a classic vessel for our favorite spice, turmeric. To start this rendition, pulse shallot, garlic and ginger in a food processor to finely chop. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium. Add shallot mixture and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Add curry paste and turmeric; cook, stirring, until paste is darkened in color and mixture starts to stick to pan, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, breaking up with your hands, then juices. Cook, stirring often and scraping up browned bits, until tomatoes start to break down and stick to pot, about 5 minutes. Then, stir in coconut milk and season with salt. Simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until mixture is slightly thickened and flavors meld, 8–10 minutes. Add vegetables and pour in enough water to cover. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender, 8–10 minutes. Next, season fish all over with salt and nestle into curry (add a little more water if it’s thick). Return to a simmer and cook just until fish is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Lastly, spoon curry over rice noodles and top with cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

Great strides were recently made in Indian academia regarding realization of the many curative properties of turmeric and curcumin.

Started at KIIT (Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology),  the Technology Business Incubator (KIIT-TBI), is an initiative supported by Dr. Achyuta Samanta, KIIT and KISS (Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences) to provide a vibrant environment for promoting innovations and entrepreneurship development. It was started in 2009 and supported by the National Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB) and the Indian government’s Department of Science and Technology (DST).

Lead researcher Professor Santosh Kumar Kar of KIIT University said that though the medicine he and his colleagues created (of which the active ingredient was turmeric) has not yet been tried on humans, the impressive effects it displayed on animals suggested enormous homosapien potential.

“Turmeric has been traditionally used in our food for centuries not only because it spices up our curries but because curcumin, the bioactive polyphenolic compound  provides some therapeutic benefits. Researches show that curcumin is not only non-toxic, it can give us relief from pain and help in wound healing, reduce inflammation and tissue damage,” Kar says.

Modern studies have shown that curcumin is not only an antioxidant, but it can give us relief from pain and help in wound healing, reduce inflammation and tissue damage. But Curcumin does not dissolve easily in water and therefore very little of the turmeric (and subsequent curcumin) we eat in our food goes into blood and shows very little effect. These facts led Kar to hypothesize that if natural curcumin can be converted into a bioavailable form it can be taken orally and will be more effective. Working on this line of thinking, Kar and his colleagues created a nanotised form of pure curcumin. Since nano curcumin showed about five times better bioavailability than the natural curcumin its therapeutic efficacy was tested in mice for several human illnesses like Malaria, Cancer and Tuberculosis. The results were astounding: after all the mice were infected with a rodent malaria parasite, half the mice were fed the nano curcumin and half were untreated. The untreated mice died in a few days and those that received the curcumin were able to control the infection and survive.

Feeling optimistic about these results, the team proceeded with research to explore how curcmunin could treat other widespread diseases. Soon thereafter, the nano curcumin was tested in a mouse model of breast cancer and was found to modulate T regulatory cell responses and was effective in controlling tumor growth in the mice. Next, the researchers tested the efficacy of curcumin against tuberculosis. It was shown that use of nano curcumin along with traditional antibiotics used to treat TB not only reduced the time for cure by 50 percent, but the liver at the end of treatment remained intact, the mycobacteria did not show much latency and the immune system of the mice remained intact (all common problems in TB treatment). Other studies conducted by the same researchers showed nano curcumin being effective in healing wounds and treating oral mucocytis, a precursor to oral cancer.

For more contact Neutron Therapeutics or call us on 561-208-3033.