Turmeric Powder

Organic and fair trade turmeric powder.

Kurundu offers turmeric (Curcuma longa) as turmeric powder and in curry spice.
Turmeric has a sharp earthy flavour with mild orange and ginger fragrances. Best known for its use in curry, Turmeric also provides many health benefits.  An excellent source of manganese, iron and vitamin B6, with strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, be sure to add this spice to your daily diet.

The Plant
The bright yellow of the spice rainbow, turmeric comes from the root of the Curcuma longa plant of the ginger family. With a tough brown skin and deep orange flesh the root of the turmeric plant is boiled, dried and ground into a yellow powder.  Our turmeric powder is fair trade, certified organic and grown in Sri Lanka.

Health Benefits
Curcumin, Turmeric's active health supporting ingredient, is great for relieving upset stomachs and chest pain from common colds, (check out this home remedy for chronic cough).  Additionally, curcumin has amazing anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that help fight arthritis, Alzheimer’s, heart disease and cancer.
Curcumin alleviates the symptoms of arthritis by neutralizing chemicals called free radicals that travel through the body damaging healthy cells and cell membranes that can cause painful joint inflammation. Use turmeric to relieve pain without the toxicity producing effects of potent anti-inflammatory drugs.

Curcumin also protects against Alzheimer's disease by turning on a gene that codes for the production of antioxidant proteins that protect brain tissue. Recent research also suggests curcumin may provide an effective treatment for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) such as Crohn's and ulcerative colitis.

Promoting a healthy heart, curcumin may prevent the oxidation of cholesterol in the body which damages blood vessels and builds up plaques that can lead to a heart attack or stroke. Also a cancer fighting agent, curcumin enhances liver function, which destroys mutated cancer cells and prevents the production of tumor forming proteins.

Turmeric is also a potent antioxidant with an ORAC (Oxygen radical absorbance capacity) value of 127,068 per 100 grams as based on the TEAC (Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity) unit of measure. Compare this to the ORAC value of popular antioxidant fighters like blueberries, which sits at just 4,669, and Goji berries at 3,290. A single teaspoon (2 grams) of turmeric will provide a TEAC value of 2,541. Consuming a very small amount of turmeric can give you the same level of antioxidant benefit as a handful of berries and at only a fraction of the cost!

In the Kitchen
A hero of health, turmeric can be found in most curry dishes and in all of Kurundu’s curry powders. Use turmeric to spice up sautéed onions or as the flavouring of a creamy vegetable dip. Just mix plain yogurt with a little omega-3-rich mayonnaise and turmeric, salt and pepper to taste. Serve with raw cauliflower, celery, sweet pepper, jicama and broccoli florets, all vegetables that when eaten with turmeric can enhance the spice’s positive effects.