There is one food in particular with thousands of studies done on it, that may leave the rest in the dust. Do a search on the PubMed site for Turmeric studies to see over 2600 results.

Turmeric and Mental Health

Depression

– trials showed that absorb enhanced curcumin was just as effective treating depression as Prozac and with no side effects.

The study team concluded that this “is the first randomized clinical trial that clearly highlights that curcumin may be an effective and safe agent when used as a modality of treatment in patients of MDD [major depressive disorder].” (Source Life extension mag.)

Alzheimer’s disease and Turmeric

Remarkable results reported after the use of turmeric in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Check this out on GreenMed Info, it is also on PubMed.

Curcumin

The active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin which is used in many of the studies.

When buying Curcumin capsules, only use ones that have increased absorption.

Some clinical results have found that taking the whole food with all the complementary compounds contained in turmeric were showing a wider effect on the mental health of elderly patients.

Golden Paste

The Golden paste is an economical way to take turmeric as a whole food.

Here is the official Golden Paste recipe that originates from Dr. Doug English (vet).

The Number One Golden Paste (GP) recipe tried and tested by thousands of users across the globe. The recipe may be used for humans as well as animals.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (125 ml/60gms) turmeric powder
• 1 cup water (250 ml) PLUS 1 cup water in reserve, if needed
• 1/3 cup (70 ml) cold pressed Olive or Coconut oil
• 2-3 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Turmeric on its own does not absorb into our system very well at all and the benefits are limited. It is best to buy Organic Turmeric as the quality of other turmeric powders is unsure, some even remove the curcumin from the turmeric.

Oil: cold pressed Olive or Coconut oil. Turmeric is oil soluble, so oil is needed to dissolve the turmeric in the stomach and allow the body to absorb the turmeric powder. Usw good quality oils and preferably cold pressed organic.

Black Pepper: The addition of freshly ground black peppercorns dramatically increases the absorption of turmeric. Black peppercorns contain an enzyme called Piperine. Piperine loses its effect in stale or powdered pepper. That is why the recipe requires freshly ground peppercorns.  It can be pre-ground and kept in the freezer.

How to make Golden Paste

After you have made this once it is super quick and easy to make.

1. Put the turmeric and 1 cup of water in a saucepan and mix well, gently simmer and stir for 7-10 minutes. The mixture will thicken so keep adding a little extra water maintaining the consistency of a paste.

2. Turn the heat off and add the oil and freshly ground pepper.  Stir briskly to ensure the oil and all ingredients are well mixed.

Store the paste in glass jars with lids. I like to scold out the jars with near boiling water before placing the paste in them.

The paste will keep at least two weeks in the fridge. Making two jars, I keep one in the freezer to keep it fresh.

Tips:

The powder and the paste have high pigment color and tend to stain. Before measuring the turmeric lay down a sheet of paper to catch any stray powder.

When grinding the pepper, a coffee grinder makes it easier. Using a hand grinder, grind onto a sheet of paper with a fold mark down the middle.  Grind away and then gather the grounds into the fold mark and tip it into a spoon to measure.

The pepper quantity can be adjusted e.g. children may not like the strong pepper taste, therefore adjust it downwards but that does decrease absorption.

How to eat golden paste

Turmeric is a whole food and each person will have different needs and absorption.

Dr. Doug suggests starting with 1/4 teaspoon and to take it with food.

He says it is more important to take a small amount more often than one large lot. He suggests taking it up to five times a day.

I will warn you that the taste is not bad but it is not real good either.  I put half a teaspoon full in my mouth and then take a mouthful of water to wash it down. This is then followed with my meal or whatever I am eating at the time.

When should you see results?

Some report results in just a few days. Others see results after two weeks.  For the dementia patients, it may take several months.

A mechanical problem like a worn out hip joint or a protruding spinal disk, no amount of anti-inflammatory will take the pain away.

You will find much more information for humans and animals on the Turmeric Life website.

Dr. Doug’s 6 favorite benefits of turmeric in humans and animals –

Skin health, arthritis, immunity, dementia and liver detoxifier.

Turmeric and Mental Health

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