Uses of Turmeric / Haldi

The various uses of Turmeric for health, beauty, cooking and cures.

In India, turmeric plant is harvested between December and February. A lot of people buy turmeric plant along with the roots, during Makar Sankranti. Then, they dry the roots and store them to use it later. You can get dry turmeric root powdered in your local flour mill. Fresh turmeric root can be used just like we use ginger (after peeling skin), in cooking. The powdered form of turmeric is the most common form of usage, whether it's for food or beauty.

CONTENTS

• Properties

• In cooking

• For beauty

• For wounds & swelling

• For boils

• Other uses

• Video summary

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PROPERTIES

Turmeric root has a pleasant scent, is pungent and bitter in taste. It is also a stimulant. Since it heats the body, we don't use more than 1 tsp of turmeric powder in any recipe. Turmeric controls tridosha, improves appetite, treats vomiting, headache, white discharge (in women), running nose, reduces swelling, soothes insect bites and heals wounds.

Taking in about 500 mg i.e, a pinch of turmeric powder, either with beverages or with food will cure fever and gas, while also strengthening the stomach. It is also antioxidant rich, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiseptic in nature, all of which help to naturally boost the body's immunity.

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IN COOKING

• Use turmeric powder to clean, marinate and cook, fish and other meat. Doing so removes their unpleasant smell and helps avoid digestive issues related to animal foods.

• Just like ginger, wash and peel the skin of fresh turmeric root to use it for making gravies, soups and detox drinks.

• The leaves of turmeric plant are used to steam modak i.e, dumplings. It gives the modak a slight pungent taste. But, preparing modak this way is very healthy for our body, since the nutritional properties of the turmeric leaves get absorbed in the modak.

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FOR BEAUTY

• Add turmeric powder to beauty recipes like homemade face packs, scrubs, soaps, etc. You can rub turmeric paste (turmeric powder mixed with water) on your skin daily while taking bath to give your skin a golden glow. Turmeric improves your complexion, skin texture, reduces pimples, and reduces facial and body hair growth. Since turmeric reduces hair growth, avoid applying turmeric to eyebrows, hair, beard and moustache.

• For improved skin colour and texture, you can also drink haldi doodh / turmeric milk (called "Turmeric latte" in foreign countries) regularly at night. Drinking this also cures fever and fights cold symptoms during winters.

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FOR WOUNDS & SWELLING

• Applying turmeric powder on cuts and small wounds will stop the bleeding in a while. The wounds will then heal without leaving behind any scars.

• Mix turmeric paste with calcined lime and salt petre i.e, potassium nitrate. Heat this mixture a little bit and then, apply it on wounds and sprains to treat them quickly.

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FOR BOILS

• Mix turmeric powder with boiled rice to make it into a paste. Apply this paste on carbuncles and boils to make them pop. After popping, all the puss will come out and the affected area would heal scar-free.

• Make a paste of neem leaves and turmeric powder, with a little water, using a mortar and pestle. Apply this on the boils formed due to pox, to heal them faster.

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OTHER USES

Turmeric can be used in various other things, the most notable uses are as follows :

1. Turmeric smeared clothing : Dip your white cotton clothes like saree, dhoti, etc in turmeric mixed with water. Then, let them dry completely. Wear these clothes to remove urine blockage due to wind, cure cough, fever, body pain, constipation etc. I suppose these are the reasons, the bride and groom are made to wear turmeric smeared clothes in South Indian marriages. Additionally, turmeric's antibacterial and antiseptic properties, prevent the couple from getting sick.

2. Eye problems : Dip a white cotton cloth in turmeric paste and then dry it under shade. Gently rub this cloth around your eyes (not on the eyes) to relieve eye problems like red eyes, eye pain and fluid accumulation in the eyes.

3. Fluid accumulation : Burn a dried turmeric root lightly and then, smell it. This cures accumulation of fluid in any part of the body.

4. Skin conditions : Make a paste of turmeric and malabar nut leaves using some cow's urine (gomutra). Apply it regularly for curing various skin diseases. Malabar nut is also called "adathodai" in Tamil and "Adusa" in Hindi.

5. Last but not the least, drinking water mixed with turmeric is said to cure jaundice faster.

Like and share this article with your loved ones, if you found it useful. What kinds of articles do you like to read? Let me know in the comments. See you next time with another helpful article. Stay healthy. Stay happy. Bye.