Turmeric and its uses in Ayurveda

 

Humans Have Been Using Natural Plants Throughout The History Of Mankind For Different Purposes. Many Of These Plants Have Medicinal Properties Discovered During Drug Designs? “Ayurveda”, The Age-Old Traditional System Of Medicine In India Is Based On Plants. It Is Used To Treat Several Diseases Including Cancer. 61% Of The Traces Can Be Found Of The Total 877 Small-Molecule Drugs Introduced Globally Are From Natural Products (Newman And Cragg 2007).

 

Turmeric, Also Known As “Haldi” Is Derived From The Sanskrit Word Haridra. This Ayurvedic Plant Has A Long History In The Field Of Medicines. Its Uses Date Back To The Vedic Age. Susruta’s Ayurvedic Compendium Suggests An Ointment Containing Turmeric Which Helps Relieve Food Poisoning Back In 250 B.C. Besides A Principle Spice, Turmeric Is Also An Important Component Used In Various Religious Ceremonies In Southeast Asia. Turmeric Is The Product Of A Herbal Plant From The Ginger Family Curcuma Longa. India Grows Whole Of The Turmeric Crop Globally And Consumes 80% Of It. According To The Nutritional Analysis, 100 Grams Of Turmeric Contains 390 Kcal, 0 Mg Cholesterol, 10 G Total Fat, 0.2 G Calcium, 2500 Mg Potassium, 47.5 Mg Iron, 0.26 G Phosphorous, 0.9 Mg Thiamine, 69.9 G Total Carbohydrates, 8 G Protein, 3 G Saturated Fat, 3 G Sugar, 50 Mg Absorbic Acid, 4.8 Mg Niacin, 0.19 Mg Riboflavin, 21 G Dietary Fiber And 10 Mg Sodium (Balakrishnan 2007). Additionally, It Is Composed Of More Than 100 Essentials. Some Of Them Comprise Curcumin Demethoxycurcumin, 5’-Methoxycurcumin, And Dihydrocurcumin, Which Were Discovered As Natural Oxidants (Ruby Et Al. 1995; Selvam Et Al. 1995).  

 

This Fundamental Kitchen Ingredient Has Various Properties Of Herbal Medicine. Turmeric Is Used For Curing Rheumatoid Arthritis, Chronic Anterior Uveitis, Conjunctivitis, Smallpox, Chickenpox, Wound Healing, Urinary Tract Infections, And Liver Ailments (Dixit, Jain, And Joshi 1988). In Ayurveda, Turmeric Is Widely Used To Aid People Suffering From Respiratory Disorders Like Asthma, Bronchial Hyperactivity And Allergy), And Liver Diseases, Anorexia, Rheumatism, Diabetic Wounds, Runny Nose, Cough, And Sinusitis (Araujo And Leon 2001).

 

Researches Are Conducted In Modern Medicine On The Use Of Turmeric To Fight Cancer. Topoisomerase Is An Enzyme That Helps Multiple Cancer Cells In The Body. Turmeric Has The Potential To Stop The Growth Of Topoisomerase, Thus, Preventing The Growth Of Cancer. Dr. Bharat Aggarwal, A Cancer Researcher At The Jawaharlal Nehru Centre For Advanced Scientific Research In Bangalore States, “We Have Not Found A Single Cancer On Which Curcumin Does Not Work”.

 

Today, Every Nation Around The Globe Is Working Hard To Find A Possible Drug To Fight Against Coronavirus. SARS-Cov-2 Infection Is Triggered By The Binding Of ACE2 Virus Protein. The Reduction Of ACE2 Activity Is Damaging To The Heart. Studies Show Curcumin Increases ACE 2 Activity And Degrades Mean Arterial Blood Pressure. Moreover, Curcumin Helps Develop Immunity By Reducing Infiltration And Suppressing Inflammation.

 

Further Studies Have Shown Turmeric May Have Useful Effects Against COVID-19, Provided Its Ability To Regulate Different Molecular Targets. Besides, It Prevents Viral Replication By Acting As A Strong Shield. To Sum Up, Turmeric Could Be The Possible Answer Against Corona.