FOCUS ON TURMERIC
This on-trend warming spice does far more than add colour to your curries – it benefits both body and mind, as dietician Carrie Ruxton explains
Carrie Ruxton
ADVICE LINE
CARRIE RUXTON PHD is an award-winning dietician, health writer and TV nutritionist
What is it?
The herbaceous plant, Curcuma longa, grows abundantly in the warm, wet climates of South Asia. Like its close relative, ginger, the root is made up of aromatic compounds and oils, which give it its characteristic spicy taste and yellow colour. This kitchen staple also hides an amazing nutritional pearl, a substance called curcumin, made by drying, then grinding the root. Apart from curcumin, which represents around three per cent of a teaspoon of turmeric powder, it’s also a source of manganese (for bone and skin health), iron (for cognitive function) and vitamin B6 (for energy release).