Many people are familiar with turmeric as a traditional Middle-Eastern spice, but few know of its medicinal virtues. Turmeric, otherwise known as Circuma longa, is a member of the ginger family, Zingaberaceae. It is indigenous to Southeast Asia, but has long been used and cultivated throughout India.
Turmeric is highly valuable for the influence it exerts on the digestive system and the liver.
In both Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is considered a digestive bitter and a carminative. It can be incorporated into foods, including rice and bean dishes, to improve digestion and reduce gas and bloating. It is a cholagogue, stimulating bile production in the liver and encouraging excretion of bile via the gallbladder. This improves the body's ability to digest fats. It can be taken as a single extract or in the form of digestive bitters, which combine turmeric with other bitter and carminative herbs.