Turmeric

What is turmeric?

Turmeric is an herbal plant that spread throughout the tropics, especially in South and Southeast Asia region. Turmeric plant grows wild around the fertile and forest / garden. Turmeric is thought to have originated from India and had spread to Southeast Asia, Australia to Africa.

This plant is widely cultivated in South Asia especially in India, South China, Taiwan, Indonesia (Java), and the Philippines.

Turmeric is included in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Turmeric has a local name in each country, such as Turmeric (UK), turmeric (Netherlands), Turmeric (Indonesia and Malaysia), Kunir (Java), Koneng (Sunda), Konyet (Madura).

Benefits of Turmeric

Turmeric is widely used as potent herbs for soothing, clean, dry, relieves itching, and tingling heal.

The main benefits of turmeric plants, namely: as an ingredient of traditional medicine, industrial raw materials of traditional medicine and cosmetics, spices. In addition, the rhizome of turmeric plant is also useful as an anti-inflammatory, anti oxidant, anti-microbial, cancer prevention, anti-tumor, reduce blood fat levels and cholesterol, as well as a blood purifier.

Turmeric extracts can be used as a dietary supplement in capsule form. Curcumin and essential oil contained in turmeric works for the treatment of hepatitis, antioxidants, digestive disorders, anti-microbial, anti cholesterol, anti-HIV, anti-tumor (induces apostosis), inhibiting the progression of breast tumor cells, inhibits tumor cell ploriferasi the colon, anti-invasion , anti-rheumatoid arthritis (arthritis), diabetes mellitus, typhoid fever, appendicitis, dysentery, leucorrhoea, menstruation is not smooth, stomach pains during menstruation, facilitate breastfeeding, tonsils, mucous stools, morbili.

Chemical content of Turmeric

Turmeric contains medicinal compounds, called curcuminoid consisting of curcumin, desmetoksikumin as much as 10%, 1-5% bisdesmetoksikurkumin and other beneficial substances such as essential oils are composed of sesquiterpene ketones, turmeron, tumeon 60%, 25% Zingiberen, felandren, sabinen, borneol and sineil.

Turmeric also contains as much as 1-3% fat, carbohydrates as much as 3%, protein 30%, 8% starch, 45-55% of vitamin C and mineral salts such as iron, phosphorus, and calcium.





source:
http://www.warintek.ristek.go.id/pertanian/kunyit.pdf
http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunyit