Turmeric

Turmeric is the orange-yellow rhizome of Curcuma longa, used as a spice, food coloring, and traditional medicine. Its characteristic color and many studied biological effects come largely from curcuminoid compounds.

Curcuma longa: A perennial flowering plant in the ginger family whose rhizome is the source of turmeric. This species produces the rhizome harvested as turmeric.
Curry powder: A spice blend, often containing turmeric, whose ingredients and proportions vary widely. Turmeric gives many commercial curry powders their characteristic yellow color.
Polyphenol: A class of plant compounds characterized by multiple phenolic structural units. Curcumin is a polyphenol, linking turmeric’s chemistry to a broad plant-compound family.
Curcumin clinical trials: Human studies testing curcumin for safety or possible health effects. Trials examine whether effects suggested by laboratory studies translate into clinical benefit.
Rhizome: A horizontal underground plant stem that can produce roots and new shoots. Turmeric is a rhizome, not a root, despite its common appearance.
Food coloring: A substance added to food to impart or restore color. Turmeric is used as a natural yellow-orange food colorant.
Curcumin bioavailability: The extent to which curcumin is absorbed and becomes available in the body. Curcumin is poorly absorbed and rapidly metabolized, limiting effects from ordinary oral doses.
Osteoarthritis: A joint disease involving cartilage loss and changes to surrounding bone and tissues. Curcumin products have been studied for pain and function in people with this condition.
Curcumin: A yellow-orange polyphenol and the best-known curcuminoid in turmeric. It supplies much of turmeric’s color and has been studied for biological activity.
Curcumin supplements: Dietary products containing curcumin, often formulated to increase its absorption. These products isolate or concentrate a compound associated with turmeric.

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