Turmeric

Turmeric (/ˈtɜːrmərɪk, ˈtjuː-/),^[2][3] or Curcuma longa (/ˈkɜːrkjʊmə ˈlɒŋɡə/),^[4][5] is a flowering plant in the ginger family Zingiberaceae. It is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia that requires temperatures between 20 and 30 °C (68 and 86 °F) and high annual rainfall to thrive. Plants are gathered each year for their rhizomes, some for propagation in the following season and some for consumption or dyeing.^[6]

The rhizomes can be used fresh, but they are often boiled in water and dried, after which they are ground into a deep orange-yellow shelf-stable spice powder commonly used as a coloring and flavoring agent in many Asian cuisines, especially for curries (curry powder). Turmeric powder has a warm, bitter, black pepper-like flavor and earthy, mustard-like aroma.^[7]

Although long used in Ayurvedic medicine, there is no high-quality clinical evidence that consuming turmeric or the principal turmeric constituent, curcumin, is effective for treating any disease.^[8][9] Curcumin, a bright yellow chemical produced by the turmeric plant, is approved as a food additive by the World Health Organization, European Parliament, and United States Food and Drug Administration.^[6] Turmeric and its extract curcumin are generally safe but have recently been linked, especially in high-bioavailability forms, to rare cases of immune-mediated acute liver injury that typically resolve after stopping use, though severe outcomes can occur if use continues.^[10][11]