My friends Lelir and Westi in Bali don’t like to go to doctors. Nature is their pharmacy.
You see, Lelir is a Balian. That means “herbal healer.”
And Westi’s plantation is bursting with healing plants.
But one plant stands out above all the others. Lelir uses it to make a daily immune-boosting elixir as well as an anti-aging facial scrub. Balians use it as an antibiotic and for liver support. They boil it with milk and sugar to treat the common cold and allergies. Rural doctors make it into a paste with lime to ease sore joints. They make drinks to treat fevers and stomach pain. They mix it with coconut oil to relieve earaches.
In Bali they call this root “kunyit,” but you probably know it as turmeric (Curcuma longa).
What does turmeric look like?
Traditional doctors in the West look down on medicinal herbs. They’ve been trained to identify a symptom, then prescribe a drug.
The powerful benefits of turmeric
But it’s becoming impossible to ignore turmeric. Science is proving over and over the incredible power of this root. Already there are thousands of published studies on the effects of turmeric on various diseases.
How turmeric works – The health benefits of curcumin
Its active ingredient — curcumin — has been shown to more than 600 conditions. And that number keeps going up. Studies show it:
- reverses memory loss from late-stage Alzheimer’s in just three months1
- kills cancer stem cells (the root cause of cancer)2
- reduces arthritis joint pain by 60%… and joint swelling by 73%3
- eliminates symptoms of hard-to-treat depression4
- halts the onset of Type 2 Diabetes with 100% success5
I could go on. But I know you’re wondering how this one herb can treat all of these conditions.
How turmeric reduces inflammation
It’s rather simple. I’ve said for decades that inflammation is the root of ALL our modern chronic diseases. And curcumin gets at that root. It knocks out the body’s inflammatory “command center.” Here’s what I mean…
Your body has a “switch” that activates more than 400 pro-inflammatory genes. It’s a molecule called nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB). Nearly 98% of all diseases are controlled by this one molecule. But it can’t stand up to curcumin. Studies show curcumin deactivates NF-kB.
Big Pharma has tried in vain to get at the NF-kB molecule. And they have failed miserably. In fact, curcumin has been proven more powerful than 19 of Big Pharma’s best-selling drugs — without the side effects.
Studies show it beats the leading chemo drug Eloxatin… the diabetes drug metformin… the Alzheimer drug Aricept… and the depression drug Prozac. It also relieves pain as well as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen without deadly risks like heart attack, stroke and stomach bleeding.
Your doctor will never prescribe this miracle root to you. Why? Because it’s so inexpensive and so easy for anyone to get.
Without a prescription.
How to use turmeric root
But I recommend it to all my patients.
I like to use fresh turmeric root in the kitchen. It looks like an ugly carrot in a brownish wrapper. When you cut it open, the flesh is a bright orange. You can grate it like ginger and add it to soups and stews. Or add dried ground turmeric to curry sauces, deviled eggs or salad dressings. I use it in stir-fries, scrambled eggs and marinades.
I also like hot turmeric milk. Taken at bedtime, it can help you relax and relieve any aches and pains from the day.
Here’s my hot turmeric milk recipe:
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
In a saucepan, whisk all the ingredients to combine. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about five minutes. That’s it! Add some honey if you like.
Curcumin supplements
In this country, we don’t use enough turmeric in our cooking to get the full health benefits of curcumin. That’s why I recommend curcumin supplements to my patients. But don’t waste your money on one that doesn’t really work.
There are several problems with the curcumin supplements available for sale today. The biggest problem is that in most, the active ingredients never make it past your GI tract because your body can’t absorb it the way it’s delivered.
Others don’t contain what the labels say they contain, and are often tainted with contaminants or other dangerous ingredients.
And even the ones that are “safe” often don’t contain enough turmeric to be considered a therapeutic dose.
Health benefits you’re looking for
In my travels I’ve learned that traditionally turmeric was used in combination with other herbs that together provide the health benefits you’re looking for… protection from inflammation, better cardiovascular health… even anti-cancer benefits.
I believe so strongly in the power of curcumin to wipe out inflammation and chronic diseases that I’m doing a special training session for my employees on this important topic. I’m also doing something else… something I’ve never done before…
Live With Dr Sears
When my employees join me on Thursday to talk about the incredible power of curcumin, and how we can use it to transform your health… I’d like to invite you to join us.
I want you to be a part of this important conversation. Please join me “personally” on Facebook Live this Thursday morning, September 22nd at 8:30 a.m. EDT. You can also watch on YouTube.
To join me on Facebook Live, click this link. For my YouTube broadcast, click here.
2016-09-22 08:30:00
2016-09-22 09:00:00
America/New_York
Live With Dr. Sears
Transform your health naturally… Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/events/1186870444702488/ or YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UznzBkqnkw
Online broadcast – Facebook Live or YouTube
Dr. Al Sears
alsearsmd123@gmail.com
I hope to “see” you there!
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD, CNS
1. Prior M, Dargusch R, Ehren JL, Chiruta C, Schubert D. “The neurotrophic compound J147 reverses cognitive impairment in aged Alzheimer’s disease mice.” Alzheimers Res Ther. 2013;5(3):25.
2. Sordillo PP, Helson L. “Curcumin and cancer stem cells: curcumin has asymmetrical effects on cancer and normal stem cells.” Anticancer Res. 2015;35(2):599-614.
3. Chandran B, Goel A. “A randomized, pilot study to assess the efficacy and safety of curcumin in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis.” Phytother Res. 2012;26(11):1719-25.
4. Lopresti AL, Maes M, Maker GL, Hood SD, Drummond PD. “Curcumin for the treatment of major depression: a randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled study.” J Affect Disord. 2014;167:368-75.
5. Chuengsamarn S, Rattanamongkolgul S, Luechapudiporn R, Phisalaphong C, Jirawatnotai S. “Curcumin extract for prevention of type 2 diabetes.” Diabetes Care. 2012;35(11):2121-7.