Turmeric is the spice that gives curry its yellow color. It has been used in India for thousands of years as a spice and medicinal herb. Recently, science has started to back up what the Indians have known for a long time. It really does contain compounds with medicinal properties.These compounds are called curcuminoids, the most important of which is curcumin.

Curcumin is the main active ingredient in turmeric. It has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a very strong antioxidant.The curcumin content of turmeric is not that high it's around 3%, by weight.Most of the studies on this herb are using turmeric extracts that contain mostly curcumin itself, with dosages usually exceeding 1 gram per day. It would be very difficult to reach these levels just using the turmeric spice in your foods. Curcumin is also fat soluble, so it may be a good idea to take it with a fatty meal.

Tangy, yet sweet, tamarind is also popular as imli in Hindi.Tamarind is a hardwood tree known scientifically as Tamarindus indica.

The tree produces bean-like pods filled with seeds surrounded by a fibrous pulp.The pulp of the young fruit is green and sour. As it ripens, the juicy pulp becomes paste-like and more sweet-sour. Interestingly, tamarind is sometimes referred to as the date of India.

Nutmeg is the hard, aromatic, almost spherical seed of a tropical tree. Pleasantly aromatic, nutmeg is actually seed kernel of fruit nutmeg. Nutmeg is a popular spice that has a long list of associated health benefits.

Turmeric is the spice that gives curry its yellow color. It has been used in India for thousands of years as a spice and medicinal herb. Recently, science has started to back up what the Indians have known for a long time. It really does contain compounds with medicinal properties.These compounds are called curcuminoids, the most important of which is curcumin.

Curcumin is the main active ingredient in turmeric. It has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a very strong antioxidant.The curcumin content of turmeric is not that high it's around 3%, by weight.Most of the studies on this herb are using turmeric extracts that contain mostly curcumin itself, with dosages usually exceeding 1 gram per day. It would be very difficult to reach these levels just using the turmeric spice in your foods. Curcumin is also fat soluble, so it may be a good idea to take it with a fatty meal.

Tangy, yet sweet, tamarind is also popular as imli in Hindi.Tamarind is a hardwood tree known scientifically as Tamarindus indica.

The tree produces bean-like pods filled with seeds surrounded by a fibrous pulp.The pulp of the young fruit is green and sour. As it ripens, the juicy pulp becomes paste-like and more sweet-sour. Interestingly, tamarind is sometimes referred to as the date of India.

Nutmeg is the hard, aromatic, almost spherical seed of a tropical tree. Pleasantly aromatic, nutmeg is actually seed kernel of fruit nutmeg. Nutmeg is a popular spice that has a long list of associated health benefits.