Teeth Whitening Cancer Fighting Tumeric Soda

After researching the root tumeric, I’m convinced that if you are looking for relief from any disease, tumeric is your answer. You could start with this CNN report that covers arthritis, for starters, This orange-colored root is an anti-inflamatory that stops the growth of pre-cancerous cells, helps Alzheimer’s, lowers bad cholesterol, and treats skin cancer. Turmeric is used for arthritis, heartburn (dyspepsia), stomach pain, diarrhea, intestinal gas, stomach bloating, loss of appetite, jaundice, liver problems and gallbladder disorders.

Tumeric is also used for headaches, bronchitis, colds, lung infections, fibromyalgia, leprosy, fever, menstrual problems, and cancer. Other uses include depression,  water retention, worms, and kidney problems. And it lifts depression.

And, although it stains everything, including your teeth, temporarily, it really works to clean your teeth, whitening them, without damaging your teeth like peroxide does. 

You could spend quite a bit of time reading the latest studies and clinical trials that are currently being held on Tumeric. The American Cancer Society explains that:

Curcumin, an active ingredient in turmeric, is an antioxidant. Antioxidants are compounds often found in plants that can protect the body’s cells from damage caused by activated molecules known as free radicals. Laboratory studies have also shown that curcumin interferes with several important molecular pathways involved in cancer development, growth, and spread. Researchers have reported that curcumin inhibited the formation of cancer-causing enzymes in rodents.

In addition, tumeric is currently actively being studied in cancer fighting areas:

One study of 15 patients with colorectal cancer was done to find out how much curcumin they could safely take, and whether they could take a dose large enough to even be detected in the blood. The patients were able to take 3.6 grams of curcumin without noting ill effects. At this high dose, some curcumin and its products were found in the blood. Lower doses may be enough to directly affect the stomach and intestine. Even though it does not absorb well into the bloodstream, curcumin absorbs into the colon lining and into cancerous tissues in the colon. Small studies have found most people in study groups were able to take up to 10 grams of curcumin per day for a period of a few weeks without noticing problems other than the large volume of pills. There are also studies going on now that try different ways to formulate curcumin so that it absorbs well enough to be tested in humans.

There’s a slight problem with tumeric. It is difficult for the intestine to absorb tumeric. Fermented tumeric (pre-digested) is the best way for the body to absorb all the nutrtional benefits of this root.

You can make some fermented tumeric the traditional way, with a salt brine, (the salt brine makes a delicious salad dressing) or you can bring it up to the next level by adding it to your ginger bug and making some kicked-up ginger ale. This is delicious.

Sweet, fizzy, refreshing.. and oh so healthy.

To make it, simply begin adding chopped tumeric root, fresh (you can find it at Whole Foods) to your daily feedings of sugar to your ginger bug. The enzymes on the tumeric work in the same way as the ginger to create the beneficial bacteria.

For my soda, I added a few pieces of tumeric to the lime juice to make soda.

Here’s the recipe:

• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh tumeric
• 3/4 cup of sugar
• 1/4 cup ginger bug
• a bit less than 1 quart of non-chlorinated water. Not distilled. Water from your tap that’s been left to sit out for at least 12 hours is non-chlorinated. 

1. Mix all ingredients. You may want to heat the water to dissolve the sugar — if you do this — wait until it cools before adding your ginger bug. Heat will kill the beneficial bacteria.
2. Mix throughly, and let it sit in a warm place, about 75 degrees F, for a couple of days — in colder weather, it make take 3 days.
3. Keep the lid tight, and once a day, shake and open the lid to let gasses escape.
4. On the day that you crack the lid and it fizzes, immediately put the jar in a cool place and let it chill. It’s ready to drink.
5. Keeping it “warm” once the carbonation has started can lead to explosions. Chill the bottle right away. 

It’s very good. And, so very good for you. To make your own ginger bug, read more about it here.