April 15, 2011, 6:09 pm

Every Sri Lanka kitchen uses Turmeric (Curcuma longa) as a culinary spice. In the USA it is used to make American mustard yellow. American scientists, however, have found out that there are also other values. Research has found that it is a disease-preventive agent as well, probably due largely to its anti-inflammatory qualities.

Here are some of the diseases that turmeric has been found to help prevent or alleviate:

Alzheimer’s disease:  the reports indicate that extracts of turmeric contain a number of natural agents that block the formation of beta-amyloid, the substance responsible for the plaques that slowly obstruct cerebral function in Alzheimer’s disease. (Elderly villagers in India appear to have the lowest rate of Alzheimer’s in the world, perhaps due to the fact that Indians eat turmeric with almost every meal).

Arthritis: Turmeric contains more than two dozen anti-inflammatory compounds, including six different COX-2-inhibitors (the COX-2 enzyme promotes pain, swelling and inflammation; inhibitors selectively block that enzyme). By itself, curcumin – the component in turmeric most often cited for its healthful effects – is a multifaceted anti-inflammatory agent, and studies of the efficacy of curcumin have demonstrated positive changes in arthritis symptoms. it is also used for tendinitis, bursitis.

Cancer: Curcumin and/or turmeric were effective in animal models in prevention and/or treatment of lung and colon cancer, mammary cancer, prostate cancer, murine hepatocarcinogenesis (liver cancer in rats), esophageal cancer, and oral cancer. the effectiveness of the herb against these cancers compared favourably with that reported for pharmaceutical.

Adding turmeric to your diet is one of the best moves toward optimal health you can make. In rare instances, daily use over extended period of time can cause stomach upset and/or heartburn. If pregnant, do not use without your doctor’s approval. Do not use if you have gallstones or a bile duct dysfunction; however, curcumin, an active component of turmeric, can increase bile solubility and is recommended for the condition.

It has been advised to restrict use to the minimal amounts on foods given to children.

Turmeric; Kaha in Sinhala and Manjal in Tamil (Curcuma domestica = C. longa. Scita. mineae.) – is a perennial herb, 2-3 ft. the tuberous rhizomes are of a bright orange-yellow colour and waxy resinous consistency; they are ground into a fine powder, which has an aromatic flavour. apart from being a culinary spice, it is also employed in India for dyeing wool and silk.

The plant is propagated by the rhizomes or by division of the crown, and is suited to open, friable soil, under partial shade; it thrives in a hot and moist climate up to about 3,000 ft. A crop may be produced in about 9 months from planting. the rhizomes should be dug up as soon as the stems fade. They are prepared for market by drying in the sun, being usually scalded in hot water to check or destroy their vitality and thereby prevent sprouting. this process is called curing and polishing.

Other healthy herbs and spices from home gardens

Ginger and pepper, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, chilli, red onion, Bombay onions, vanilla, mustard, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, fennel, garlic, chili peppers, basil, cinnamon, rosemary, thyme.

By Vibhuti AgarwalAFP/Getty ImagesThe WHO has disputed the findings of a study on malaria that put the number of Indians dying from the mosquito-borne disease each year 13 times higher than estimated by the UN health agency.

The World Health Organization has disputed the findings of a study on malaria published in Lancet Thursday. The study put the number of Indians dying from the mosquito-borne disease each year 13 times higher than the United Nations health agency’s estimate.

Research published in the prestigious British medical journal said that malaria causes 200,000 deaths in India every year. The Lancet study was funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the Canadian Institute of Health Research and the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute.

The World Health Organization estimates that 15,000 malarial deaths take place each year in India and 100,000 deaths worldwide.

Lancet’s research was conducted by trained field workers through interviewing family members or friends of people who had died about symptoms and if they had received any treatment for their illness before dying. This method is called verbal autopsy. Lancet said researchers from outside Indian were sent to 6,671 districts of the country to examine 122,000 premature deaths between the years 2001 and 2003.

The WHO on Thursday, however, expressed serious doubts about the number of malaria deaths identified by the Lancet research team.

“The new study uses verbal autopsy method which is suitable only for diseases with distinctive symptoms and not for malaria,” WHO’s India representative Nata Menabde said in an email statement Thursday.

The WHO says it takes into account only confirmed cases of malaria and surveys those using healthcare facilities.

Malaria symptoms include fever, flu-like illness and muscle aches. Malaria is endemic to parts of India, where many people live in mosquito-infested areas. Confirming the presence of malaria requires tests like the “Peripheral Smear for Malarial Parasite” and “Rapid Malaria Antigen”.

Lancet said the determinations made by its field researchers were reviewed by two of 130 trained doctors for all the 6,671 districts who determined whether or not the person had died from malaria.

The data concluded that 205,000 deaths before the age of 70, mainly in rural areas, were caused by malaria each year – 55,000 in early childhood, 30,000 among children ages five to 14 and 120,000 people 15 and older.

The WHO called for further review of the study.

“Malaria has symptoms common with many other diseases and cannot be correctly identified by the local population,” Dr. Menabde said, adding: “The findings of the study cannot be accepted without further validation.”