About
Also called haldi, turmeric is an ubiquitous spice used in Indian cuisine for enhancing flavor and taste as well as a preservative and for its medicinal properties.
Here is an article about Turmeric in Wikipedia :
Turmeric (Curcuma longa), also called tumeric or kunyit in some Asian countries, is a spice commonly used in curries and other South Asian cuisine. Its active ingredient is curcumin. It is a significant ingredient in most commercial curry powders. Turmeric is also used to give a yellow color to some prepared mustards, canned chicken broth, and other foods (often as a much cheaper replacement for saffron). It makes a poor fabric dye as it is not very lightfast (the degree to which a dye resists fading due to light exposure).
Turmeric, a representative of plant genus Curcuma, is a member of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae.
In Ayurvedic medicine, turmeric is thought to have many healthful properties and many in India use it as a readily available antiseptic for cuts and burns. It is taken in some Asian countries as a dietary supplement, which allegedly helps with stomach problems and other ailments. It is popular as a tea in Okinawa, Japan. It is currently being investigated for possible benefits in Alzheimer's disease, cancer and liver disorders. Sangli, a town in the southern part of the Indian state of Maharashtra, is the largest and most important trading centre for turmeric in Asia or perhaps in the entire world.
Scientific American carried an article on the potential benefits of turmeric. In that article, a researcher named Bharat Aggrawal, who has a few patents on curcumin derivatives is featured as an expert. Bharat Aggrawal went on to found a company that sells curcumin (redirects to http://www.turmeric-curcumin.com/) as a dietary supplement.
http://whfoods.org has more information on Turmeric describing its nutrients as well as talking about health benefits.