Chicken Curry and Beyond - The CurryFocus Blog

Fenugreek is a spice that is widely used in curries, being an essential spice in five-spice powder and in curry powders.

But as well as adding flavour to curries, fenugreek also has medicinal applications.

A quick survey of the Internet finds that fenugreek is used to treat diabetes (type 2), high cholesterol, inflammation, indigestion, skin disorders, ulcers, menstrual aches, colds and sore throats.

In addition, fenugreek is used to induce labour and stimulate breast milk production.

Other, non-medicinal, uses of fenugreek include its use for weight control and for enlarging breasts.

As with all medicines, you should talk to your doctor before starting a new treatment. Fenugreek is definitely not recommended for pregnant women and your doctor should have the latest information available.

But using fenugreek in your curries is probably safe, as well as being tasty.

You can find out more about the health benefits of fenugreek from the Internet. The following are some links that you can start from.

Fenugreek

Therapeutic applications of Fenugreek

Fenugreek Seed

Fenugreek for Health

One of the main spices used in Indian cooking is turmeric. But more recently its medicinal uses and applications are being tested.

Earlier this month we wrote about how curcumin, one of the components of turmeric, was being investigated for its effectiveness in treating cancers. You can read the original article, titled “Is Turmeric a Spice or Medicine?”.

The newswires are currently busy reporting more curcumin advances with the production of synthetic versions of curcumin.

Japanese scientists have been testing synthetic curcumin and have found the synthetic versions to be more effective than natural curcumin.

Natural curcumin quickly loses its cancer fighting potency when it is taken orally. But the synthetic versions do not have this problem.

The synthetic curcumin has been tested on mice with colorectal (bowel) cancer with good results.

There is speculation that the synthetic curcumin could also be effective in fighting other cancers, such as gastric cancer, breast cancer, pancreas cancer and lung cancer.

And curcumin is also effective in treating Alheimer’s so it will be interesting to see if the synthetic product also has similar results with this terrible disease.

These developments are very exciting and we will be keeping an eye open to see how they progress.

You can read some of the posts about synthetic curcumin by going to the following links.

New versions of curry ingredient to fight cancer

Curry Offers Hope for Cancer and Alzheimer’s Victims

Curry-derived molecules may help stave off colorectal cancers

This is the second article in a short series about Indian curry spices and your health. The first article was titled “Is Turmeric a Spice or a Medicine?” and you can read it here.

A fair number of articles have appeared on the Internet about the use of cinnamon to treat Type 2 Diabetes.

Cinnamon is a spice that is made from the bark of a tree in the Lauaraceae family.

Cassia is also a spice made from the bark of a tree.

Both spices have similar flavours and are very difficult to tell apart when in their powdered form.

And, to confuse matters even more, Cassia is often labelled and sold as being Cinnamon.

Studies have been carried out in treating patients suffering from Type 2 Diabetes with Cassia.

The treatment has proved to reduce the blood sugar levels in people who have Type 2 Diabetes (Type 2 Diabetes is having too much blood sugar, or an insensitivity to blood sugar, whilst Type 1 Diabetes is having too little blood sugar). This is very good news for the estimated 170 million people who suffer from Diabetes.

The study that is often quoted was carried out in Pakistan and, as well as reducing blood sugar levels; the treatment also reduced levels of LDL (the bad cholesterol).

And more good news is that the Cinnamon/Cassia can be taken in tea, drinks and lots of foods (just think how many things you can eat and drink that contain cinnamon).

And the magic of cinnamon doesn’t stop with Diabetes. There are claims that cinnamon can be used to treat stomach upsets, flatulence, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, angina, hypertension, kidney problems, menopausal symptoms, infections and even the common cold.

Go the following links to read more on the medicinal uses of cinnamon. Or use your favourite search engine to unearth the information for yourself.

Cinnamon. What Is It?
The Effects of Cinnamon in Type 2 Diabetes
Cinnamon as Medicine?
Cinnamon
Cinnamon spice produces healthier blood

One of the main spices used in Indian cooking is turmeric. But more recently its medicinal uses and applications are being looked at.

For centuries, turmeric has been used treating a lots of illnesses such as swellings and inflammations, fever, liver and urinary disorders, menstrual disorders, arthritic and joint pain, colds, congestion and diarrhoea. It is also used as a diuretic, tonic and stimulant.

Curcumin is one of the main compounds in turmeric and is being investigated for its application for treating more serious illnesses such as Alzheimer’s, breast cancer and melanoma.

Curcumin has shown to be effective in killing and stopping cancer cell growth under laboratory conditions using rats and mice. Trials are being planned to use curcumin in treatments with patients.

Curcumin is effective in preventing some of the unpleasant side effects of exposure to radiation and this could be of great benefit to patients who are undergoing radiation treatment for their cancers.

There are lots of Internet articles about the medicinal uses of curcumin and turmeric. If you want to read more, you can start with the following links.

Curcumin to Kill and Stop the Growth of Skin Cancer Cells

Curry Spice May Counter Alzheimer’s

Curry Spice Found to Fight Cancer

Curry Spice May Curb Alzheimer’s

Curry Spice Takes Burn Out Of Radiation

Curry spice may fight decline in brain function

Curry Spice May Fight Alzheimer’s

Curcumin

Curcumin and Turmeric

Turmeric: from kitchen cabinet to medicine chest

Turmeric. Traditional medicine

It does seem that turmeric is a medicine as well as a spice. And it is a very versatile medicine at that.

What is Cayenne Pepper?
Cayenne is a hot red fruit that is used to flavour dishes, its name comes from the city Cayenne which is the capital of the french region of French Guiana. The fruit is often pulped into cakes, which are then ground or sifted to form Cayenne Pepper.

Cayenne Pepper helps Blood Circulation
One of the benefits of cayenne is that it prevents stickiness of blood platelets, which certainly can help reduce the tendency to clot and has a resolving action on existent thrombosis. Cayenne Pepper cleans the blood vessels making long term use a rejuvenator of circulation. It is also reported to have a wonderful effect on brain clarity and memory, especially for the elderly by its improving circulation to the brain.  This means that any areas of the body that are deficient in blood supply, such as the brain, will receive fresh vitalising blood to renew and restore. In some cases there have even been reports of gangrene cured by this herb.

Cayenne Pepper for Other Health Issues
Cayenne Pepper has been known to be good for the kidneys, spleen, pancreas, heart and lungs. The actual constitution of Cayenne Pepper is Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Alkaloids known as Capsaicin.

Capsaicin is a common ingredient in many pain killing creams used for Arthritis and pain caused by Diabetes nerve damage. Its also used as anti-oxidant which slows cancer cell growth. Studies have shown the Capsaicin causes cancer cells to die by starving them of oxygen.

There is a wealth of information out there about the health benefits of some of the ingredients of Curries. We look at some of these articles.

A Curry a Day keeps the Doctor Away?
Science Daily — The chemical that gives spicy food its kick could hold the key to the next generation of anti-cancer drugs that will kill tumours with few or no side effects for the patient, say academics at The University of Nottingham. more..

Garlic could provide cancer drug
The chemical which gives garlic its flavour could be used in a “smart bomb” to fight cancer, scientists say. more..

Curry Spice ‘Help for Arthritis’
Extract of a spice used in curry could help prevent rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis, US research suggests. more..

At the end of the day you need to make your own decision as to what is right for you, along with consultation from a medical professional, however it is very interesting to note that many Curry dishes have a number of ingredients that appear to have excellent side effects.