Golden spice

 

Let’s take a quick look at five of the most compelling examples where pharmaceutical drugs pale in comparison to turmeric’s ability to protect and heal your body:

1.Anti-inflammatories

Scientists have now pegged inflammation as a primary risk factor for almost every disease known to man. If you can reduce inflammation, chances are you’ll experience less disease. 

So in 2004, scientists at the Cytokine Research Laboratory in Houston, Texas compared a dozen compounds in their ability to reduce inflammation.

Published in the journal Oncogene, researchers discovered that curcumin was among the most effective anti-inflammatory compounds in the world. In fact, it performed better than the powerful and most commonly prescribed steroid dexamethasone, as well as seven popular NSAIDs—including both aspirin and ibuprofen!5

Which means, turmeric may be the key to reversing disease…by reducing inflammation in the body.

 2. Arthritis Relief

Rheumatoid arthritis is a progressive disease and much more devastating than previously understood. Conventional treatment includes using dangerous drugs like prednisone (a steroid), methotrexate (a cancer drug), and diclofenac sodium (an NSAID). Sadly, these types of drugs are associated with close to 100 serious side effects, including damage to your heart, gut, kidneys, liver, hearing, pregnancy, and more!

But if you could get relief from RA without suffering these side effects…wouldn’t you want to know about it? Now you can.

In the first study of its kind, researchers from India set out to compare the benefits of curcumin in turmeric to arthritis drugs. They divided 45 volunteers with rheumatoid arthritis into three groups. One group got curcumin…another diclofenac sodium…and the third, a combination of the two.

The results were extraordinary!

The curcumin group experienced significantly greater reduction in pain, inflammation, and number of swollen and tender joints than the patients in the diclofenac only group. More importantly, curcumin did not relate with any adverse events and was found to be completely safe.6

This study provided the first evidence highlighting the safety and superiority of curcumin treatments in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. 

3.Cancer Treatment

Despite significant advances in cancer treatment modalities over the last decade, neither the incidence of the disease nor its mortality has changed in the last thirty years. Available anti-cancer drugs exhibit limited effectiveness…produce severe side effects…and are extremely expensive. 

However, curcumin in turmeric has been extensively studied and written about over the last three to four decades for its potential anti-cancer effects. In 2015, a team of international researchers conducted a thorough review of this existing scientific literature showing the efficacy of curcumin against various cancers.

And they wrote:

“Curcumin has been found to suppress initiation, progression, and metastasis of a variety of tumors.”7 

In an article exploring whether turmeric can prevent or treat cancer, experts at Cancer Research UK wrote…

“A number of laboratory studies on cancer cells have shown that curcumin does have anticancer effects. It seems to be able to kill cancer cells and prevent more from growing. It has the best effects on breast cancer, bowel cancer, stomach cancer and skin cancer cells.

A 2007 American study that combined curcumin with chemotherapy to treat bowel cancer cells in a laboratory showed that the combined treatment killed more cancer cells than the chemotherapy alone.”8

Bottom line…you can feel confident using turmeric as a proven natural cancer treatment.

4.Diabetes Managementiabetes Management

 If you’ve got diabetes, you’re probably taking a daily dose of Metformin to help control your blood sugar. Unfortunately, the list of side effects you face is long and painful. From gastrointestinal distress…to difficulty breathing…to severe muscle and head pain—even coma!

If there was a natural, risk-free remedy for managing your type-2 diabetes, would you be interested? Then consider this…

A 2009 study published in the journal Biochemistry and Biophysical Research Communications explored how supplementing with turmeric offered a lower-risk, more effective solution for managing diabetes.

When Auburn University researchers compared turmeric to the popular diabetes drug Metformin, they found that curcumin in turmeric is literally 400 times more potent than Metformin in activating AMPK—an enzyme that plays a crucial role in glucose transport and increases insulin sensitivity, which can help reverse type 2 diabetes.9

Not only that, another study found that curcumin supplementation protected against two common and debilitating complications of diabetes—diabetic neuropathy and retinopathy.10

For lowering blood sugar, reversing insulin resistance, and protecting against complications of diabetes, turmeric has become the natural treatment of choice.

5.Anti-Depressants-Depressants

 While dozens of previous studies on laboratory animals provide substantial proof that turmeric is effective in reducing symptoms of depression, none have ever been done on humans. Until now…

In 2014, scientists from India published the results of an innovative study in the journal Phytotherapy Research. The team of researchers split 60 volunteers diagnosed with a major depressive disorder (MDD) into three groups. One group took curcumin, one took the anti-depressant fluoxetine (Prozac), and a third used a combination of the two.

Turns out, curcumin was found to be just as effective as Prozac in managing depression. But more importantly, all patients in the first group tolerated curcumin extremely well. Yet Prozac—along with other depression medications—can cause serious side effects. Brand new symptoms like anxiety, tremors, irregular heartbeats, diarrhea, memory problems, severe skin reactions, insomnia, headaches, weight gain…the list goes on and on!

Which makes using curcumin for alleviating depression a much healthier and safer choice.

Of course, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. Going back more than 4,000 years, turmeric has been a treatment of choice in traditional Chinese, Indian, and Ayurveda medicine.1

In China, turmeric was mixed with cinnamon twig and astragalus to effectively treat upper back and shoulder pain.

Ayurvedics inhaled the fumes from burning turmeric to alleviate congestion, used turmeric juice to heal wounds and bruises, and applied a turmeric paste to relieve all sorts of skin conditions.

In India, turmeric has been used traditionally to disinfect surfaces and treat laryngitis, bronchitis, and elevated blood sugar.

But you’re probably wondering the same thing I was. These aren’t exactly the world’s deadliest diseases, so how might turmeric stack up against something bigger, something more debilitating, like…Alzheimer’s!

Interestingly, population studies seem to indicate elderly villagers in India suffer less Alzheimer’s disease compared to their peers in other parts of the world.

See, Alzheimer’s begins as an inflammatory process in the nerve cells of the brain. And Indians eat turmeric with almost every meal…leading researchers to conclude that curcumin’s anti-inflammatory properties are partly responsible for the lower rates of Alzheimer’s.

That’s great news, wouldn’t you agree? Especially if you or someone you know suffers from the overwhelming pain and debilitation that accompanies Alzheimer’s disease.

Yet the healing power of turmeric goes way beyond Alzheimer’s. Hundreds of studies reveal it treats no less that 619 different health concerns.2 Tough health conditions like Crohn’s disease, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, heart disease—even depression!

Well, for one, turmeric is one of the most studied natural substances ever, going back to 1949. In fact, the amazing health properties of turmeric and its healing compound curcumin are so extensive—there have been 9,487 peer-reviewed articles published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health!3

Which makes turmeric one of the most frequently mentioned medicinal herbs in all of science!

In fact, there seems to be no end to the incredible healing power of turmeric and its star compound curcumin. Scientists are finding an astonishing array of antioxidant, anticancer, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, antifungal, and antibacterial properties.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

DETERGENT

Does your freshly washed laundry smell like a “spring meadow?” Surprise — that scent that fills your home and sticks around on your clothes is actually composed of any number of toxic chemicals.

Researchers have found that the laundry room might actually be one of the more polluted areas of the home. Scented dryer sheets and detergents can give off as many as 25 volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including seven which have been named as “hazardous air pollutants.” Due to the everyday use of these types of substances, the Environmental Protection Agency reports that the air inside of homes is often five times more polluted or contaminated than the air directly outside.

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This is a pretty good reason to think again when you are considering buying that detergent with the fresh scent that “lasts for 24 hours.”

Chemicals end up on our skin

We consider scent to be pretty innocuous. But, in fact, a lingering perfume indicates molecules are sticking around in the water and on our clothes. The chemicals and softeners are designed to degrade as slowly as possible so that the scent and the soft feeling remains for a longer time. However, these chemicals end up polluting aquatic environments and staying on our skin.

As the desire for daily convenience has increased, marketers have responded to this demand by creating ever-easier ways to complete a load of laundry. However, the average person is completely unaware that the contents of their convenient laundry washing detergent are highly toxic to children.

Manufacturers are not required to divulge all of the ingredients in products such as laundry detergent. And even if they do, a single word like “fragrance” can be a catch-all for hundreds of unregulated substances.

Companies use chemicals first, test them later

Government regulatory agencies require only a fraction of the chemicals used in consumer products to be tested. They are generally allowed into the market until harmful effects are discovered through widespread use. In the U.S., the Toxic Substances Control Act was passed in 1976, which is eons ago in the world of chemistry and manufacturing.

Many of these chemicals, such as ethyl acetate, petroleum distillates and nonylphenol ethoxylate have been connected with devastating and dangerous effects to both human health and the natural environment. A 2008 study found that of all the top selling laundry detergent brands tested, each contained at least one ingredient considered hazardous under federal law. None of these ingredients was listed on the label. Additionally, the study didn’t disclose which brands were tested.

The risks of ‘natural’ detergent

One of the most worrisome offenders is 1,4-dioxane. It was found in higher concentrations in a version of a popular detergent marketed as “natural” and safer for newborns and babies rather than in the regular version. Major health and environmental campaigns continue to urge manufacturers to change their formulations.

The potential health risks include reproductive and developmental effects, hormone and immune disruption, organ damage and increased likelihood of cancers and tumors.

We come into direct contact with these chemicals via our skin when we are doing laundry and wearing the clothes that have been soaked in these substances. We also inhale them into our lungs during the washing process and afterward. The water that washes down the drain affects waterways, with reports pointing out that even a tiny concentration of laundry chemicals can cause fish to absorb more chemicals into their flesh (which we end up eating!). These products are directly affecting our food supply and the health of our planet.

Homemade detergent is better for you and the planet

The good news is, it’s easy to avoid all of these risky substances with simple at-home solutions. You will probably end up saving some money, too, which never hurts! Most store-bought soaps will cost about 20 to 25 cents per load of laundry. On the other hand, homemade solutions can cost as little as three cents per load.

Using simple natural ingredients, such as soap nuts, may be all you need for getting your clothes clean. However, if you’re more comfortable using a powdered or liquid form of laundry soap, we have collected some easy recipes to make your own at home.

 

Homemade natural laundry detergent with borax, washing soda, grated bar soap and optional essential oils is a great natural alternative to harsh detergents, and much less expensive! This is a low-sudsing recipe and should be safe for high-efficiency washing machines.
Servings
1 glass jar
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
no cook
  
 
Ingredients
 
  • 1 bar of grated bar soap (homemade or natural store-bought)
  • 1 cup of washing soda
  • 1 cup of borax
  • 20 drops of lemon or lime essential oils
 
  1. Grate the soap using a hand grater or food processor. Grate into fine particles so it dissolves easily.
     
  2. Carefully mix with the washing soda and borax (use gloves or a spoon as these can be drying to the skin).
     
  3. Add essential oils and stir.
     
  4. Store in an airtight glass jar.
     
  5. Use 1–2 tablespoons per load.
     
 

Simple Washing Powder Without Borax

This simple, homemade detergent is inexpensive to make and free of harmful chemicals. It does not use borax, which some people may wish to exclude, since it can be toxic when ingested in large quantities.
Servings
36 cups
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
no cook
  
 
Ingredients
 
  • 16 cups baking soda
  • 12 cups washing soda
  • 8 cups grated Castile soap
  • 3 tbsp lavender, lemon or grapefruit essential oil (optional)
 
Combine baking soda, washing soda and soap flakes.
  1. If using, add essential oil and mix with a wire whisk.
  2. Use 1/8 cup per load. 
     
 
 

Homemade Washing Soda

Many homemade laundry detergent recipes use washing soda. You may be able to buy this at a local store; however, if not, it’s easy to make your own by changing the composition of baking soda with heat.
Servings
1 serving
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
  
 
 
  1. Fill a wide baking dish with baking soda.
     
  2. Heat in the oven at 400°F until all the baking soda becomes washing soda. Occasionally mix it so that this process happens faster and more uniformly.
     
  3. Use as needed!
     

You will know the baking soda has become washing soda by the texture.

  • Washing soda is grainy; baking soda is powdery.
  • Washing soda is dull and opaque, baking soda is crystallized like salt and reflects light.
  • Washing soda has separate grains, baking soda clumps together.
 
 

Homemade liquid laundry soap

If you are more comfortable using liquid laundry soap, use the following recipe instead. It is a little bit more labor intensive than making powdered soap, but about 20 minutes of work will allow you to make five gallons worth. This should be enough to last a few months for even large families.

 

 

 

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soa

Add a few drops of you favorite essential oil to this liquid soap recipe for lasting freshness.
Servings
5 gallons
Prep Time
24 hours
Cook Time
no cook
  
 
Ingredients
 
  • 1 cup Borax (sodium borate) found in the laundry aisle of most grocery stores.
  • 1 cup washing soda (sodium carbonate or soda ash) is available on the laundry aisle of most grocery stores, or make your own with the recipe above.
  • A bar of natural and organic bar soap, or homemade soap
 
  1. Ask your local bakery, Sam’s Club/Costco or grocery store for any leftover five-gallon buckets with lids. They will give these to you for free.
     
  2. Grate the bar soap with a cheese grater or food processor.
     
  3. Put 4–4.5 gallons of warm or hot water into the five-gallon bucket.
     
  4. In a medium sized saucepan, heat 2 quarts of water until simmering.
     
  5. Pour grated soap in and stir slowly until dissolved.
     
  6. Pour hot soap mixture into the five-gallon bucket and stir well.
     
  7. Add optional ingredients if you plan to and stir well.
     
  8. Put lid on tightly and keep in corner overnight.
     
  9. The next day, remove the lid and stir again.
     
  10. Pour into empty gallon jars or bottles and store by the washer.
     
  11. Use 1/2 to 1 cup per load, depending on how dirty the clothes are.
     

Optionally, you may add the following extra ingredients:

  • Liquid Castile soap, for extra cleaning power and scent
  • Essential oils for scent
 Laundry pods

You can even go the next step in convenience and make your own all-in-one laundry pods. These pods should wash, remove stains, reduce static and soften clothing all at once.

Homemade All-In-One Laundry Pods

No need to spend a lot of money on laundry pods when you can make your own.
Servings
28 pods
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
no cook
  
 
Ingredients 
  • 1 1/2 cup washing soda
  • 1/2 cup Fels-Naptha, or another natural bar soap
  • 2 tbsp Epsom salts
  • 3 tbsp hydrogen peroxide
  • 1/4 cup vinegar
  • 15-20 drops essential oil
Equipment
  • Small mixing bowl
  • Grater
  • Sheet pan
  • Parchment paper
  • Measuring spoons
 
          1.Grate the bar of soap into the mixing bowl and add the washing soda and Epsom salts. Now add the hydrogen peroxide and give things a stir. Hydrogen peroxide naturally whitens clothes and keeps your colors fresh. Stir in the vinegar, which helps remove stains while leaving clothes soft. Then scent with several drops of your favorite essential oil Once everything is incorporated, the mixture should resemble wet sand and clump together when pressed. Cover a sheet pan with parchment paper and then use a rounded 1 tablespoon measuring spoon to scoop up the mixture, press against the side of bowl, then tap out onto the pan. This will make about 28 pods. Finish with a quick spritz of equal parts vinegar and water. Let set for eight hours before using.Use one pod for small loads, or two pods for large or soiled loads

Here are some other smart alternatives for low-toxin clothing care:

  • Eliminate the use of fabric softeners by using 1/2 cup of vinegar in the rinse cycle instead.
  • For tough loads of soiled laundry, baking soda naturally removes stains and brightens colors. You can even pre-treat stains with a combination of washing soda, water and baking soda.
  • Stop using dryer sheets. For fragrance, add a few drops of essential oil to a damp rag and throw it in the dryer with your laundry. Use dryer balls, such as those made of recycled wool, to reduce drying time, wrinkles and static. 

 

DIY Natural Dryer Sheets

These chemical-free dryer sheets are perfect for even those with the most sensitive skin.
Servings
2-3 loads
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
no cook
  
 
Ingredients
 
  • Old t-shirts or tea towels (cotton)
  • Essential oils of your choice
 Cut cotton cloth into small squares. 
  1. Add 3–5 drops of essential oil to your cloth and throw it in the dryer with your next load. These cotton dryer sheets can be used for 2 or 3 loads, each time adding 3 more drops of your favorite essential oil.
     
  2. Wash the cloth after a few uses and experiment with a new fragrance the next time! Some favorites are lavender, lemon, or grapefruit.
 

Next time you are folding the laundry, you can inhale that fresh scent knowing it’s all-natural and safe for not just the entire family, but the planet as well.