For a time now, wellness publications, blogs and practitioners have touted the anti-inflammatory benefits of Turmeric. The highly pigmented herb is a must-have on everyone’s wellness collection for its long-term maintenance as well as acute inflammation relief. 

DIY Turmeric Supplement

Despite not being a highly concentrated herb, adding Turmeric to curries and vegetable soup regularly definitely provides some benefits. I treat my acute inflammation by adding a few tablespoons of Turmeric in 2500 ml of water and swig it in one gulp. 

Turmeric is also known to have an overwhelmingly bitter taste, and therefore when there arises a need for a turmeric hit, these turmeric bombs come to my rescue. Turmeric bombs contain various special ingredients that work synergistically with anti-inflammatory properties of Turmeric and help dodge the bitter taste while still getting the benefits of the herb.

A nutritional therapist and experienced friend of mine shared the concept of turmeric honey pills in her presentation at the 2015 Green Gathering, a workshop for herb/wildcrafting.

Increasing the efficacy of Turmeric

This concept of making Turmeric bombs uses ingredients that can increase the bioavailability of Curcumin (which is the anti-inflammatory compound in Turmeric). Such ingredients include;

• A bioflavonoid, which inhibits an enzyme that decreases curcumin activity, known as Quercetin

• Black pepper for its potent alkaloid piperine that increases the availability of Curcumin by 150%

• Fatty acids for their ability to increase the bioavailability of Turmeric

Variations for Turmeric Bombs

There are two versions of the turmeric bombs; one is made of Turmeric and honey, while the other consists of Turmeric plus coconut oil or ghee.

The honey turmeric bombs are better suited to anyone, including children, because they are easy to swallow. The honey also coats the Turmeric’s bitter taste.

The ghee or coconut oil turmeric bombs are not only sugar-free, but they also contain fatty acids for the absorption of Curcumin. These pills tend to be more difficult to swallow because they form rough shapes on the baking sheet during preparation and have a slight flavour upon being swallowed.

As stated earlier, these DIY Turmeric Supplements contain black pepper and Quercetin, which are known to improve the bioavailability of Curcumin. Curcumin is an active composite of Turmeric that has been researched extensively for its significant anti-inflammatory effects.

Ingredients:

1. 2500 grams of organic ground turmeric, get the best brand available here
2. Quercetine powder, about 1 tablespoon or its equivalent of at least 10 capsules. available here
3. Binding agent, at least 3 tablespoons

4. Unbleached parchment paper, available here

Instructions:

1. Line an unbleached parchment paper with a baking sheet and create space in the freezer. You will put the cookie sheet on this space for a few hours for the turmeric bombs to set.

2. Turmeric powder stains clothes, so it would be wise to wear an apron since it’s almost inevitable for the powder to get on your clothes when you stir vigorously.

3. Consider a binding agent of your choice and melt 3 tablespoons of it in a saucepan over meagre heat till it is pourable.

4. Put all the ingredients in a bowl and stir together. The mixture with honey will be thick and pliable, whereas the one with coconut oil will be thick enough to form pills.

5. Since the honey mixture is thick and pliable, pinch small amounts of the dough, then roll between your palms to form pill shapes and place them on the baking sheet. The mixture with oil is simply thick enough to scoop with a spoon and make small pill shapes onto the baking sheet.

6. Freeze the pill shapes formed on the baking sheet until they are firm enough to transfer them into a storage container and keep them in the freezer.

7. Since there’s no such thing as overdosing on turmeric bombs, you can take them as much as needed. However, due to their fat content, the oil variant turmeric bombs may cause stomach upsets if taken in plenty. It is vital to note that the honey variant contains unrefined and enzyme-rich sugar.