Turmeric, a native to the tropical parts of South Asia, is a rhizomatous herbaceous plant of the ginger family. Turmeric can only thrive in temperatures that range from 20 to 30 degrees Celsius and during a lot of annual and regular rainfall. Back in the days of medieval Europe, turmeric was incorrectly referred to as Indian saffron because it was used in place of the more expensive saffron spice. Turmeric has been used as the main and key ingredient in a lot of dishes that come from Thai, Indian, Malay and Persian cuisine. Outside of the world of South Asia, the use of turmeric is slightly different in that it is employed mainly for giving foods rich, custard-yellow colors.
Good Source of Iron
In a 6 gram serving of turmeric, you will receive about 16 percent of your daily required intake value for iron. Iron, as far as dietary iron goes, is essential to both your life and well being. One of the biggest benefits of iron is that it is a part of hemoglobin as well as myoglobin, both essential as oxygen transporters in the body. The role of iron is to ensure that the oxygen is transported all the more effectively, thus making certain that your cells get all the oxygen that they need. While you should not get excessive amounts of iron, too little iron is very detrimental because it can lead to iron deficiency, which is unfavorable in its own right. Iron deficiency is characterized by the aggravating feelings of fatigue, weakness and tiredness, and also anemia.
Low in Calories
A serving of only 6 grams of turmeric comes with only 24 calories, which may be surprising, yet 24 calories is such a negligible amount that it won't come anywhere close to increasing your waistline. The main point surrounding calories is that they are responsible for weight gain more than any other factor, including carbs. You basically gain weight if you take in more calories every day than you burn. So to keep weight down, or at least maintain your weight, you have to burn more calories at the end of the day than you have taken in. But with only 24 calories in a fair serving of turmeric, you need not worry about calories in this spice.
Zero Sugar
The sugar content in turmeric is zero, so you don't have to worry about all the possible injurious effects of taking in excessive sugar. These effects of taking in excessive sugar can manifest themselves in the appearance of cavities from the tooth decay that it can cause. Similarly, too much sugar intake can lead to weight gain due to all its calories, which in turn can lead to diabetes. Since turmeric has no sugar, you can rest easy in knowing that this won't be an issue with this spice.
