Turmeric, the golden spice of Indian households, has once again sent political allegations sputtering, this time in the run up to the Karnataka polls – with Prime Minister Narendra Modi accusing the Congress of making fun of him for promoting turmeric as an immunity booster during Covid-19 pandemic.
The spice, which has been used in South Asian cuisines and traditional medicine for centuries, for its purported health benefits, particularly gained popularity as an ‘immune system booster’ during the pandemic. Many began using the spice in excessive quantities or taking supplements containing turmeric on the basis of research studies on curcumin (one of the components of turmeric), which highlighted its anti-inflammatory properties. However, the conclusions from these studies are often propagated without context, leading to several popular myths about the use of turmeric as an ‘immunity booster’, not supported by scientific evidence. Moreover, the beneficial effects of curcumin are limited due to its poor absorption and easy degradation in the body.
