Health Benefits of Curry Powder
Curry powder is a blend of spices that is of bright golden hue and offers a complex flavour and innumerable health benefits.
The common ingredients of curry powder are turmeric, coriander seeds, dried chilies, sweet basil, cumin seeds, black pepper, cardamom, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, curry leaves, fennel seeds, cinnamon, bay leaves, cloves, and nutmeg.
As curry powder includes several healthy spices, it can be considered as a medicinal superfood offering numerous health benefits.
Nutritional Value
Curry powder is rich with abundant minerals and nutrients. 1 teaspoon (5 gm) curry powder spice contains 16 calories. It also contains 1 gm of each carbohydrate, fats, and fibre. It does not contain proteins, cholesterol, and sugars.
Curry powder contains 2.9 mg iron, 0.2 mg manganese, 32 mg calcium, 14 mg magnesium, and 3.7 mg flavonoids.
Possible Health Benefits of Curry powder…
1/4. Prevents and treats cancer
1. The chemopreventive, anti-carcinogenic, and detoxifying properties of cumin prevent the multiplication of cancer cells.
2. Curry powder has powerful anticancer properties due to some of its ingredients such as turmeric, cumin, coriander, pepper, etc.
3. Curcumin, the active ingredient of turmeric arrests the formation, spread, and progression of numerous types of cancers. It may also prevent the blood supply to tumours and tumour growths. Cumin aldehyde, the active ingredient of cumin retards tumour growth.
4. Curcumin can treat and prevent a variety of cancers namely, prostate; colorectal; breast; pancreatic and gastric cancers.
5. Turmeric decreases pain and inflammation arising due to chemotherapy.
6. Thymoquinone, one of the active ingredients of black cumin possesses anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. It disrupts the inflammatory processes and prevents cancer.
2/4. Improves heart health
1. The antioxidant content of curry powder helps in enhancing blood vessel function and in boosting blood flow thus, reducing the risk to heart disease.
2. The active ingredient of turmeric, curcumin enhances the vascular endothelial function thus, plays a major role in regulating blood pressure.
3. Cardamom and sweet basil present in curry powder are known to be vasodilators which reduce the blood pressure. Thus, it decreases the risk of developing several cardiovascular conditions such as strokes, heart attacks, and atherosclerosis.
4. The anti-inflammatory property of curcumin present in turmeric and the fiber present in curry powder lowers the cholesterol and triglycerides levels.
3/4. Controls blood sugar
1. The turmeric ingredient curcumin of curry powder is responsible for controlling blood sugar.
2. Curcumin content of turmeric enhances the function of beta cells in the pancreas, which produces the body’s natural insulin thus, controlling blood sugar levels.
3. Curcumin hampers insulin resistance and progression of high blood sugar which leads to diabetes, therefore, preventing the onset of type 2 diabetes.
4/4. Few other benefits of curry powder…
Curry powder offers few other health benefits such as supports and prevents the body against infections, detoxifies the liver, boosts metabolism, slows down the ageing process, boosts digestive health, reduces inflammation, combats Alzheimer’s disease and improves bone health.
Curry Powder, the potent masala mix of various masala help reduce inflammation, fight cancer, combat Alzheimer’s, boost bones strength, amongst other benefits.
How to use Curry Powder?
As curry powder is a mixture of spices, it is used to flavour numerous dishes. Curry powder can be used to:
- Upgrade egg salad.
- Make popcorn pop.
- Spice up traditional dishes.
- Spice up roasted vegetables.
- Flavour soups, stews, sauces, etc.
- To season potato salads and scrambled eggs.
How to make Curry Powder?
Take 3 tbsp coriander seeds, 2 tbsp cumin, 2 tbsp ground turmeric, 1 tbsp mustard seeds, 2 tsp cardamom seeds, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp black peppercorns, 5-8 whole cloves (or 1 tsp ground cinnamon) and ½ tsp cayenne pepper.
Mix all the above ingredients thoroughly.
Put it in an airtight container and shake it.
It stays fresh for 3 months.