Ever wonder why it is that Japanese women are so fit and beautiful? Ever wonder how Japanese women manage to work endless hours without visible signs of aging?
What if I told you that there was a simple and cheap remedy for staying healthy and energetic regardless of how hectic your life may be.
What if I told you that this remedy costs less than US$3 a day, and can be started at any time no matter how busy you happen to be.
Although the secret is slowly spreading to the Western World, for years Japanese women have been taking turmeric extract to stay fit and beautiful.
Yes. You read that correctly.
A good number of Japanese women take daily doses of turmeric, that rare and exotic Indian yellow spice that is most often used to color curries.
Seriously. I am not making this up.
Now, I guess at this point in the post you are probably thinking one of the following:
a) Why turmeric?
b) Does it work?
c) What does it taste like?
d) Where can I buy some?
e) Some or all of the above.
Well, keep reading and allow me to explain the powers of this magical Indian spice!
In Tokyo, you can buy a 100 milliliter bottle containing 30mg of dissolved turmeric. The suspension solution also contains several vitamins and minerals and a pinch of sugar to make the medicine go down.
And remarkably, you don’t even have to go to a health food store to buy the product.
Instead, just simple walk our of your apartment, head into the first convenience store you see, and give into your vanity for the price of a couple of dollars.
As I’ve commented so many times before on this blog, I know that it’s easy to be skeptical about health and beauty products, especially since the next big thing is always being touted on late night infomercials across North America.
But, there exists a decent sized body of scientific evidence to suggest that turmeric might actually have positive health effects.
For instance:
– In traditional Ayurvedic medicine, turmeric has numerous medicinal properties, and is readily used as an antiseptic.
– In several Asian countries including Japan, turmeric is taken to alleviate stomach problems and other related ailments.
– According to a 2005 article in the Wall Street Journal, turmeric is being investigated for possible benefits in Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, liver disorders and depression.
If you live in North America, and you’re interested in trying turmeric extract, your best chance is to check out a health food store near you.
Or, you can simply find the nearest Indian supermarket and just buy a pound or so of the stuff and add it to your morning OJ.
Anyway, if you’ve ever taken turmeric before, or know anything about its health effects, please chime in and let all of us know!
** Turmeric photo sourced from the Wikipedia Commons Project. And yes, the girl at the top of this post is in fact Maria Ozawa. **