Healthy food and cooking in Vietnam

Post from @Ciambella:
I use herbs for flavours.  The more herbs I use, the less salt I need:

- Ginger (gừng) with chicken, duck, pork, beef, fish, crab, squid, shrimp, tofu, vegetable (aubergine). 
- Turmeric (nghệ) with chicken
- Rosemary (hương thảo) with chicken
- Thyme (xạ hương) with chicken, duck, ribs, fish, potato
- Dill (thì là) with fish
- Lemongrass (sả) with chicken, duck, pork, ribs, beef, fish, clam, squid, shrimp, tofu, all kinds of vegetarian dishes
- Sweet basil (húng tây) with chicken, fish, eggs, vegetables (squash, aubergine, carrots, cauliflowers)

I add cinnamon (quế) to tea, smoothie, milk.  I also add ginger to warm drinking water or tea when I'm under weather {stomach upset, cold, nausea, allergy...)

I've found all of the above fresh (except rosemary and thyme) at the market.  You can grow them in pots; I just can't do it because we travel too often, no one is around to water the plants.

Post from Jim-Minh:
Kinh giới Has a delicious lemon taste and can add a lemongrass flavour without the woody texture. A chiffonade from Kinh Giới is an excellent garnish where xa would not work at all. It is also wonderful in tea. I much prefer it to lemon balm.
I couldn't grow Ngo Gai in Texas because of the climate, but I just love it in soups.
AND AMARANTH - What a delicious vegetable. Forget the seeds for which the leaves are a dream. The Viet took it from the Incas. I couldn't provide my Vietnamese friends with enough energy because of the beetles and the climate.
Trai bi, trai dau, trai muop, ca tim, ca phao. - in Texas everything grew well.
Rau muong xao chao is still one of my favourite dishes, as is Rau muong toi tim va trang. Both grew very well with drip irrigation. Harvesting a 30 gallon bag was typical for a 4'X8' high bed.

Ciambella has explained very well which herbs can be used for which food.
But with Jim-Minh I don't understand everything (also because they are Vietnamese names).

@Jim-Minh
Maybe you can tell which of the given ingredients can be used for which dishes.
Thanks in advance.

Kinh giới - great lemon flavor, wonderful in tea. Easy to grow.

It is a great component of rolled salads like goi cuon. Use in moderation as the lemon flavor is strong.

Scientific name: Perilla frutescens

Ingredients: Limonene, perila aldehyde, Elsholtziaceton, a - pinnen.

+ Harvesting: The leaves, branches and seeds are usually harvested in the summer.

+ Application: Stimulate digestion, healing stomach, vomiting. Increased sweating, relief, fever, cough, asthma, ..

+ Characteristics: Height about 40 to 100cm, many branches. Stems and branches are square, concave at the edges, many feathers. Leaves are green or purple with serrated edges and fragrant.

Perilla oil is extracted from the leaves and seeds of Perilla tree with aroma of species. Perilla oil supports the treatment of asthma, skin beauty, anti-aging, support fat reduction in the blood, respiratory diseases ..

Andy Passenger wrote:

I would like to discuss healthy food and cooking in Vietnam.

When I was still in my home country, I optimized my health from year to year so that at my last check-up I didn't have a single value outside the green range.

After half a year in Vietnam, both my colesterol and blood sugar levels were too high.
I also gained over 5kg. 

I attributed that to the unhealthy cooking of street food.
Too much sugar and bad oil is used and much is fried with old oil.
Too much additional sugar in fruit smoothies and cafe sua is also a problem.
In my case aditional, the mother of my wife is constantly boiling fatty meat and eggs (e.g. thịt kho trứng).

Lately we have cooked more by ourselves and have paid more attention to the quality of the street food (less drop of grease in the sauces and soups).
Recently I read in other threads that in Vietnam too much MSG, sugar and oil is used for cooking.

@Ciambella and @Jim-Minh posted interesting posts in a deleted thread.
I am now so free and post these interesting posts here as they give a very good introduction to this topic. 

Here are three areas that undergird my dietary "Experience, Strength and Hope":

1. Food Combinations

A great book called "Fit For Life" has helped me understand why I can eat certain foods by themselves, but only cause a problem for myself when I combine them in the same meal, or eat them at the 'wrong' time of the day.

2. The Glycemic Index and 'Glycemic Load'

Understanding why all sugars and starches are not equal, especially in fiber-rich foods such as beans.

3. Low Carbohydrate/High Protein/Moderate Fat

Understanding how the body needs insulin (stimulated by carbohydrate digestion) in order to convert saturated fat into blood serum cholesterol.

It's hard for my Vietnamese family to understand why I'm usually turning down rice, noodles and bread, while I eat salad for breakfast and I'm happy with beans and greens for dinner.

I'm not perfect at eating what's best for me.

But since arriving in August I've lost another 20 kg of weight and my bloodwork last week was all within normal limits.

I was a member of the Greater Fort Worth Herb Society and gave many presentations on SE Asian herbs. I will do a post on each herb as they come to me. I have recipes that are dedicated to some of these herbs because they work so well with the foods they accompany.

Jim-Minh wrote:

[img align=C]https://hatgiongnangvang.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/sieu-thi-hat-giong-kinh-gioi-400X290-2.png[/url]
Kinh giới - great lemon flavor, wonderful in tea. Easy to grow.

Scientific name: Perilla frutescens

Ingredients: Limonene, perila aldehyde, Elsholtziaceton, a - pinnen.

+ Harvesting: The leaves, branches and seeds are usually harvested in the summer.

+ Application: Stimulate digestion, healing stomach, vomiting. Increased sweating, relief, fever, cough, asthma, ..

+ Characteristics: Height about 40 to 100cm, many branches. Stems and branches are square, concave at the edges, many feathers. Leaves are green or purple with serrated edges and fragrant.

Perilla oil is extracted from the leaves and seeds of Perilla tree with aroma of species. Perilla oil supports the treatment of asthma, skin beauty, anti-aging, support fat reduction in the blood, respiratory diseases ..

Thank you very much.
Very interesting.

Rau Ram



This plant is so pretty it can be grown as an ornamental in hanging baskets. Its main culinary use is for stir frys. My favorite dish is hen sao - stir fried baby clams and rau ram served with banh trang me nuong - thick rice paper with black sesame seeds toasted. (Like Vietnamese nachos).

Height: 2 - 3 feet
Aspect: Sun or partial shade
Soil Type: Free Draining
Uses: Many culinary uses
Care: Requires winter warmth
Description:
Persicaria odorata is a vigorous, tropical herb for growing in full sun during the Summer and in a large tub inside in the Winter. Aromatic leaves have a strong, unique flavour. Ideal for stir-fry dishes

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

Andy Passenger wrote:

I would like to discuss healthy food and cooking in Vietnam.

When I was still in my home country, I optimized my health from year to year so that at my last check-up I didn't have a single value outside the green range.

After half a year in Vietnam, both my colesterol and blood sugar levels were too high.
I also gained over 5kg. 

I attributed that to the unhealthy cooking of street food.
Too much sugar and bad oil is used and much is fried with old oil.
Too much additional sugar in fruit smoothies and cafe sua is also a problem.
In my case aditional, the mother of my wife is constantly boiling fatty meat and eggs (e.g. thịt kho trứng).

Lately we have cooked more by ourselves and have paid more attention to the quality of the street food (less drop of grease in the sauces and soups).
Recently I read in other threads that in Vietnam too much MSG, sugar and oil is used for cooking.

@Ciambella and @Jim-Minh posted interesting posts in a deleted thread.
I am now so free and post these interesting posts here as they give a very good introduction to this topic. 

Here are three areas that undergird my dietary "Experience, Strength and Hope":

1. Food Combinations

A great book called "Fit For Life" has helped me understand why I can eat certain foods by themselves, but only cause a problem for myself when I combine them in the same meal, or eat them at the 'wrong' time of the day.

2. The Glycemic Index and 'Glycemic Load'

Understanding why all sugars and starches are not equal, especially in fiber-rich foods such as beans.

3. Low Carbohydrate/High Protein/Moderate Fat

Understanding how the body needs insulin (stimulated by carbohydrate digestion) in order to convert saturated fat into blood serum cholesterol.

It's hard for my Vietnamese family to understand why I'm usually turning down rice, noodles and bread, while I eat salad for breakfast and I'm happy with beans and greens for dinner.

I'm not perfect at eating what's best for me.

But since arriving in August I've lost another 20 kg of weight and my bloodwork last week was all within normal limits.

I'm gonna take a look at the book.

I actually know very well how to eat healthy.  But here in Vietnam it's not that easy, also because I have a wife who doesn't really love vegetables. She also can't eat many seafood, first because of pregnancy and now because of baby milk and c-section scar (don't ask  ).
And I don't like cooking and eating separately.

There are few vegetarian food stalls, but they also cook with a lot of sugar and oil.

The only possibility is to cook by ourselve.
And now I have to find out with what alternatives I can get my wife to give up MSG, salt and sugar. 

Jim-Minh wrote:

Rau Ram

[img align=C]http://sohanews.sohacdn.com/zoom/260_162/2014/1-4-1414723495083-14-0-607-807-crop-1414723518959.jpg[/url]

This plant is so pretty it can be grown as an ornamental in hanging baskets. Its main culinary use is for stir frys. My favorite dish is hen sao - stir fried baby clams and rau ram served with banh trang me nuong - thick rice paper with black sesame seeds toasted. (Like Vietnamese nachos).

Height: 2 - 3 feet
Aspect: Sun or partial shade
Soil Type: Free Draining
Uses: Many culinary uses
Care: Requires winter warmth
Description:
Persicaria odorata is a vigorous, tropical herb for growing in full sun during the Summer and in a large tub inside in the Winter. Aromatic leaves have a strong, unique flavour. Ideal for stir-fry dishes

I think I've eaten this a lot (all looks pretty similar).  Do you put that in soups with white noodles or hotpot?

I know Rau ma.
Just today I made over 2 litres of Rau ma juice.  Really delicious.

Andy - Instead of MSG try mushroom powder. It's great in soups and stews and has very little sodium. It's a great way to get the umami flavor without the MSG.

Jim-Minh wrote:

Andy - Instead of MSG try mushroom powder. It's great in soups and stews and has very little sodium. It's a great way to get the umami flavor without the MSG.

Thanks a lot.
Could you please post a Google Pictures link, so that I can see how this looks.
I googled for "umami flavor" but the search  results are not very informative.

Amazon sells it but they get a pretty penny. I bought mine at the oriental market at a fraction of the price of Amazon.

Here's how to make it - you don't have to use that much salt:

https://thehealthyfoodie.com/magic-mushroom-powder/

Rau ma is pennywort. It's very different from rau ram.
Pennywort is sweet while rau ram has a citrusy slightly soapy flavor.

Jim-Minh wrote:

Here's how to make it - you don't have to use that much salt:

https://thehealthyfoodie.com/magic-mushroom-powder/

I've made that in the States.  It's very easy, Andy.  I suggest you use the smallest blender if you have one, or use the cup-with-blades that comes with many food processors/blenders, or a meat grinder.  Small size makes it easy to clean and less waste. 

If you don't have access to a small sized appliance, make sure to have a clean dry brush at hand (slightly-stiff eyebrow or eyeshadow brush with long handle is best; if your wife doesn't have one, you can find it at a cheap neighbourhood cosmetic store -- don't pay Q.1's price !)  The powder that gets into the tiny crevices will comes out with a brush but not with other utensils.

My husband's cardiologists recommended Kosher salt because it has the least sodium.  With Kosher salt, you only need half of the amount (of normal salt) for the same amount of flavour, so that's what we'd used in the States.  I haven't been able to find it in stores here although Fado sells it online.  I plan to bring back a good supply next Feb when I go to CA.

Mướp đắng - bitter melon - good for T2 Diabetics



They call it bitter melon for a reason but there are ways to make it palatable and even good.
It is easy to grow and one plant will produce enough for you and the neighbors. I say that because the vine would grow into the neighbor's yard. Both the melon and the tender sprouts of the vine are edible. Look at the vitamins in the nutrition facts - it's amazing.

Nutrition Facts
Bitter melon, leafy tips, boiled
Amount Per 100 grams
Calories 34
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0.2 g    0%
Saturated fat 0 g    0%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.1 g   
Monounsaturated fat 0 g   
Cholesterol 0 mg    0%
Sodium 13 mg    0%
Potassium 602 mg    17%
Total Carbohydrate 7 g    2%
Dietary fiber 1.9 g    7%
Sugar 1 g   
Protein 3.6 g    7%
Vitamin A    48%    Vitamin C    92%
Calcium    4%    Iron    5%
Vitamin D    0%    Vitamin B-6    40%
Cobalamin    0%    Magnesium    23%

The fruit contains at least three active substances with anti-diabetic properties, including charantin, which has been confirmed to have a blood glucose-lowering effect, vicine and an insulin-like compound known as polypeptide-p. These substances either work individually or together to help reduce blood sugar levels.

Here is a recipe for preparing bitter melon:
https://www.foodelicacy.com/steamed-bit … nced-pork/

Jim-Minh wrote:

Mướp đắng - bitter melon - good for T2 Diabetics

[img align=C]https://hatgiongnangvang.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/sieu-thi-hat-giong-muop-dang-400X290-3.png[/url]

They call it bitter melon for a reason but there are ways to make it palatable and even good.
It is easy to grow and one plant will produce enough for you and the neighbors. I say that because the vine would grow into the neighbor's yard. Both the melon and the tender sprouts of the vine are edible. Look at the vitamins in the nutrition facts - it's amazing.

Nutrition Facts
Bitter melon, leafy tips, boiled
Amount Per 100 grams
Calories 34
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0.2 g    0%
Saturated fat 0 g    0%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.1 g   
Monounsaturated fat 0 g   
Cholesterol 0 mg    0%
Sodium 13 mg    0%
Potassium 602 mg    17%
Total Carbohydrate 7 g    2%
Dietary fiber 1.9 g    7%
Sugar 1 g   
Protein 3.6 g    7%
Vitamin A    48%    Vitamin C    92%
Calcium    4%    Iron    5%
Vitamin D    0%    Vitamin B-6    40%
Cobalamin    0%    Magnesium    23%

The fruit contains at least three active substances with anti-diabetic properties, including charantin, which has been confirmed to have a blood glucose-lowering effect, vicine and an insulin-like compound known as polypeptide-p. These substances either work individually or together to help reduce blood sugar levels.

Here is a recipe for preparing bitter melon:
https://www.foodelicacy.com/steamed-bit … nced-pork/

Great.

I thought, however, that it was called bitter cucumber.

I eat this stuffed bitter cucumber 2-3 times a week.  It is one of my favourite Vietnamese dishes.

It is also available with meat substitute for the "pagoda week" and is also very delicious.

Thanks to you I now know more about the plant.   

By the way, the bitter cucumber also does increase the HDL cholesterol and decrease the unfavorable LDL cholesterol.

Jim-Minh wrote:

Mướp đắng - bitter melon

Andy Passenger wrote:

I thought, however, that it was called bitter cucumber.

It's also called bitter gourd.  Even its Vietnamese name is different in different regions.  It's mướp đắng in the North but khổ qua in the South.  There are many ways to use it; stuffing is the best but mixing with scrambled egg or sautéing with beef are very good too.

It's believed that bitter melon/cucumber/gourd can also reduce the bad cells in breast cancer: Breast cancer treatment
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
US National Library of Medicine
NHS.uk

Ciambella wrote:

Jim-Minh wrote:

Here's how to make it - you don't have to use that much salt:

https://thehealthyfoodie.com/magic-mushroom-powder/

I've made that in the States.  It's very easy, Andy.  I suggest you use the smallest blender if you have one, or use the cup-with-blades that comes with many food processors/blenders, or a meat grinder.  Small size makes it easy to clean and less waste. 

If you don't have access to a small sized appliance, make sure to have a clean dry brush at hand (slightly-stiff eyebrow or eyeshadow brush with long handle is best; if your wife doesn't have one, you can find it at a cheap neighbourhood cosmetic store -- don't pay Q.1's price !)  The powder that gets into the tiny crevices will comes out with a brush but not with other utensils.

My husband's cardiologists recommended Kosher salt because it has the least sodium.  With Kosher salt, you only need half of the amount (of normal salt) for the same amount of flavour, so that's what we'd used in the States.  I haven't been able to find it in stores here although Fado sells it online.  I plan to bring back a good supply next Feb when I go to CA.

I've got a blender vegetable additive like that.  I will certainly try to make it.

I will remember the one with the kosher salt.
I will see if I can find it here.

When I was still in my home country I completely renounced table salt and spiced everything with soy sauce.

The problem with soy sauces is that they usually contain additives and much too much salt.

In Switzerland and in Germany there are some product tests which are published.  Thereby I found a perfect soy sauce (unfortunately not available here).

A few days ago I found a Kikkoman soy sauce without additives (but probably a lot of salt) in BigC. There I also found a Japanese soy sauce (without additives) from Jamori (but not used yet).


But there is also a dispute about "too much" table salt. I have read that for some people too much table salt is not harmful.

I also think there are differences where you live.  I think in hot areas like Vietnam you need more salt because you sweat more.

Ciambella wrote:

Jim-Minh wrote:

Mướp đắng - bitter melon

Andy Passenger wrote:

I thought, however, that it was called bitter cucumber.

It's also called bitter gourd.  Even its Vietnamese name is different in different regions.  It's mướp đắng in the North but khổ qua in the South.  There are many ways to use it; stuffing is the best but mixing with scrambled egg or sautéing with beef are very good too.

It's believed that bitter melon/cucumber/gourd can also reduce the bad cells in breast cancer: Breast cancer treatment
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
US National Library of Medicine
NHS.uk

I love the stuffed bitter cucumbers which are not really bitter.

But I also like the bitter cucumbers cut into slices (e.g. with scrambled eggs) which my wife cooks for me and which are quite bitter.

Don't forget that you can make a medicinal tea from the leaves and stems as well.  Hawaii markets have domesticated varieties with fruits from about 3 inches to a foot long, but there is also a wild genotype that many agricultural field workers harvest that has a small round fruit and is much more pungent.  I never saw this wild type  in markets in Vietnam but I might have simply missed it.  In the Phillipines, the leaf tips are commonly cooked with mung beans to add flavor.  The dish is called Balatong (at least in Ilocano which I am more familiar with.)

"Khổ Qua" - My friend Dung from Da Nang callet it that.

Khổ": difficulty, pain or suffer; "Qua": pass, finish, or go through "Khổ Qua" sounds like: all suffers and difficulties finally pass.

I didn't know about the breast cancer aspect.

I've been reading about phages and how they may be the answer to antibiotic resistant drugs like MRSA.

Andy Passenger wrote:

But I also like the bitter cucumbers cut into slices (e.g. with scrambled eggs) which my wife cooks for me and which are quite bitter.

If she slices the fruit vertically, then remove the ENTIRE white part of the meat, the bitterness will decrease markedly.  She can also soak it in ice;  or rub salt into the meat then wash it off before cooking;  or blanch it quickly in boiling water then rinse it in cold water.  Any of those methods will reduce the bitterness. 

Sauté with red hot chili pepper (not the band! ) will help a lot too.

Jim-Minh wrote:

Khổ": difficulty, pain or suffer; "Qua": pass, finish, or go through "Khổ Qua" sounds like: all suffers and difficulties finally pass.

This is an idiom to add to your repertoire when you speak more Vietnamese:  "mạt cưa mướp đắng" (Vietnamese language is heavy with adages, idioms, and proverbs.)

Mạt cưa: sawdust.  Mướp đắng: in this case, not bitter melon but wild squash (also bitter, but cannot be fixed like bitter melon).

The idiom has its origin in a story about two street vendors, one sold bran for animal feed, and the other sold cucumbers.  They both were quite smooth-tongued so managed to sell all their goods.  When the buyers took the goods home, they discovered that the bran was filled with sawdust and the cucumbers were not cucumbers but wild squash.  (Sawdust looks just like bran but cannot be used to feed animal, and wild squash looks like cucumber but inedible due to its poisonous property.)

From that point on, mạt cưa mướp đắng became the term for fraudsters or deceitful people.

Bitter melon is so easy to grow and so prolific that it's hard to imagine someone trying to  cheat with an inferior/counterfeit product. But I understand that is not the point.
Yours is one of the precious jewels of wisdom that is the Vietnamese lexicon.

Húng chanh - Lemon basil, hoary basil, Thai lemon basil, or Lao basil, (Ocimum × africanum)
Many medicinal and culinary uses.



Húng chanh is a hybrid between basil (Ocimum basilicum) and American basil (Ocimum americanum). The herb is grown primarily in northeastern Africa and southern Asia for its fragrant lemon scent, and is used in cooking.

I grew this in my garden not knowing it was grown in Vietnam. It is a basil - a member of the mint family (square stems, opposing leaves). I've known about its medicinal properties for some time but just now found a article written by a Vietnamese practitioner who elaborated extensively (translation):

This plant has long been used in folklore with major uses such as cure for the flu, high fever, fever not to sweat, bronchitis, cough, asthma, coughing blood, pharyngitis, hoarseness, vomiting bleeding, nosebleeds ...

Former deputy colonel Bui Hong Minh (Vice President of the Oriental Medicine Association of Ba Dinh, Hanoi) said, lemon basil is really precious medicine in winter.

In winter, every family, especially family with children if planted a lemon basil is no different than cough medicine, flu ... effective
In Eastern medicine, lemon basil has a spicy taste, slightly sour, aromatic, warm, not toxic to go to 3 business, waste and the effect of waste, except sputum, emotion, sweat, , detoxify. "Lemon juice has the effect of spreading weld, sterilization, sputum.

Using lemon basil to cough, flu, sore throat ... it is very good, "says Bui Hong Minh, a medicine that is popular among people who cure many common diseases in winter.

For medicinal use read with Google translate:
http://www.doisongphapluat.com/doi-song … 94853.html

I have a recipe for chicken cooked with Húng chanh coming soon and will post it later.

I am preparing a post on turmeric which I believe to be most important.
It is of little use unless it is taken with an extract of black pepper.
The biochemistry is complex but the liver just discards the beneficial effects of turmeric without the black pepper.

.

Jim-Minh wrote:

I am preparing a post on turmeric which I believe to be most important.
It is of little use unless it is taken with an extract of black pepper.
The biochemistry is complex but the liver just discards the beneficial effects of turmeric without the black pepper.

Thanks

   That explains why I enjoy my curries - and black pepper on my avocado...   (Yum!!) 

.

Andy Passenger wrote:

I love the stuffed bitter cucumbers which are not really bitter.

But I also like the bitter cucumbers cut into slices (e.g. with scrambled eggs) which my wife cooks for me and which are quite bitter.

I finally tried this for breakfast today. I'd been seeing it on a photo menu at a favorite restaurant.

I liked it, especially with hot sauce 

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

Andy Passenger wrote:

I love the stuffed bitter cucumbers which are not really bitter.

But I also like the bitter cucumbers cut into slices (e.g. with scrambled eggs) which my wife cooks for me and which are quite bitter.

I finally tried this for breakfast today. I'd been seeing it on a photo menu at a favorite restaurant.

I liked it, especially with hot sauce 

One of my favourites.
I often take it as a side dish to my another favourite, the purple yam soup n rice. Healthy and easy on tummy.

Vietnamese purple yam soup

Jim-Minh wrote:

I am preparing a post on turmeric which I believe to be most important.
It is of little use unless it is taken with an extract of black pepper.
The biochemistry is complex but the liver just discards the beneficial effects of turmeric without the black pepper.

I am very interested in more information about turmeric.
This is a panacea.

My wife got me a paste of turmeric and honey the last time I had a little cold.
It helps and does not taste so bad at all.

senwl wrote:

I often take it as a side dish to my another favourite, the purple yam soup n rice. Healthy and easy on tummy.

One of my favourites too.  Instead of purple yam, it's called khoai mỡ (fat yam) in Vietnamese, I don't know why.  In restaurants, they peel the skin off then either cube, slice, or grate the jam before cooking.  At home, we halve the jam as we would do with a lemon, keep the skin on, then use a spoon to scrape the inside until there's nothing left but the skin (which we discard).  It's a lot more work but the soup is very smooth and creamy.

It should be cooked with finely chopped shrimp and rau ôm (don't know English name).

Andy Passenger wrote:

I am very interested in more information about turmeric.
This is a panacea.

My wife got me a paste of turmeric and honey the last time I had a little cold.
It helps and does not taste so bad at all.

For almost a year now, I've been drinking nano-curcumin with raw honey 3X a week.  Once a week, I also make a face mask of nano-curcumin with Greek yoghurt and raw honey. 

What does it do for my health?  I truly don't know.  I don't have any problem health-wise so I can't tell whether or not it helps to keep me healthy.  I take it because it's good for the body, I figure it wouldn't hurt.

What does it do for my skin?  My skin looks healthier, brighter, and firmer than before I started using it.  That's good enough for an old woman.

Just reread my post #34.  It should be yam, not jam, but y'all know that, right?

Close the tab on your browser immediately after you make the first post.  You can then open up again.  You are probably hitting the back button.

THIGV wrote:

Close the tab on your browser immediately after you make the first post.  You can then open up again.  You are probably hitting the back button.

Yep, that's what I did.  Dumb.

Củ Nghệ - Turmeric

Curcumin in Turmeric
The key compounds in turmeric are called curcuminoids. Curcumin itself is the most active ingredient and appears to be the most important.



I first learned about turmeric when my friend Dung told me about his experience while he was in a work camp after the war. He nursed a bird with a broken leg back to health with a poultice of turmeric.

So not only can it be used internally but topically as well.

I did not know about its anti depression and anti stress qualities.

It provides many healthful nutrients such as protein, fiber, niacin, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, sodium, potassium, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium and zinc. It is commonly used as a condiment for dishes. Moreover, turmeric contains a lot of substances such as antioxidants, antiviral, antimicrobial, anti-fungal, anti-cancer, mutagenic and anti-inflammatory.

As a polyphenol, curcumin has several advantages to health. It's a strong antioxidant and has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anti-fungal properties.

However, one of the greatest downfalls of curcumin is that it's not well absorbed in the body.

Piperine in Black Pepper
Black pepper contains the bioactive compound piperine, which is an alkaloid like capsaicin, the active component found in chili powder and cayenne pepper.

Piperine has been shown to help relieve nausea, headaches and poor digestion and also has anti-inflammatory properties.

Still, its most significant benefit may be its ability to boost the absorption of curcumin.

Piperine Enhances the Absorption of Curcumin
Unfortunately, the curcumin in turmeric is poorly absorbed into the bloodstream. As a result, you could be missing out on its advantages to health.

However, adding black pepper can help. Research supports that combining the piperine in black pepper with the curcumin in turmeric enhances curcumin absorption by up to 2,000%.

One study showed that adding 20 mg of piperine to 2 grams of curcumin increased its absorption significantly.

There are currently two theories on how this works.

First, piperine makes it easier for curcumin to pass through the intestinal wall and into your bloodstream.

Second, it may slow down the breakdown of curcumin by the liver, increasing its blood levels.

As a result, combining curcumin with piperine increases its potential health benefits.

Much more can be found about Turmeric can be found here:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/tu … ottom-line

An astounding technological advantage is that it can help support the treatment of depression.

Turmeric has long been used in Chinese medicine and Indian Ayuverdic cure for depression.

Turmeric is beneficial for relieving symptoms associated with stress.

Acne: Due to the antibacterial and antiseptic properties it contains, acne can be effectively treated and minimized.

For those with greasy skin, regular use of turmeric can help control oil secretion as well as make acne scars fade and disappear over time.

Just mix some turmeric powder with sandalwood powder and a small amount of lemon juice. You have a cheap but extremely effective curative treatment.

Every night before bedtime, ladies take a few minutes to apply a mask. Be careful to wait for the mask to dry and then rinse with cold water to avoid skin infections.   

Blood clot: Turmeric helps stop bleeding very quickly, moreover it can be antibacterial, helps prevent infection.

For cuts and abrasions ... pour turmeric powder into the wound, then gauze bandages and press lightly on the wound to stop bleeding. Serious cases immediately need to be taken to the hospital in time.

Curcumin: Curcumin (the main active ingredient in turmeric) has significant potential as an anti-cancer agent.

There is a great deal of evidence in the literature showing that the prevalence and mortality rates of common types of cancers such as breast, prostate, colon and lung are significantly lower in India than in people in western countries like the United States.

The lower incidence of tumors in India has been attributed to high consumption of curcumin (in turmeric) by the Indian population.

Combating heart disease: You can reduce the amount of cholesterol in your blood and have the potential to prevent atherothrombosis with turmeric starch.

Arthritis treatment: Turmeric is an analgesic when you have arthritis.

Jim-Minh wrote:

Củ Nghệ - Turmeric

Curcumin in Turmeric
The key compounds in turmeric are called curcuminoids. Curcumin itself is the most active ingredient and appears to be the most important.

[img align=C]https://media.laodong.vn/Uploaded/phamthuhien/2015_05_04/nghe%20(1)_SJIV.jpg[/url]

I first learned about turmeric when my friend Dung told me about his experience while he was in a work camp after the war. He nursed a bird with a broken leg back to health with a poultice of turmeric.

So not only can it be used internally but topically as well.

I did not know about its anti depression and anti stress qualities.

It provides many healthful nutrients such as protein, fiber, niacin, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, sodium, potassium, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium and zinc. It is commonly used as a condiment for dishes. Moreover, turmeric contains a lot of substances such as antioxidants, antiviral, antimicrobial, anti-fungal, anti-cancer, mutagenic and anti-inflammatory.

As a polyphenol, curcumin has several advantages to health. It's a strong antioxidant and has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anti-fungal properties.

However, one of the greatest downfalls of curcumin is that it's not well absorbed in the body.

Piperine in Black Pepper
Black pepper contains the bioactive compound piperine, which is an alkaloid like capsaicin, the active component found in chili powder and cayenne pepper.

Piperine has been shown to help relieve nausea, headaches and poor digestion and also has anti-inflammatory properties.

Still, its most significant benefit may be its ability to boost the absorption of curcumin.

Piperine Enhances the Absorption of Curcumin
Unfortunately, the curcumin in turmeric is poorly absorbed into the bloodstream. As a result, you could be missing out on its advantages to health.

However, adding black pepper can help. Research supports that combining the piperine in black pepper with the curcumin in turmeric enhances curcumin absorption by up to 2,000%.

One study showed that adding 20 mg of piperine to 2 grams of curcumin increased its absorption significantly.

There are currently two theories on how this works.

First, piperine makes it easier for curcumin to pass through the intestinal wall and into your bloodstream.

Second, it may slow down the breakdown of curcumin by the liver, increasing its blood levels.

As a result, combining curcumin with piperine increases its potential health benefits.

Much more can be found about Turmeric can be found here:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/tu … ottom-line

An astounding technological advantage is that it can help support the treatment of depression.

Turmeric has long been used in Chinese medicine and Indian Ayuverdic cure for depression.

Turmeric is beneficial for relieving symptoms associated with stress.

Acne: Due to the antibacterial and antiseptic properties it contains, acne can be effectively treated and minimized.

For those with greasy skin, regular use of turmeric can help control oil secretion as well as make acne scars fade and disappear over time.

Just mix some turmeric powder with sandalwood powder and a small amount of lemon juice. You have a cheap but extremely effective curative treatment.

Every night before bedtime, ladies take a few minutes to apply a mask. Be careful to wait for the mask to dry and then rinse with cold water to avoid skin infections.   

Blood clot: Turmeric helps stop bleeding very quickly, moreover it can be antibacterial, helps prevent infection.

For cuts and abrasions ... pour turmeric powder into the wound, then gauze bandages and press lightly on the wound to stop bleeding. Serious cases immediately need to be taken to the hospital in time.

Curcumin: Curcumin (the main active ingredient in turmeric) has significant potential as an anti-cancer agent.

There is a great deal of evidence in the literature showing that the prevalence and mortality rates of common types of cancers such as breast, prostate, colon and lung are significantly lower in India than in people in western countries like the United States.

The lower incidence of tumors in India has been attributed to high consumption of curcumin (in turmeric) by the Indian population.

Combating heart disease: You can reduce the amount of cholesterol in your blood and have the potential to prevent atherothrombosis with turmeric starch.

Arthritis treatment: Turmeric is an analgesic when you have arthritis.

Very interesting, thank you very much.

That it can prevent cancer was known to me.

Before I came to Vietnam, turmeric was only known to me as spice powder.
Here in Vietnam I saw the turmeric tuber for the first time.

I had to rub cutted turmeric tuber to my wife's back to remove the remaining black spots of acne that appeared during pregnancy.

Mixing Kukumic with black pepper is a welcome new knowledge.