Turmeric Blueberry Oatmeal Recipe

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a spice used in a lot of South-Asian cuisine but it's growing more popular here the the states. It is the reason for the bright yellow color in curries, mustards, and sometimes is added to butter.

There are a lot of studies that look at turmeric for it's potential anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial effects but the many of the studies are done using rats.

Scientists are unlcear if the effects are proven in humans and I am not recommending it be taken as a supplement. Besides that, turmeric might just be the spice you're missing to tune up the flavor of your meals at home.

How does it taste? Spicy, but not hot like cayenne pepper. It's similar to ginger and a little really goes a long way. Start out with 1/8 of a teaspoon at first. You can always add more later.

Adding cinnamon and blueberries compliment the flavor of tumeric by adding a touch of sweetness.

Turmeric Blueberry Oatmeal: (1 serving)

Pour 1 cup of hot water into a bowl. Add 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats. Stir gently so that the starch gelatinizes. Add 1/8 tsp. of turmeric powder and 1/4 tsp. of cinnamon. Add 1/4 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen. Enjoy! Nutrition Facts: Calories 173 Total Fat 3 g (Saturated Fat 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat 1 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g, Trans Fat 0 g) Cholesterol 0 mg, Sodium 1 mg, Potassium 39 mg, Total Carbohydrate 33 g, Dietary Fiber 5 g, Sugars 4 g Protein 5 g Vitamin A0 % Vitamin C6 % Calcium 1 % Iron 12 %

References Aggarwal BB. Curcumin-free tumeric exhibits anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities: Identification of novel components of tumeric. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2013; 57:1529-42. Nagaraju GP, Aliya S, Zafar SF, Basha R, Diaz R, El-Rayes BF. The impact of curcumin on breast cancer. Integr Biol (Camb). 2012; 4:996-1007.

Shehzad A, Rehman G, Lee YS. Curcumin in inflammatory diseases. Biofactors. 2013; 39:69-77.