What's all the fuss about Tumeric?

Turmeric belongs to a family of something called Mesonutrients

If you haven’t heard of Mesonutrients, don’t worry as the term is relatively new for public consumption. With that said, if you research Mesonutrients, you’ll find countless articles proclaiming it as the new health trend of 2019. Why are Mesonutrients flooding the health scene?

 This subsection of nutrition focuses on the active compounds within Superfood. Meaning, if you want to pack a punch of deep nutrition, Mesonutrients may be the way to go! Incorporating raw forms of foods with the Mesonutrients you want is also a great way to access them.

Mesonutrients

We’ve all heard about macronutrients — three calorie-rich nutrients called fat, protein, and carbohydrates that supply our bodies with energy — and micronutrients — essential vitamins and minerals that produce enzymes, hormones and other substances essential for healthy growth and development — but most of us haven’t heard about Mesonutrients.

Mesonutrients are the active natural compounds within the Superfoods we eat that provide us with those wonderful benefits we crave. Within each Superfood are particular ‘Mesonutrients’ (‘meso’ means ‘middle’ in Greek), and it’s these little guys that are responsible for the health benefits of our favourite treats.” Mesonutrients can be consumed simply by eating Superfoods, yet, sensing the growing demand, supplement companies have begun providing Mesonutrients in easily obtainable pill form for more powerful and direct effects.

Curcumin

The best place to start is with turmeric, which happens to be one of the hottest Superfoods. Turmeric is widely recognized for its health components including managing inflammatory conditions and metabolic syndromes. Yet, it’s not the turmeric root that offers these health benefits, but the Mesonutrients or active compound within the root called Curcumin. This Mesonutrient has been coveted for thousands of years from ancient cultures who used it as a cloth dye and added it to culinary dishes as a healing spice.

While consuming turmeric in its raw form is the best way to obtain the Curcumin Mesonutrients naturally, there are a few roadblocks. The turmeric root contains only about two to five percent of the Curcumin molecule. And the human gastrointestinal tracts have a hard time absorbing the agent.

The secret to activating the Curcumin Mesonutrients naturally is to combine your turmeric with freshly ground black pepper, which has been shown to help the body absorb Curcumin.

Saffronal

Most of us are familiar with a spice called Saffron  — a vibrant reddish orange spice with a slightly sweet flavouring — which can be used for its subtle flavouring or to simply give a dish a bit colour. Saffron is also known for its many health benefits including  promoting mental health, decreasing risks of macular degeneration, boosting heart and digestive health, preventing hair loss, alleviating premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and even relieving bodily pain.

Yet, what is it about this spice that gives it such a powerful Superfood-type quality? You probably guessed it saffron has a Mesonutrient called Saffronal

This particular Mesonutrient has risen in the ranks due to research showing health benefits such as its antidepressant and appetite suppressant effects, and even its ability to boost libido.

Matcha Powder

Green tea is one of the most popular teas in the world and for good reason. This slightly caffeinated drink is packed full of nutrients and antioxidants and it has been linked to various health benefits such as improved brain function, fat loss, and a lower risk of cancer

Green tea gets its power from a Mesonutrient called Epigallocatechin Gallate, most commonly referred to simply as EGCG.

Epigallocatechin Gallate refers to one of a group of plant phenols commonly described as tannins since some of these compounds have long been used to tan hides for leather.”Most likely, you’ve been ingesting this powerful Mesonutrient without knowing it. With that said, one of the best ways to get EGCG is through Matcha powder. This powder is sourced from tea plants, which are covered 20-30 days before harvest to avoid direct sunlight, which increases chlorophyll production, boosts the amino acid content and gives the plant a darker green hue. Matcha powder is easily accessible at your local grocery store, as well as online.