Curcuma longa, a TCM herb widely used for indigestion

What is curcuma longa(Turmeric, Jiang Huang)?
Medicinally it refers to the rhizomes or roots of the Curcuma longa. L., a plant in the family Zingiberaceae. Hence, its common names include Rhizoma Curcumae Longae, Tumeric Rhizome, Curcumae longae Rhizoma, Curcumin, Tumeric, Turmeric Root, curcuma longa root, curcuma longa rhizome, etc. In China it grows in the wild or is cultivated in Jiangxi, Fujian, Taiwan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan, Yunnan and other places. This herb is dug in winter when the leaves and stems are already withered. Next get rid of fibrous roots, cook or steam thoroughly, dry in the sun, cut into thick slices, and use raw.

Turmeric is a perennial herb, usually 1 to 1.5 meter in height. Roots are well developed into a bundle; branch root is oval or cylindrical, orange-yellow, and very sweet; taproot is stout and enlarges into a big tuber at the end. Basal leaves are 5 to 7 in number and arranged in two rows; petiole is 20 to 45cm long; blade is oblong or narrow-elliptic, 20 to 50cm long, 5 to 15cm wide, and with tapered apex and cuneate base. Scapes grow from the leaf sheath. The total peduncle length is from 12 to 20cm. Spica is cylindrical, and 12 to 18cm long. Flowering period is in August.

Curcuma longa benefits
According to the records, people who live in the Indian subcontinent have eaten turmeric for about 5,000 years. As you know, curry is an important condiment, in which turmeric is the major ingredient and the exact reason why it is yellow. Besides of curry, this herb is also frequently ground into powder and used for yellow food in Southeast Asia, especially in India. Thanks to the active ingredient of curcumin contained, Ayurvedic medicine often uses it for the treatment of stomach ailments and wounds. It is also one of commonly used Chinese herbs because of it impressive medicinal properties, which was detailedly recorded in "Compendium of Materia Medica" by Li Shizhen. Today this herb is widely used for a lot of diseases, including indigestion, Jaundice, Diarrhea, arthritis, and chest tightness, cancer, Diabetes, high blood pressure, Depression, skin problems, etc.