Turmeric

Turmeric or Curcuma longa is a flowering perennial that belongs to the Zingiberaceae or ginger family. Native to South Asia, it is a cultigen and has not yet been found in the wild. However, it is believed to be indigenous to India, where it has long been used both as a spice and as a dye. It typically attains a height of three to five feet and is characterized by its yellow rhizome, or root, as well as its pale clustered flowers.
Turmeric has been used to treat a variety of ailments. Those versed in traditional Chinese healing methods recommend turmeric for the relief of chest pains, and localized pain in the stomach, abdomen and the liver, as well as for nosebleeds and heatstroke. Practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine advocate turmeric as a means of curing or relieving general inflammation, conjunctivitis, itching and skin ulcers, colic, constipation, flatulence, and parasites such as ringworms.