The culinary medicine questions I’m asked most are about weight loss. And losing weight does help many medical problems: in fact, food can work like medicine in the body. The trick, often, is to make sure it tastes like food, not like medicine.

Acne vulgaris–young adult acne–is very common. Skin pores become clogged and infected, and can too easily ruin self-esteem and self-confidence. Medication often helps, and should be used as appropriate.

Foods that can help are those with lower glycemic loads. These foods improve insulin sensitivity, which slows acne growth. That means whole foods: more vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and poultry, fish and shellfish, nuts, and many fresh fruits, but not all.

Foods to avoid are foods with higher glycemic indices: sodas, candy, cakes, fast food: ever notice the skin of kids hanging out at the convenience store? Not a coincidence. High GL carbs foods here increase insulin levels, decrease insulin sensitivity, and androgen in the bloodstream. Not a coincidence.

Avoid lowfat and nonfat milk, which contain too much insulin-growth factor 1, which is out of balance with other dairy hormones: “consuming dairy products from pregnant cows exposes us to the hormones produced by the cows’ pregnancy.” Although this isn’t a recommendation for whole milk, at all.

Of course, you want to eat recipes, not just foods. Try my Poached Salmon with Sauteed Kale and Warm Cherry Tomatoes: it’s easy, fast and delicious…and low GL.

Filled with flavor, anti-inflammatories and in every yellow curry in the book, turmeric is not just for mustard coloring any more.

In fact, culinary medicine–the art of cooking blended with the science of medicine– is one of the great bargains of our time. That’s essential in these times where value seems gone and security is scarce. And it’s as easy as learning a little about cooking, about what’s in your food, and what it can do for you. See my ChefMD’s Big Book of Culinary Medicine for more.

For example, in a recent treatment study, the spice turmeric had effects on cytokine levels and on enzymes in some pancreatic cancer patients. Not the same as a remission, but on the way.

Turmeric was safe and there were no side effects. One patient had a brief remission. Curcumin–the active ingredient inside–has promise.  But curcumin is not well absorbed–it has poor bioavailability. The subjects took 8 grams per day for 18 months.

Bioavailability just means “body-ready”.  The body has to absorb the curcumin for it to attack cancer cells. It’s a term I apply to food…not just pharmacology.

I wonder if they know what so many Indians do—add black pepper to their curry.  Not just because it tastes good.  But it also happens to improve the body-readiness of curcumin.  Why? It’s the piperine in black pepper. Piperine gives black and white pepper pep; stimulates pancreatic digestive enzymes; and increases absorption, perhaps as a result of its effect on the ultrastructure of intestinal brush border.

By the way, turmeric is a rhizome (an above-ground root), like ginger.  And it looks like ginger: fingers of bright yellow goodness grated into Indian dishes, or dried into a powder.

The next scientific step is a randomized, controlled trial of not just safety, but real effectiveness. And though these patients took curcumin in a pill, you can get it every day in the spice turmeric, and in every yellow curry, and some mustards (it’s used for coloring).

By the way, curcumin is best known for its potential to reduce inflammation and the risk of Alzheimer’s: India consumes most of the world’s turmeric and has one of the lowest rates of Alzheimer’s.

Read the entrance criteria and the full abstract. And try my ChefMD  Coconut Milk Curried Shrimp with Turmeric with free video, nutrition data and extra value!