Are you looking for ways to manage your arthritis? Try some turmeric.
Turmeric has been used in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for over 4000 years, Western medicine is now discovering the benefits of turmeric for arthritis. Here’s a way to eat your medicine and enjoy it too.
Turmeric for Arthritis: The Benefits
Turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory. If you have arthritis, anti-inflammatory foods are key.
Arthritis means “inflammation of the joints”. There are a number of causes for inflammation, and one effective solution for it: a good diet. An important component of an anti-inflammatory diet is turmeric. Here’s why. Curcumin, the active anti-inflammatory ingredient in turmeric, can be as effective as anti-inflammatory drugs when it comes to reducing stiffness and inflammation. Studies also tell us that curcumin also helps with inflammation after surgeries.
Aren’t the drugs my doctor prescribed enough? Why do I need turmeric?
It’s simple: turmeric has less side effects.
The most commonly prescribed pharmaceuticals for treating pain are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and acetaminophen. Research has shown that although they can bring short-term pain relief, they won’t help in the long term. They can also bring dangerous side effects 1 like addiction, personality changes, sex hormone disruption, breathing problems, and another kind of nerve pain called hyperalgesia.
The Many Healthy Benefits of Turmeric
Reduce indigestion
Do you suffer from bloating or gas? Try turmeric. We know that curcumin causes the gall bladder to produce bile, which may prevent indigestion.The authority in Germany which regulates the prescription of herbs, the German Commission E, has marked turmeric as a possible cure for indigestion. We haven’t had many Western studies on the link between turmeric and indigestion, but we do know that in one study controlled with placebos, turmeric was useful. Subjects who had turmeric had less bloating and gas from indigestion 2than people who didn’t take turmeric.
Fight heart disease
Turmeric could help prevent plaque buildup 3. Arteries blocked by plaque are a large factor in heart attacks and stroke. Here’s another benefit: turmeric supplements may prevent LDL (bad) cholesterol from clogging up blood vessels.
Reduce the symptoms of ulcerative colitis
If you have or know of people with ulcerative colitis, tell them about turmeric. This is one disease which we know with certainty that turmeric will help with.
People with ulcerative colitis suffer from problems with digestion. The symptoms only come sporadically. Here’s why turmeric is useful: after eating turmeric, someone with ulcerative colitis will have far less symptoms. Turmeric keeps ulcerative colitis in ‘remission’4. Think of it as a temporary recovery.
In medical studies, the ‘gold standard’ for research is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study5. In one double-blind, placebo-controlled study – in other words, close to the most reliable type of study we have – we found that patients who took turmeric had less relapses than patients who didn’t. Significantly less. If you have ulcerative colitis, I strongly recommend adding turmeric to your diet.
How to Add Turmeric to Your Diet
There are lots of ways. For an anti-inflammatory boost, have some turmeric tea. Steep some turmeric power and ginger with a dash of honey in boiling water.
What are you having for dinner tonight? Enjoy some curry and add turmeric. When you have turmeric in a meal with black pepper and oil, your body can better absorb the active ingredients in turmeric. Curry and turmeric are a natural spice combination. Try it – you’ll like the flavor boost.
Chew on this
Most of us forget that there are other ways to manage arthritis besides eating drugs. The surest way to reduce your pain? Eat well, have a good night’s sleep, and exercise. There are no magic, quick-acting cures in medicine, but there are effective, long-term strategies prove to work. Lifestyle changes are the secret to living well. You’ll notice the difference.
Have you changed up your diet or lifestyle? We want to hear from you. Share your story in the comments.
