A popular spice in Asian and Oriental cuisine, turmeric (Curcuma longa) has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that boost immunity, fight inflammation and prevent free radical damage.
Curcuminoids, the active ingredient in turmeric, contains powerful neuroprotective and immunomodulatory properties that regulate the functioning of the immune system. (1,2)
A study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders found that turmeric helps improve the mood.(3) Curcumin present in turmeric speeds up the wound-healing process by reducing redness and swelling.(4)
Turmeric improves the rate of collagen synthesis (protein that binds connective tissues together), thus increasing tissue strength and enhancing the growth of cells around the wound. Its antioxidant properties further facilitate the healing process.(5) Other studies also reveal turmeric’s ability to reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels.(6,7)
Turmeric For Arthritis
Turmeric is an age-old herbal remedy for rheumatoid arthritis. In a study published in Phytotherapy Research, turmeric provided better joint pain relief than diclofenac sodium (a commonly prescribed pain reliever). (8,9)
Another study, published in the Journal of Clinical Interventions in Aging, found that turmeric reduced knee osteoarthritis pain and reduced joint stiffness. Additionally, turmeric has fewer side effects than NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).(10)
How To Take It
1. Add ½tsp turmeric to a glass of warm milk and drink it twice a day for relief.
2. Alternatively, you can take 500mg of turmeric supplements twice daily. Buy them here.
For more interesting stories, visit our Health page. Read more about Natural Remedies here.
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References:
1. Sahdeo Prasad and Bharat B. Aggarwal. Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects. Turmeric, the Golden Spice From Traditional Medicine to Modern Medicine. 2nd edition. Ch 13.
2. Zhou H, Beevers CS, Huang S. The targets of curcumin. Curr Drug Targets. 2011 Mar 1;12(3):332-47. Review. PubMed PMID: 20955148; PubMed Central PMCID:
PMC3025067.
3. Lopresti AL, Maes M, Maker GL, Hood SD, Drummond PD. Curcumin for the treatment of major depression: a randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled
study. J Affect Disord. 2014;167:368-75. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2014.06.001. Epub 2014 Jun 11. PubMed PMID: 25046624.
4. Dania Akbik, Maliheh Ghadiri, Wojciech Chrzanowski, Ramin Rohanizadeh. Curcumin as a wound healing agent. Life Sciences, Volume 116, Issue 1, 22 October 2014, Pages 1-7
5. Panchatcharam M, Miriyala S, Gayathri VS, Suguna L. Curcumin improves wound healing by modulating collagen and decreasing reactive oxygen species. Mol Cell
Biochem. 2006 Oct;290(1-2):87-96. Epub 2006 Jun 13. PubMed PMID: 16770527.
6. Soni KB, Kuttan R. Effect of oral curcumin administration on serum peroxides and cholesterol levels in human volunteers. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 1992
Oct;36(4):273-5. PubMed PMID: 1291482.
7. Pungcharoenkul K, Thongnopnua P. Effect of different curcuminoid supplement dosages on total in vivo antioxidant capacity and cholesterol levels of healthy human subjects. Phytotherapy Research 2011 Nov; 25(11):1721–26.
8. Chandran B, Goel A. A randomized, pilot study to assess the efficacy and safety of curcumin in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis. Phytother Res.
2012 Nov;26(11):1719-25. doi: 10.1002/ptr.4639. Epub 2012 Mar 9. PubMed PMID: 22407780.
9. Blumenthal M, Goldberg A, Brinckmann J, eds. Herbal Medicine: Expanded Commission E Monographs. Austin, TX: American Botanical Council; Newton, MA: Integrative Medicine Communications; 2000.
10. Kuptniratsaikul V, Dajpratham P, Taechaarpornkul W, Buntragulpoontawee M, Lukkanapichonchut P, Chootip C, Saengsuwan J, Tantayakom K, Laongpech S. Efficacy
and safety of Curcuma domestica extracts compared with ibuprofen in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a multicenter study. Clin Interv Aging. 2014 Mar 20;9:451-8.
doi: 10.2147/CIA.S58535. eCollection 2014. PubMed PMID: 24672232; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3964021.
