What is Turmeric?
Nowadays it is very difficult to miss this spice. This member of the ginger family seem to be everywhere. You will find it in ice-cream smoothies and even cosmetics. Even though turmeric had been regularly used as a medicine and spice in homes in India for over 4000 year. Furthermore, it is one of the main ingredient in curry powder. Turmeric contains an petrochemical called curcurmin, this compound gives curry its yellow color.
It seems that turmeric has been credited for helping alot of conditions, including high cholesterol, diabetes pain treat diseases for quite some time. It acts like a strong antioxidant in the body. Many studies in vivo and in vitro have shown positive effects against cancer, it may help decrease the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease and it may also be a strong anti-inflammatory.
Anti-inflammatory Studies
Turmeric reduces COX2 Inhibitor. COX 2 is one of the enzymes involved arthritis. It appears that cur-cumin is extremely effective in reducing COX-.2 Indian researchers found that turmeric was just as effective in reducing inflammation as some of the Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), such as Ibuprofen, and with none of the side effects such as abdominal pain and bleeding.
In 2006 researchers in Arizona, used animal models to show that a turmeric extract was effective in blocking one of the enzymes found in the joints, of people with arthritis. They were also able to show that turmeric helped reduced bone loss, a condition that is common in arthritis sufferers. Turmeric blocks enzyme in the joints. Studies also found that turmeric suppressed the joint pain in arthritis. Some researchers even found that turmeric worked as well as cortisone for rheumatoid arthritis.
Turmeric benefits osteoarthritis patients
Recently, The American Botanical society highlighted a clinical trial based in Italy which proved the benefits to people who suffered with osteoarthritis. In that study 50 people who had osteoarthritis, diagnosed by xray were split into 2 groups . 1 group received the standard medication and the other group was supplemented with a turmeric extract.
After 90 days the group on the turmeric formulation experienced 58% decreased in their stiffness and joint pain. Their blood test also revealed a 16% decrease in C-reactive protein, which increases during inflammation. Remarkably, those patients were able to reduced their use of NSAIDs by a whopping 63% compared to the patients on conventional therapy.
Precautions
Those with gallstones or bile obstruction should not take. Also tumeric can slow clotting so those with bleeding problems need to be careful, Diabetics need to be careful as tumeric could lower blood sugar for those on medication.
We know that more clinical studies would have to be done before widespread used of this spice is recommended for arthritis sufferers. However, the formulation used in the Italy study is being marketed in the US and Europe as a dietary supplement. It will be interesting to see whether there will be some clinical trials here in the US. What do you think?
