Natural Remedy for Aching Joints
December 10, 2012

TURMERIC CAN HELP WITH JOINT PAIN

In a series of articles on the growing use of alternative medicine and natural remedies, the New York Times recently featured the pain-relieving benefits of the spice turmeric.

It turns out the orange and yellow spice, famous for its extensive use in South Asian cuisine, also has anti-inflammatory properties. A study published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine in 2009 compared the active ingredient in turmeric, curcumin, with ibuprofen for pain relief in 107 people with knee osteoarthritis. The curcumin eased pain and improved function about as well as the ibuprofen.

Although turmeric is used in many South Asian dishes, the most efficient way to take it, according to Dr. Minerva Santos, Director of Integrative Medicine at Northern Westchester Hospital in New York who was interviewed for the article, is to take it in capsule form. That’s because it’s usually combined with a compound called piperine, which aids absorption.

For more information on the benefits of turmeric, read this New York Times article.

Tell your friends about Syfo!