Tuesday Tip: Turmeric Benefits

Tuesday Tip: Turmeric Benefits🌿

Turmeric is one of those “wonder spice” ingredients that gets talked about as if it can fix everything — inflammation, joints, brain health, heart health, fat loss… the lot. As always, the truth is a bit more complex.

The main active compound in turmeric is curcumin. Curcumin appears to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, and has been studied for joint pain, arthritis, metabolic health and brain ageing. The best evidence is around reducing joint pain and inflammation, particularly for arthritis, ageing joints, or those of us who are active and put our joints through a lot.

The key is the dosage. Most studies looking at general wellbeing use around 500–1,000mg of curcumin extract per day, and for joint pain/inflammation often around 500–1,200mg per day. One teaspoon of turmeric powder contains roughly 200mg of curcumin, so you’d need quite a lot to get close to study levels.

Absorption is another issue. Curcumin isn’t absorbed well on its own, so it’s usually taken with black pepper extract — piperine — or with a meal containing fat. In studies, an effective combination is often around 500mg curcumin plus 20mg piperine daily.

So should you use it? As a food — absolutely, if you like it. Add it to curries, soups, eggs, roasted veg, rice, lentils, marinades etc. Pair it with black pepper and some fat to help absorption. It’s colourful and tasty, but it’s not a magic cure and it’s not replacing sleep, exercise, protein, fibre, fruit/veg or prescribed medication.

It can be tricky however to hit the useful dose without huge quantities of raw turmeric. So that is where supplements may come in – particularly if you suffer from joint issues. But many products don’t contain the required amount. If you choose one, check the curcumin dose and whether it contains piperine or another absorption aid.

As always do check with your GP if you have any other regular medications / conditions too before you start taking it.

So in summary, turmeric in food is a lovely spice but not a cure all. A good curcumin supplement may help joint pain/inflammation, but choose carefully.

Happy Tuesday 🤗
Xx