The True Benefits of Turmeric

Lately, we’ve been hearing a lot about all the benefits of turmeric, a key ingredient of curry. Which ones are real and which ones are just a hype?

Turmeric was once a staple of Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine, but today it’s in every modern kitchen around the world. According to the newer cookbooks and cooking blogs, it can be used in a variety of dishes and it comes with a number of health benefits.

This bright yellow relative of ginger has an active ingredient called curcumin, which is claimed to help with a series of health problems, such as skin issues, digestion problems, gas relief, PMS, inflammations, etc. But what does the science say?

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According to one small study from 2012, curcumin does help with rheumatoid arthritis by reducing swelling and tenderness in the joints. Another study from 2014 confirmed that 1,000 mg of curcumin has the same effect as 800 mg of ibuprofen drug on patients who suffer from ostoarthritis in the knee. However, strong studies have yet to validate these results.

This means that you can safely try using turmeric before turning to drugs. There’s around 200 mg of curcumin in one teaspoon of turmeric, so use around 3 tsps per day for the best effect.