Turmeric is also known as the “golden spice” for its yellow-orange color, but also for its extraordinary therapeutic properties , among which the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant ones are noteworthy.
Native to South East Asia and in particular to the island of Java, it was probably introduced to the West by the Arabs. Its healing properties have been known since ancient times: Marco Polo, already between the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, in "Il Milione" - his famous account of the journey along the Silk Road from Venice to China, then Cathay - cites it as "saffron of the East".
It belongs to the Zingiberaceae family, like ginger and cardamom. The “noble” part, which is used for its phytotherapeutic properties, is the rhizome , or the root that has an intense orange-yellow color and an elongated and tuberous shape.
A highly effective anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, turmeric owes its therapeutic properties to the active ingredient curcumin , present in the root of the spice in a percentage between 2 and 3%. Curcumin is particularly effective against autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. In reality, even if we tend to talk only about the active ingredient curcumin as if it were a single element, it is important to point out that in the rhizome there are three types of curcumins, called curcumin 1, 2 and 3, whose combined action makes the intake of this phytotherapeutic particularly effective.
The effectiveness of this active ingredient is such that it is often also referred to as “ natural cortisone ”.
Curing Joint Pain with Turmeric
As we have seen, the active ingredient of turmeric is curcumin, whose bioavailability, that is, its ability to be absorbed by the body, is not very high, especially when it is extracted from the plant in the form of only the active ingredient. About 50 - 75% of curcumin is not absorbed by the intestinal tract. To increase its bioavailability, it is useful to add simple black pepper, as long as there are no other contraindications. The same applies even more so to supplements, which are often added with piperine for this very reason. The contraindication is that pepper (and piperine as a principle) could promote inflammatory conditions, particularly at the intestinal level.
How then can we amplify the qualities of the active ingredient, taking all the good things it can give us ? The answer is to take it in the form of phytocomplexes : preparations that combine the active ingredient (the three curcumins) with the other elements that make up the root, which is more bioavailable than the extracted curcumin alone. In this way, it is possible to enjoy all the beneficial effects of the root , without necessarily having to add piperine.
So why not just take the spice, adding it to dishes for example? Because, although it is certainly a good habit to include it in your daily diet (possibly adding it to dishes only at the end of cooking, because the heat degrades its properties), to have significant effects on our health it should be taken in very large quantities.
Turmeric, the golden spice, is useful for fighting joint pain thanks to the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and immunostimulant properties of its active ingredient, curcumin, in its three forms.
The anti-inflammatory and free radical-fighting action of curcumin is particularly effective against joint pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatism, and osteoarthritis . It works by reducing pain and improving joint flexibility, contributing, at least partially, to an improvement in walking pattern and a slight increase in speed.
Joint pain is often caused by a progressive degradation of cartilage, which worsens in case of inflammatory conditions and oxidative stress. Turmeric works by reducing inflammation and fighting free radicals, and it also seems that it can help stimulate the production of type II collagen.
Not only that: turmeric, helping to stop the inflammatory cascade, is also an excellent pain reliever .
Other properties of turmeric: healing and neuroprotective
Turmeric is truly a “golden spice”: in addition to its effectiveness in combating joint pain, other therapeutic properties are known. It is an excellent healing agent, has neuroprotective properties, slows the aging of brain cells and decreases the risk of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.
The benefits of turmeric also extend to the cardiovascular and digestive systems . It also stimulates liver function, has a protective effect on its cells and promotes the elimination of toxins.
Turmeric and its active ingredient, curcumin, are precious allies for our health.
