How To Take Advantage Of The Anti-Inflammatory Benefits Of Turmeric

The curcumin in turmeric has been demonstrated to decrease inflammation in a powerful way, and the research on this spicy health-promoter shows its benefits are legion, improving many common and serious inflammation-based issues:

• Alzheimer’s (1)
• Autoimmune-inflammation (2)
• Brain inflammation (brain fog and memory loss) (3)
• Cancer (4)
• Candida (5)
• Cataracts (6)
• Depression
• Diabetes
• Erectile dysfunction (7)
• Gallbladder problems (8)
• Heavy metal toxicity (9)
• Inflammatory bowel disorders
• Insulin resistance
• Lupus (10)
• Pneumonia (11)
• Rheumatoid arthritis (12)
• Viral infections (13)
• Weight-loss resistance (14)

An article (15) in the scientific journal Nature recently pointed out a few pitfalls in curcumin research:

• We still need larger-scale studies that more clearly prove curcumin’s efficacy.
• While curcumin research certainly seems promising, we don’t exactly understand how it works.
• Normally, research focuses on and isolates one promising aspect of a food, but turmeric contains dozens of compounds (in addition to curcumin) that work synergistically. This makes it difficult to study, or to completely isolate the effects of curcumin.

Are there any side effects to curcumin?

While there are no widely acknowledged and tested side effects to eating turmeric or taking curcumin (or turmeric) supplements, one study (16) has suggested that at higher doses, curcumin was not protective and may contribute to cellular damage. It’s important to remember that even with natural options, what works for one person may not be right for you, so work with a qualified functional medicine doctor to determine what dose – if any – is right for you.

How can I get a daily boost of turmeric?

If you want to go the supplement route, a good general maintenance dose of curcumin that has been shown (17) to be safe and effective is 10 grams each day – and that is a lot! To boost your curcumin absorption, add black pepper, which contains piperine, a substance that increases (18) the bioavailability of curcumin by 2,000 percent. My supplement The Curcumin combines the power of curcumin and piperine for the one of the most bioavailable forms of curcumin on the market.

But you don’t need to pop more pills to get the anti-inflammatory benefits of curcumin. Just add turmeric powder to soups, smoothies, and just about any dish that needs a little extra taste and color. Another one of my favorite ways to get my turmeric is to mix it in elixirs, like the following: