While turmeric is the ingredient of the moment (with good reason), it’s not really ‘new’.
Turmeric originated in India and South-East Asia and has been used as a dye, spice and medicine for thousands of years. In fact, the use of turmeric as a medicinal herb has been noted as far back as 600 BC.
Turmeric is a member of the ginger family with a peppery, spicy aroma and bitter pungent taste and is a common ingredient in curries.
1. Turmeric contains curcumin
A key active component of turmeric is curcumin. Curcumin is what gives turmeric its yellow colour for which it has been used to colour many things from French mustard to the robes of Hindu priests.
And it’s the curcumin in turmeric that has demonstrated beneficial properties.
2. Curcumin may help to reduce joint pain
Curcumin has anti-inflammatory properties which may help relieve some symptoms associated with mild osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis is a condition that is characterised by the breakdown of cartilage in the joints which can lead to joint pain and inflammation. Curcumin may help to relieve joint pain and increase joint mobility associated with mild osteoarthritis.
Curcumin also has antioxidant properties which may be beneficial as oxidative stress is implicated in the progression of osteoarthritis.
TAKE ACTION: 3 steps to healthier joints
3. Curcumin may help to keep your brain active
Not only may curcumin help reduce joint pain; its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties may also play a role in brain health and helps to support memory and mental alertness.
Curcumin may support working memory - things like remembering a new telephone number when you’re scrambling to find pen and paper to write it down- and may help to reduce brain fatigue when you need it most during mentally demanding tasks!
READ MORE: Eating a Mediterranean diet boosts brain health
Turmeric at a glance
Name: Curcuma longa- turmeric
Part used: Rhizome
Actions: antioxidant, anti-inflammatory
May help to: Relieve inflammation, joint pain and increase joint mobility associated with mild osteoarthritis, support working memory, maintain general wellbeing