Is turmeric good for osteoarthritis? How to use turmeric for osteoarthritis? What is the best way to take turmeric for a greater effect? Why should it be combined with black pepper? And what are the possible side effects of taking turmeric?
I. What Is Turmeric?
Turmeric or Curcuma Aromatica is a perennial plant of the Zingiberaceae family native to South Asia.
Turmeric resembles ginger at first sight, especially by its yellow-orange color. The rhizome of turmeric is a medicinal plant and a spice used since about four thousand years before Christ.
The leaves of turmeric longa are pale yellow while those of turmeric aromatica take different colors. The stem measures between sixty and one hundred centimeters.
Cultivated for its rhizome, turmeric is either yellow or bright orange. When harvested, turmeric is dried, cleaned, and powdered for use as an aromatic spice.
Nevertheless, beyond its culinary qualities, turmeric represents a real remedy against arthritis and many other sources of discomfort.
Moreover, it has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine and traditional medicines throughout Southeast Asia for therapeutic purposes.
However, it is not uncommon to notice in the preparation of therapeutic teas, that the rhizome of turmeric is cleaned and directly used as an excipient without any other form of transformation.
II. Is Turmeric Good for Osteoarthritis?
Turmeric would indeed be able to relieve the pain associated with osteoarthritis. This spice originating from Asia has long been used in this part of the world to treat various ailments.
For some time, researchers have been studying the virtues of turmeric on osteoarthritis and its manifestations.
Before indicating how turmeric helps to overcome osteoarthritis, it is necessary to know exactly what osteoarthritis is.
1. What Is Osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis, also known as chronic degenerative arthropathy or osteoarthritis, is an excessively painful joint disease.
It is a wear and tear of the cartilage that affects the joints. It manifests itself by the difficulty or even the incapacity to make articular movements.
The joints in which the disease makes patients more incapacitated on a daily basis are generally the hip and the knees.
However, other joints such as those of the spine or the wrist are not spared either. Osteoarthritis is a disease that affects women more than men, although it is not a gift to men either.
The risk of suffering from this disease increases with age and it generally targets people over 55. Today, many people around the world suffer from osteoarthritis in various joints and see their lives paralyzed in small ways.
In Canada, approximately 10% of the population is affected, compared to just over 13% of the French population.
The causes of osteoarthritis are not exhaustive. Nevertheless, the most regular ones are linked to genetic predisposition (from parents to children), excess weight, and lack of or excessive physical activity.
On the other hand, osteoarthritis draws its sources from mechanical factors since it is a disease due to abnormal degeneration of cartilage.
Robotic work, identical and repeated movements, and microtrauma are also factors in arthrosis.
The diagnosis of osteoarthritis is not complicated; it starts from the information on age to the predisposing factors. Then, to be sure, an X-ray or MRI scan is often performed.
The blood test is not a mandatory procedure in the diagnosis of osteoarthritis per se. However, it is as necessary as the puncture of the joint to avoid confusion between osteoarthritis and other rheumatic diseases.
2. Turmeric Against Inflammation Due to Osteoarthritis
Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory that has proven itself across the continents, for several generations. Due to the curcumin contained in turmeric, this plant effectively treats various kinds of inflammation and soothes your suffering.
If traditional Asian medicines adopted it very early on, it is indeed more for its therapeutic properties than for anything else (culinary and cosmetic virtues).
Until recently, turmeric was just another coloring agent, a spice in recipes, and another cooking ingredient, outside the Asian continent.
But several experiments and studies prove that beyond its culinary properties, turmeric is an indisputable anti-inflammatory remedy.
Turmeric has a soothing effect on inflammation related to osteoarthritis. Treatments for osteoarthritis, particularly corticosteroids, are treatments that regularly have significant adverse effects on the body.
On the other hand, the treatment of osteoarthritis with turmeric is fast, effective, and without side effects on the patient. Moreover, a study was established in 2007 in India on about fifty osteoarthritis patients.
It revealed that taking 2 g of turmeric daily for an amount of time of one month or two weeks is as soothing as ibuprofen.
Also, everyone could get turmeric at a lower cost. The trick is to choose the right turmeric and use it properly.
Turmeric fights against rheumatism, joint inflammation, and especially osteoarthritis. To get 100% of the benefits of turmeric on osteoarthritis, you should opt for organic turmeric with 90 to 95% curcumin and consume it regularly but gently. Because the metabolism of turmeric is slow and the body takes time to absorb it.
3. How to Use Turmeric Against Arthritis
Turmeric for osteoarthritis is available in powdered capsules and fresh roots. It is organically grown turmeric.
As underlined above, turmeric, according to an Indian study in 2007 would be as effective as certain chemical molecules in the treatment of osteoarthritis.
So if you only suffer from mild joint pain, then you can clean fresh turmeric and grate it a little. Consume grated turmeric in all your dishes; meats, vegetables, salads, or soup.
And if the pain of osteoarthritis seems to be slightly more acute, it would be better to make an infusion of the fresh turmeric rhizome or ground turmeric.
Let the solution cool for a while and then drink it. You will feel an intense sense of well-being and your pain will gradually subside.
When the pain increases, is strong and unbearable, take turmeric in capsules. This way, the effect of turmeric is felt quickly and you will get relief.
Osteoarthritis is a disease that can affect anyone and everyone. But fortunately, turmeric is an effective health ally, available cheaply and everywhere.
4. How to Make Turmeric Tea
To make turmeric tea, start by boiling the equivalent of 4 cups of spring water.
Add turmeric to this water, in quantities of one to two spoons. This turmeric can be grated, powdered, or ground.
Let the mixture simmer over low heat for about ten minutes. Then strain it and let it cool.
Your turmeric tea is ready to be consumed. You can add a little honey to soften and sweeten your preparation.
5. How to Use Turmeric and Boswellia for Osteoarthritis
The combination of turmeric and Boswellia (also called Boswellie), is used to fight against the manifestations of osteoarthritis.
Fortunately, there are food supplements made from these two plants, especially to reduce osteoarthritis.
Boswellia must be taken in the cure, for prolonged action. Between 300 and 600 mg per day, separated in each of the three meals, is an effective way to take Boswellia. The cure can last up to 6 months (a pause of a few days every 2 months is better).
6. Is Turmeric and Black Pepper Good for Osteoarthritis
The anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric, capable of relieving osteoarthritis, are most effective when taken with black pepper.
In 150 ml of boiling water, infuse for 10 to 15 minutes, 1 to 2 g of turmeric powder, with 3 to 4 black pepper grains. Drink two cups a day.
There are capsules composed of both elements, which you can take in case of arthritis.
7. Ginger and Turmeric for Osteoarthritis
To fight osteoarthritis, put a tablespoon of ginger, 8 tablespoons of turmeric, and 250 g of honey.
Two to three times a day, take a teaspoon of this mixture. This is an effective recipe for osteoarthritis, which has an anti-inflammatory action on the joints.
8. How Much Turmeric a Day for Osteoarthritis
You need to take between 200-400 mg of turmeric per day to relieve the pain of osteoarthritis. Do this 3 times a day, which is equivalent to at least 3g of turmeric.
9. How to Choose Between Turmeric Spice and Dietary Supplement
While you may like the taste, a little turmeric in your smoothie or soup won’t do much to treat OA symptoms.
Natural turmeric only contains about 2-9% curcuminoids, a family of active compounds that includes curcumin. In addition, curcumin is difficult for the human body to absorb.
Supplements are the most appropriate choice in this case.
Instead, look for turmeric supplements that are labeled “standardized to 95% curcuminoids.” And make sure it contains “piperine”, or black pepper extract.
Because when black pepper is combined in a complex with curcumin, it has been shown to act 20 times more.
Remember that turmeric and curcumin are generally considered safe, with no serious side effects. But the supplement can interact with some prescription drugs and can aggravate gallstone disease if not taken carefully.
10. How to Get Turmeric (and Curcumin) in Your Diet
There are simple ways to take turmeric daily. First of all, turmeric is primarily a spice.
That means you can put it in your dishes. You can also take it in tea, hot drinks, golden honey, or in smoothies. Turmeric is very easy to incorporate into a food routine.
11. How Turmeric May Reduce Inflammation
The anti-inflammatory action of turmeric has long been known. This property is related to curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric.
It is this curcumin that allows turmeric to act at the source of inflammation and reduce its manifestations.
III. Risks of Turmeric
Turmeric can have some dangers. For some, it can cause heartburn, diarrhea, and even ulcers.
For this reason, it is important not to take too much. The risks of turmeric are mostly related to overdose.
Although you may be allergic. So be careful when you start taking this spice.
IV. Other Questions about Turmeric and Osteoarthritis
1. Does Turmeric Help with Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Rheumatoid arthritis is another form of joint inflammation. Turmeric can also act in the case of this pathology.
Its action helps to relieve the pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis.
2. Can I Take Glucosamine and Turmeric Together?
Turmeric and glucosamine work very well together in the treatment of osteoarthritis. For this reason, there are dietary supplements that combine the two elements and are recommended for those suffering from osteoarthritis. These products act on the cartilage.
3. How to Make Turmeric Paste for Knee Pain
For knee pain, turmeric is usually consumed. You can also massage your joints with turmeric oil. But turmeric paste is more used for animal pain.
To make it, mix 650 g of turmeric with 125 ml of water; 70 ml of olive oil and a ½ teaspoon of black pepper, and a ½ teaspoon of cinnamon at low temperature.
You can apply this paste as a poultice on the affected joint, after shaving the hair on it.
4. Does Turmeric Regrow Cartilage?
Cartilage is not bone, and it is difficult to regenerate. This is why bioengineering is usually used for this type of problem.
Nevertheless, by acting on joint pain and inflammation, turmeric allows for better cartilage health. Cartilage can be strengthened by the action of turmeric.
5. Is It Better to Take Turmeric Capsules or Powder?
Whether you decide to take turmeric in capsules or powder, the most important thing is the quality of the turmeric you buy. Also, consider the use you intend to make of it.
Turmeric powder is the purest form (besides the root) of turmeric. But capsules are often particularly designed to treat specific ailments, such as osteoarthritis for example. But their price is often higher.
6. How Can I Reduce the Swelling of Osteoarthritis?
Medically, osteoarthritis swelling is treated with intra-articular corticosteroid injections, as well as painkillers and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
A few natural tricks can help.
You can massage your swollen joint with St. John’s wort oil. Be careful not to expose it to the sun afterward.
You can also reduce inflammation by applying a clay poultice with essential oils, such as Wintergreen or Lemon Eucalyptus EO.
7. How Long Can You Take Turmeric?
Turmeric is usually taken as a cure. You can take it for 2 months, then take a break and repeat the turmeric for another 2 months.
8. Is Turmeric an Effective Anti-inflammatory?
Turmeric has long been recognized as a good quality anti-inflammatory. Moreover, it is natural, has very few side effects, and is easily accessible. It is used for all kinds of inflammations.
Useful Links:
The Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study (MOST): Opportunities for Rehabilitation Research
Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study (MOST) Public Data Sharing
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