Whether you’ve fallen victim to the turmeric lattes trend or you’ve always used this powerful spice in your kitchen, turmeric is nothing new.
Speaking on the podcast, Dr. Mosley said: “It has been used for thousands of years in ancient Ayurvedic medicine to relieve liver problems and digestive problems.
“In recent decades, scientific research on turmeric, and in particular on its active ingredient – curcumin – has exploded, with many studies investigating the health effects of this golden spice.
“And some of the findings were impressive.”
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Celebrated for its “anti-inflammatory” and “antioxidant” powers, the golden spice can do more than just replenish the health of your liver and gut. It can also “relieve” pain.
Curcumin, which is responsible for turmeric’s characteristic bright color, is the active ingredient believed to be behind the spice’s magic.
Dr. Mosley invited Dr. Benny Antony, of the University of Tasmania in Australia, to investigate the root of turmeric’s effects on pain.
Dr. Antony previously conducted a clinical trial with 70 participants with joint pain and inflammation to study this link.
The guest expert said: “We randomized 35 people in the placebo group and 35 people in the active group, who received the turmeric extract.
“And then we followed these patients for 12 weeks and we found that participants who took turmeric extracts had pain relief, compared to the placebo group.
“Clearly, both the placebo and treatment groups reduced knee pain, but the treatment group had a further reduction compared to the placebo group.”
Dr. Mosley explained that you’d need something “pretty impressive” to beat the placebo, because the effects are usually “very powerful.”
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In addition, the treatment with turmeric also caused the study participants to take less painkillers.
If you’re struggling with any type of pain other than your knees, Dr. Antony has some good news.
He said: “We have found that it has also been effective for acute pain.
“It’s not just for chronic conditions, but it’s for normal, healthy people.
“It can be used to reduce pain, although more research is needed in this area.”
Before you start adding turmeric to all your dishes and lattes, there are some rules to follow to activate it.
Dr. Mosley explained that a “major problem” with curcumin is that very little of it is absorbed. Fortunately, fat and pepper come into play here.
Both pepper and fatty foods help increase the bioavailability of curcumin, allowing you to absorb more of the good stuff.
Dr. Mosley added: “So, if you’re looking for an excuse to have a nice hot drink or maybe that curry you’ve been craving, here it is – add some turmeric.
“It can boost your brain and take away your pain.”