3 Reasons Why Turmeric is the Perfect Anti-Inflammatory
Do you know what the mother of maladies is? Chronic inflammation.
Chronic, low-grade or systemic inflammation has been linked to a vast range of medical conditions from Alzheimer’s and depression to the joint pain of rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis. Left unchecked, chronic inflammation inhibits the body’s ability to repair healthy tissuein arteries, joints, muscles and various organs.
The good news? Healthy lifestyle choices help manage chronic inflammation, and first among those choices? An anti-inflammatory diet.
But even the most health-conscious, need to supplement their diets. And just as there is a “smart” analog for everything nowadays – smart phones, smart homes, smart cars, etc. – the smart qualifier can be used for botanical health supplements as well.
Turmeric has been a therapeutic botanical used in Ayurvedic medicine for over 3,000 years and in western medicine, the benefits of turmeric’s active components have been studied since 1910. In the last 20 years, studies have shown that turmeric has a systemic benefit throughout the body, in mitigating both acute inflammation as well as disrupting chronic inflammation.
If mother nature’s R&D department has an intuitive, smart botanical, turmeric would be it.
Smart Botanical Reason #1: Turmeric Makes Your Gut Happy
Studies indicate that inflammation of the digestive tract is linked to an imbalance of gut bacterium. An imbalance triggers inflammation, which triggers an immune response which if not abated, can lead to metabolic conditions such as insulin resistance and diabetes.
Turmeric has been shown to aid in digestion through its active component curcumin by supporting the good bacteria in your gut biome. However, using whole root turmeric makes a big difference because curcumin is just one of 200 active molecules present in whole root turmeric, that work to amplify its anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial benefits.
Many turmeric supplements use black pepper or piperine extract to enhance the gut absorption and potency of turmeric. But additives like black pepper are “non-selective” enhancers that can have adverse effects by allowing absorption of toxins. Additionally, with the arrival of new technology, black pepper or other chemical absorption enhancers are no longer necessary.
And according to Nuvothera CEO, Arthur Clapp, it’s the size of the curcuminoid particle that really matters to greatly enhance absorption and bioavailability. Look for Super Micronized whole root Turmeric Curcumin like Nuvotherawithout absorption enhancers to reap the full benefits.
Smart Botanical Reason #2: Turmeric Supports Faster Muscle Recovery Post-Workout
The soreness you feel after working out is a stress response to the breakdown of muscle tissue during exercise which causes inflammation. The resulting inflammation has to be terminated to allow the satellite cells that are responsible for muscle tissue repair to work.
If chronic inflammation is present, then the anabolic signals that initiate muscle growth and repair are further disrupted via pro-inflammatory hormones called cytokines. There is strong evidence that turmeric not only offsets the pain associated with delayed onset of muscle soreness – i.e. the pain you feel the day after you work out – but also promotes faster recovery in athletic performance.
Smart Botanical Reason #3: Turmeric Keeps You Feeling Younger (And Happier!) Longer
Are you feeling a little stiff and creaky getting out of bed in the morning? Does it feel like you’re lifting less weight than you used to? Do you suffer from late-afternoon brain fog or occasionally forget where you left your keys?
As we age, these are what we think of as the hallmarks of getting old; joint stiffness, muscle loss or weakness and a forgetful memory. However, the presence of these symptoms could very well be indicative of stress and chronic inflammation. Essentially, you could be feeling old before your time.
Factors to consider:
We can start suffering from stiff joints as early as our 30’s and in an otherwise healthy individual, suddenly feeling creaky is usually indicative of inflammation of the joints as in osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, or even inflammation of the bursae – which cushion joints and ligaments – and can present as bursitis.
A chronic low-grade inflammation profile (CLIP) – chronic inflammation is linked to the loss of muscle fibers (sarcopenia) and muscle strength (frailty) which factors into age-related maladies.
A major study published this year found that “People who harbor high levels of chronic inflammation at midlife are more likely to experience memory loss.”
And recent findings from the University of Wisconsin show that “Inflammation is becoming surprisingly relevant” in the clinical treatment of depression.
Not surprisingly, turmeric shows promising results in mitigating all the above. Consider the following:
Unlike the potential side effects of steroids in long-term use, or potential health issues associated with daily use of prescription NSAID pain pills or OTC anti-inflammatories, at the right dosage turmeric can perform comparably, with few to no side effects and a better safety profile for long term use to reduce joint pain and inflammation.
A 2007 study suggests that turmeric curcumin can “mediate muscle wasting in inflammatory diseases,” potentially resulting in the “attenuation [reduction] of muscle protein loss.”
A 2018 study published by UCLA in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry finds that turmeric curcumin “improved memory and mood in people with mild, age-related memory loss.”
Even symptoms of depression and anxiety are responsive to turmeric, particularly with “atypical” depression segments of hard to treat patients that also demonstrate high chronic inflammation.
BONUS – Smart Botanical Reason #4: Turmeric is Even Safe for Your Pets (Best.Reason.Ever!)
Pets are extended family and as pet parents, we’d do just about anything for them. Many commercial pet food brands already contain turmeric as a natural food colorant, but the amounts present are usually not enough to provide full therapeutic benefit.
The anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties in turmeric is proven to help joint pain in older dogs and fight the free radicals that contribute to degenerative diseases in dogs and cats. Before giving your pet turmeric, make sure to talk with your veterinarian. If your veterinarian recommends turmeric, confirm the correct dose per pound for your pet (the usual dose is 10-15mg per pound), and use a high quality, water and gut soluble formulation like Nuvothera.
You may find that turmeric helps give your furry children a longer, more comfortable life if incorporated correctly. And who doesn’t want more years with Fluffy and Fido?
“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” – Albert Einstein
A healthy life is a marathon, not a sprint. Chronic inflammation has many cascading orders of effects throughout the body which significantly impacts your long-term health – and even your wallet. Most chronic illnesses are related to inflammation and the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP) estimates that:
“90% of the nation’s $ 3.3 trillion (USD) annual health care expenditures are for people with chronic and mental health conditions.”
To support your anti-inflammatory lifestyle choices, consider using a daily, Super Micronized turmeric supplement like Nuvothera, as the smart botanical that takes you across the finish line.
