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Turmeric

(Known as Curcuma Longa, Curcumin, Curcuminoids, Turmeric)

Turmeric is one of the key ingredients in many curries, giving them color and flavor. The active compound in turmeric is known as curcumin. Curcumin has been shown to be highly effective at reducing joint pain and stiffness [5].If you're involved in any kind of sport or regular exercise, such as rugby, football, athletics or long-distance running, your joints will experience a massive amount of stress. Turmeric is an effective way to reduce the joint pain often caused by such activity. It's very popular with many athletes who want to protect their joints from future injury, and in those trying to recover more quickly from an existing injury..Curcumin, the active compound in turmeric, is excellent at relieving joint pain and reducing swelling. In Ayurvedic medicine, turmeric was prescribed for treatment of many conditions, including poor vision, rheumatic pains, and coughs.

Studies show that it has a wide range of therapeutic actions. First, it protects against free radical damage because it is a strong antioxidant [1, 2]. Second, it reduces inflammation by lowering histamine levels [3]. In fact, some research shows that curcumin is superior to some forms of medication for alleviating post-surgical inflammation [6]. Turmeric also protects the liver from a number of toxic compounds [4].

When buying Turmeric, make sure to look for extracts standardized at 90 to 95% curcuminoids. If this information is not listed on the supplement label, there's a good chance is contains little or none of the active ingredients, and will not be effective.

Turmeric extracts standardized at 90 to 95% curcuminoids can be taken several times per day to control inflammation and reduce injury risk. The effective dose ranges from 250-500 milligrams. This dose should be doubled to aid recovery and speed the healing of an existing injury.

Many athletes are using Turmeric in combination with glucosamine and/or chondroitin sulphate. Used in the recommended amounts, turmeric is generally safe. It has been used in large quantities as a condiment with no adverse reactions.
Although not every single study agrees, strong evidence from many well-designed trials indicate that turmeric is a highly effective way to alleviate joint pain and reduce swelling.Most experts believe that taking Turmeric is most effective when combined with other nutrients, including glucosamine (particularly the HCL form) and chondroitin sulfate . Although no study has tested this combination of nutrients, anecdotal reports from athletes who use it are very promising.

1. Sreejayan N, Rao MNA. (1996). Free radical scavenging activity of curcuminoids. Arzneimittelforschung, 46, 169-171
2. Ramirez-Boscá A, Soler A, Gutierrez MAC. (1995). Antioxidant curcuma extracts decrease the blood lipid peroxide levels of human subjects. Age, 18, 167-169
3. Arora RB, Basu N, Kapoor V, Jain AP. (1971). Anti-inflammatory studies on Curcuma longa (turmeric). Indian Journal of Medical Research, 59, 1289-1295
4. Kiso Y, Suzuki Y, Watanbe N. (1983). Antihepatotoxic principles of Curcuma longa rhizomes. Planta Medica, 49, 185-187
5. Deodhar SD, Sethi R, Srimal RC. (1980). Preliminary studies on antirheumatic activity of curcumin (diferuloyl methane). Indian Journal of Medical Research, 71, 632-634
6. Satoskar RR, Shah SJ, Shenoy SG. (1986). Evaluation of anti-inflammatory property of curcumin (diferuloyl methane) in patients with postoperative inflammation. International Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, Therapy, and Toxicology, 24, 651-654

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