Studies have shown that curcumin supplements may be more effective than anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of joint inflammation in people with rheumatoid arthritis.
Turmeric is the spice that gets the credit for giving curry its golden color. It comes from the Curcuma longa plant and is in the same family as ginger. It’s also been used in India for centuries both for cooking and for medicinal purposes.
If you keep a well-stocked spice rack, chances are you’ve got a bottle of turmeric in there. However frequently you use it, you may not be aware of the many health and nutritional benefits this yellow spice has to offer, or the different ways you can use it. Here, a dietitian breaks it all down.
Like ginger, turmeric also has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a strong antioxidant as it contains curcumin, says Sarah Steele, RDN, a La Mesa, California-based dietitian and a metabolic success coach at Signos. The antioxidants in curcumin work to neutralize free radicals, helping to reduce your chances of having heart disease and cancer, among other conditions.
Additionally, studies have shown that curcumin supplements may be more effective than anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of joint inflammation in people with rheumatoid arthritis. Research shows that it may be helpful in treating depression as well.
According to Steele, turmeric supplements are best if taken as curcumin, an extract of turmeric, and taken in doses of 500mg one to two times per day. Be sure to first check with your doctor before beginning to take a new supplement like turmeric.
“Turmeric is best absorbed if consumed with a healthy fat and with some piperine, a component of black pepper,” she says. “You only need a pinch if adding it to a recipe, and when buying supplements, look for one containing piperine or black pepper.”
Turmeric can be added as a spice to all kinds of foods, with one of the most popular methods being in tea, or in golden milk, a hot Indian drink containing turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, and honey or maple syrup, all combined with an unsweetened milk of your choice.
“Although the bulk of the benefits seen in research are from higher doses of curcumin in supplements, there is still some benefit to consuming turmeric in teas, as golden milk, in curries, [baked goods], soups, smoothies, scrambled eggs and more,” Steele says.
Since turmeric and ginger come from the same spice family, they naturally both provide powerful anti-inflammatory benefits, Steele says.
“They also both lend themselves to similar dishes so are often paired together in recipes,” she says. “Many herbs and spices can have a synergistic effect when combined and so it can be beneficial to use both turmeric and ginger together.”
If you’re hopeful that adding turmeric into your routine may help you shed a few pounds, you may be in luck. Recent studies suggest that curcumin may have a beneficial role in weight loss, Steele says.
“Curcumin can help boost BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) which helps maintain and increase brain neurons /neural pathways and may positively affect the area of the brain involved in eating, drinking, body weight, memory, and learning,” she explains.
In other words, opting for turmeric tea or golden milk may lend itself to helping you make more nutrition-conscious decisions when debating having a sugary snack or drink.