Turmeric – Nature’s anti Inflammatory

Nature Sense is not just about being out in nature it’s also about an ancestral rediscovery of it’s gold  ..

How better than to take a close up look at Mother Nature’s actual gold – Turmeric – along with it’s radiant component – Curcumin

You may have first come across turmeric as the orangey yellowy spice adding a zing to your curry.  It would be doing it an injustice to believe that it begins and ends there. These days Turmeric is everywhere from posh lattes to luxury chocolate and staining your tongue if it’s been sprinkled  into a health shot, salad or smoothies.

It’s been around forever – they say the gold that was brought by the three wise men was actually turmeric, which would make sense as frankincense and myrrh were also both revered medicines in times past.  So what’s at the root of this root?  Why so popular in times present?

It’s been touted as a miracle remedy for everything from inflammation to cancer due to its ability to help boost your cells’ resistance to damage and infection.   The most studied part of turmeric is curcumin which is not to say the rest of this spice is not important, it’s just that it accounts for most of it, so has received a lot of attention.   And with reason.

First however is a concept called bioavailability. This means how easily your body can make use of something.  Curcumin is not so much bioavailable on it’s own and is only fat soluble  – but if you pair it with a friend that is – pepper – it is in a class of it’s own!  The rest of the turmeric is more bioavailable and is water soluble  .. so your best way of availing of this ancient healer is take – both.  For instance, I take curcumin in the morning with a smoothie (with Omega or MCT oil )  but during the day I  break open a couple of turmeric capsules into what I’m cooking.  If I’m feeling achey – as curcumin is great for inflammation – I’ll have one with anything rich in oils at the same time –  increasing that bioavailability.

You can’t have too much of this stuff as it’s like some vitamins – it doesn’t hang around for a long time in your system.  Basically, the more the merrier.  After all it’s been around with proven healthy outcomes in Ayurvedic medicine for over 4,000 years.  Now that’s a long time in the bigger system of things!

The internet is full of information on both Curcumin and Turmeric, so no point in duplicating it.  The point of this article is to get you looking into ancient practices that have worked, to empower yourself and come back with questions ( if you can’t find answers that work for you).  Most of all it’s to open your eyes and mind into living well, knowing that living in harmony with nature and trusting in it’s bounty – gets us closer to our optimal living template and further helping us down regulate the stress and inflammation of modern living.

So I’ll sign off with a few things that Turmeric (and curcumin with pepper) is good for. Essentially it is known for its anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor and antioxidant effects and a strong standby for skin conditions, digestive issues, period pains as well as many other aches and pains including arthritis. More recently it’s been found that contribute to protecting your brain as you age and has shown promise in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.

Here are some of the areas in which both turmeric and curcumin have shown clear benefits, backed by science:   Osteoarthritis: Obesity: Heart disease: Diabetes:  Liver:  Cancer: Antifungal: Antibacterial:

Using your favourite search engine – search Turmeric and your issue and presto you’ll have started on your journey.  Also look at the many amazing recipes that uses Turmeric including Golden Milk an age old yogic and Ayurvedic application.

UPDATE: I’ve been asked quite a number of times in both private consults and our Nature Sense course “what my favourite Curcumin supplement is?”  – it’s from the nordic company AAVALabs  and if you use BMCC at check out you’ll get a discount.