Turmeric: A Natural Anti-Inflammatory

My husband pinched a nerve in his upper back and was sharing his plight with his hair-cutter, Yu-Yi. She is really into Eastern medicine and suggested that he try taking turmeric because it's a natural anti-inflammatory. Well it's not in my husband's nature to try something like that so he continued popping Advil but I took the info and went straight to my friend whose been complaining of neck pain. She and I share a stiff neck affliction from holding our phones in the nook of our neck. This is said to be very bad as a long term habit and something you will regret later when your neck is all whacked out. Try as I might though, I'm a phone talker who can't sit still so I walk around with my head cocked to the left several times a day.

So my friend gave the turmeric a shot and swears that it instantly helped her neck. She tried it two times, putting a spoonful in a glass of orange juice and chugging it. She said she felt a slight tingling sensation and her neck definitely felt better each time so she was off to find it in pill form. Yu-Yi said the pill form can be expensive so she just takes it in the ground herb form, mixing with water or juice. I am always a sucker for the natural remedies as opposed to OTC or prescription drugs so I can't wait to give this a try.

More on turmeric from The World's Healthiest Foods website:

A Potent, Yet Safe Anti-Inflammatory

The volatile oil fraction of turmeric has demonstrated significant anti-inflammatory activity in a variety of experimental models. Even more potent than its volatile oil is the yellow or orange pigment of turmeric, which is called curcumin. Curcumin is thought to be the primary pharmacological agent in turmeric. In numerous studies, curcumin's anti-inflammatory effects have been shown to be comparable to the potent drugs hydrocortisone and phenylbutazone as well as over-the-counter anti-inflammatory agents such as Motrin. Unlike the drugs, which are associated with significant toxic effects (ulcer formation, decreased white blood cell count, intestinal bleeding), curcumin produces no toxicity.