Turmeric Benefits for Joints, Inflammation, and Muscles

Curious about the health benefits of turmeric, or maybe just turmeric in general?

Turmeric, a member of the ginger family, is an herb with an ancient past. Used in traditional Indian medicine (also known as Ayurveda), Turmeric was a treatment for common day ailments like gynecological problems, gastric problems, hepatic disorders, infectious diseases, and blood disorders [1]. It’s jam-packed with compounds and antioxidants that can help your mind and body flourish, and over the years has been deemed a superfood.

Keep reading to learn more about this amazing spice!

What Are Turmeric Supplements?

First of all, you should know that the easiest way to get a daily dose of turmeric in your diet is via supplementation. In capsule form, turmeric powder is easy to consume, convenient to take amidst a busy schedule, and brimming with health benefits. 

Turmeric supplements are simply the spice turmeric in capsule form. Turmeric supplements can provide a more concentrated dose of curcumin and other curcuminoids.

What is Curcumin?

Okay, so we know what turmeric is. But, what is this curcumin we mentioned? 

If you thought that curcumin and turmeric are not the same thing, you’d be right. 

The turmeric plants' rhizome, or the stem found underground, is used to make what we’ve come to know and love as turmeric. Inside this rhizome, or rootstalk, is curcumin. This compound—turmeric’s primary bioactive substance and/or curcuminoid—gives turmeric its bright orange color, along with a wagon-load of health benefits [2]. 

Curcumin, according to recent studies, can help with the management of oxidative and inflammatory conditions, metabolic syndrome, arthritis, anxiety, and hyperlipidemia [3]. 

In fact, curcumin is the key to every turmeric supplement. Turmeric has a curcumin content of about 3% in weight, so it would be difficult to reach above a 1-gram dosage of curcumin per day without the help of supplements. Plus, plain curcumin extract has a very poor absorption rate in the human body [4]. 

What does that mean?

That means the best kind of turmeric supplement should contain BioPerine Black Pepper Extract. Why? BioPerine extract contains piperine, which is a compound found in black pepper that enhances curcumin absorption by up to 2,000% [5].

The best turmeric supplements are also made with BSE, or Boswellia Serrata, which has shown to positively affect oxidative stress, inflammation, and glycation in joint pain [6].

So, what exactly can turmeric curcumin supplements do?

Joints & Muscles

Turmeric Curcumin can help alleviate symptoms of sore joints and muscle soreness after exercise, plus support healthy brain function [2].

According to experts, turmeric curcumin could help you improve muscle recovery, boost overall exercise performance, and boost cognitive function [7,8]. These studies suggest that turmeric curcumin could be helpful in reducing post-exercise soreness many athletes or gym buffs face, plus possibly aiding in alleviating mood swings and/or anxiety.

Joint Health Support:

Turmeric has a long track record (over 4,000 years) of benefits, including supporting healthy joint function via the compound curcumin. Due to its soothing properties, curcumin can help reduce joint tenderness, support joint range of motion and mobility, and reduce joint discomfort [9].

Muscle Strength Support:

The compounds (curcuminoids) found in turmeric, according to experts, have been shown to support muscle strength during periods of physical inactivity. Experts contend that turmeric might be helpful in muscle recovery for this reason [9].

Inflammation

Curcumin, an active ingredient in Turmeric, can help reduce inflammation and maintain a healthy inflammatory response [10].

Curcumin has many anti-inflammatory properties. Because of these properties, curcumin has the potential to regulate transcription factors, cytokines, protein kinases, enzymes, and many other sub-processes and compounds that are involved in inflammation [11].

So, when your body thinks it is being “attacked” via an inflammatory response, curcumin could help to reduce that response. Some studies have shown that curcumin might be more effective than ibuprofen or aspirin as an anti-inflammatory [12].

Supporting a Healthy Response to Inflammation:

Some studies have shown that curcumin could act as an anti-inflammatory, which could help to support overall health.

Antioxidants

Turmeric can increase the antioxidant capacity of the body [2].

Antioxidants are important for your body because they can protect you from free radicals, which have the ability to increase oxidative stress, and react with organic compounds like fatty acids, proteins, or even DNA [13,14]. Curcumin is a very strong antioxidant, able to neutralize free radicals, and possibly even stimulate the action of other antioxidants in the body [15,16]. 

Antioxidant Support: 

Because curcumin is a potent antioxidant, it can potentially aid in blocking free radicals from harming the body, increase overall antioxidant capacity, and promote a balanced and healthy immune system [15]. 

Turmeric Supplements: Are They Worth It?

Yes! We believe Turmeric Curcumin supplements have the potential to help your overall wellness and being, including inflammation, antioxidant support, muscle recovery, brain function, joint support, and more. This kind of supplement is excellent for athletes looking to enhance their exercise performance, or for anyone looking to boost their overall wellness in an easy way. 

When looking for a turmeric supplement that works, you’ll want to consider the following factors:

1. Is it manufactured within the USA?
2. Is it made with standardized extracts of curcuminoids?
3. Is the formulation made with enhanced absorption? 

We recommend the Pattern Wellness Turmeric Curcumin Supplement. 

Not only does this dietary supplement come with 60 vegan capsules per bottle, but it has the following benefits for self-care of the mind and body:

*Always consult your doctor or healthcare professional first before using any dietary supplements, and make sure to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines. Side effects are a possibility when any supplement is taken in high doses or if a person has sensitivities. Please be mindful and safe!* 

What do you think - do turmeric supplements live up to the hype? Our community would love to hear from you! 

Resources:

1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2020, May). Turmeric. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Retrieved from https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/turmeric. 
2. Gunnars, K. (2021, May 7). 10 proven health benefits of turmeric and curcumin. Healthline. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-turmeric#1.-Turmeric-contains-bioactive-compounds-with-medicinal-properties.  
3. Hewlings, S. J., & Kalman, D. S. (2017, October 22). Curcumin: A review of its effects on human health. Foods (Basel, Switzerland). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5664031/. 
4. He, Y., Yue, Y., Zheng, X., Zhang, K., Chen, S., & Du, Z. (2015). Curcumin, inflammation, and chronic diseases: how are they linked?. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 20(5), 9183–9213. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules20059183. 
5. Shoba, G., Joy, D., Joseph, T., Majeed, M., Rajendran, R., & Srinivas, P. S. (1998). Influence of piperine on the pharmacokinetics of curcumin in animals and human volunteers. Planta medica, 64(4), 353–356. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2006-957450. 
6. Chilelli, N. C., Ragazzi, E., Valentini, R., Cosma, C., Ferraresso, S., Lapolla, A., & Sartore, G. (2016). Curcumin and Boswellia serrata Modulate the Glyco-Oxidative Status and Lipo-Oxidation in Master Athletes. Nutrients, 8(11), 745. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu8110745. 
7. Campbell, M. S., Carlini, N. A., & Fleenor, B. S. (2021). Influence of curcumin on performance and post-exercise recovery. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 61(7), 1152–1162. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2020.1754754. 
8. Mishra, S., & Palanivelu, K. (2008). The effect of curcumin (turmeric) on Alzheimer's disease: An overview. Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology, 11(1), 13–19. https://doi.org/10.4103/0972-2327.40220. 
9. Felson, S. (2022, January 23). Health benefits of Turmeric. WebMD. Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-turmeric. 
10. Akhtar, N., & Haqqi, T. M. (2012). Current nutraceuticals in the management of osteoarthritis: a review. Therapeutic advances in musculoskeletal disease, 4(3), 181–207. https://doi.org/10.1177/1759720X11436238. 
11. Aggarwal, B. B., & Harikumar, K. B. (2009). Potential therapeutic effects of curcumin, the anti-inflammatory agent, against neurodegenerative, cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic, autoimmune and neoplastic diseases. The international journal of biochemistry & cell biology, 41(1), 40–59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocel.2008.06.010. 
12. Takada, Y., Bhardwaj, A., Potdar, P., & Aggarwal, B. B. (2004). Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents differ in their ability to suppress NF-kappaB activation, inhibition of expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and cyclin D1, and abrogation of tumor cell proliferation. Oncogene, 23(57), 9247–9258. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.onc.1208169. 
13. Sikora, E., Scapagnini, G., & Barbagallo, M. (2010). Curcumin, inflammation, ageing and age-related diseases. Immunity & ageing : I & A, 7(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.1186/1742-4933-7-1. 
14. Lobo, V., Patil, A., Phatak, A., & Chandra, N. (2010). Free radicals, antioxidants and functional foods: Impact on human health. Pharmacognosy reviews, 4(8), 118–126. https://doi.org/10.4103/0973-7847.70902. 
15. Menon, V. P., & Sudheer, A. R. (2007). Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin. Advances in experimental medicine and biology, 595, 105–125. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-46401-5_3. 
16. Sharifi-Rad, J., Rayess, Y. E., Rizk, A. A., Sadaka, C., Zgheib, R., Zam, W., Sestito, S., Rapposelli, S., Neffe-Skocińska, K., Zielińska, D., Salehi, B., Setzer, W. N., Dosoky, N. S., Taheri, Y., El Beyrouthy, M., Martorell, M., Ostrander, E. A., Suleria, H., Cho, W. C., Maroyi, A., … Martins, N. (2020). Turmeric and Its Major Compound Curcumin on Health: Bioactive Effects and Safety Profiles for Food, Pharmaceutical, Biotechnological and Medicinal Applications. Frontiers in pharmacology, 11, 01021. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2020.01021.