When it comes to health foods turmeric has been on the rise in the west for a few years now.

As an anti-inflammatory it is really starting to leave its mark as well. This is something I now know since I have patients bringing it up to me once or twice each week when asking about using something more natural instead of taking a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) such as ibuprofen or naproxen. Listening to what they say and ask me about is my best way to judge of when something goes mainstream and is starting to gain some traction.

This article The Health Benefits of Turmeric: Better than Ibuprofen? from the Inquisitr helps point this out as well. It truly is nice to see such a large publication giving herbs and spices the clout they deserve, especially on such a healthy food. The author goes into multiple benefits of turmeric including:

• Arthritis and muscle pain
• Menstrual cramps
• Stroke prevention
• Aiding in bleeding gastric ulcers

The focus on using herbal remedies for pain control is really my favorite part of the article since this is something that I see everyday in my practice. There are patients that come in with one or multiple NSAIDs that they are taking and sometimes additional opioid painkillers that they are on, but they still are either in pain or just feel plain terrible. This can be due to the numerous side effects of these medications. Now I want to state that it is very important to discuss your medications with your physician, but this does not mean that you cannot speak to them about herbal remedies and healthy foods like turmeric to help calm inflammation!

An amazing quote in the article that I also want to share: “Over half of Americans have reported taking at least one herb in their life for a perceived health benefit, prevention, or cure of symptoms or illness.” That to me seems like a staggering statistic for two reasons:

1. Over half of all Americans believe that herbs and healthy foods can help with some type of health benefit.
2. Nearly half of all Americans either do not know how these foods can heal their body or they are skeptical despite the research.

How to Get More Turmeric

It has been argued by some research and herbalists that it may not be well absorbed. Even if this is true, it is not a reason to not take any in. There are many different ways to bring it into the body:

• Turmeric Root: Get the whole root and throw it in soups, stews or smoothies
• Powdered Turmeric: Use it as a seasoning in just about anything that you cook. You’ll begin to find out what it goes well with and don’t be shy with it (my favorite is on eggs).
• Tea: That’s right. Get some turmeric in a tea pouch or make your own tea by grating the root up very fine.
• Supplementation: For those who are a little less adventurous, or just need a little extra inflammation fighting power, you can always take in pill form.

As always, with each of the preparations make sure to get the highest quality you can by growing your own or buying Organic. You don’t want to lose the benefits of such powerful herbs and spices by getting ones that are covered in pesticides and herbicides, that actually will increase your inflammation.

Any way you slice it, turmeric is going to be a great alternative to ibuprofen and other NSAIDs. Go out and try it a few different ways to see how great your muscles and joints can feel.