Turmeric is an old Indian spice that contains something called curcumin.
Curcumin has many healing properties and has been used in traditional medicine in China and India for a long time. The western world has opened their eyes to the plant and has also done lots of research.
How Can It Improve Your Performance?
Enhance Muscle Repair
Studies have shown that curcumin improves the bodies muscle repair, which leads to faster recovery times.
(source: http://www.roadcycling.co.nz/Coach/turmeric-enhances-peak-performance.html)
Reduce Inflammation
When using turmeric before your exercise session, you may reduce inflammation and muscle damage.
Inflammation is also a huge factor in many chronic diseases. Reducing inflammation may be helpful in alzheimers, multiple sclerosis, arthritis and other chronic diseases.
The herb has been as effective as some anti inflammatory medicines in some studies: (source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19594223)
Osteoarthritis
Turmeric may be good for helping to treat osteoarthritis, it reduces both inflammation and pain in a study in Thailand. The effect of turmeric was similar to the effect of regular medicines for the disease.
(Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19678780)
How Can I Integrate It In My Diet?
Curcumin is best absorbed together with a source of fat and piperine (extracted from black pepper). Here are three tips that can help you get it in your diet:
- You can make something called gold milk, which you get by combining turmeric powder with black pepper and add milk, coconut milk, or almond milk.
- Mix it in a smoothie. The flavour is pretty well masked by the other flavours of the smoothie.
- Make it into a tea. Boil the powder or slices of the herb. Add honey for flavour.
Is It Really Worth It?
That depends on you, if you like me have problems with muscle recovery, pain and inflammation, I think it is worth a try.
Jesse Young
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