Alzheimers, Osteoarthritis & Turmeric
Turmeric is flying off the shelves of natural food stores across the nation as researchers continue to find evidence that it is a naturally potent way to deal with Alzheimer’s disease and Osteoarthritis.
Ongoing research with animal and human testing is showing Turmeric to be an all around powerful tool for minimizing the effects of Alzheimer’s disease, as well as the inflammation associated with Osteoarthritis.
“What we have in turmeric is something that appears to inhibit the development of Alzheimer’s diseaseand actually help to reduce the occurrence of plaque in the brain if you have it,” explained Chris Kilham, an ethnobotanist.
“We know in animal studies, when animals actually have amyloid beta plaque in their brains and they’re given turmeric rootthat plaque is reduced.”
“In countries where people consume a lot of [turmeric], there’s a very low incidence of Alzheimer’s disease,” said Kilham. “In India and Southeast Asia, it’s a rare disease. And [in the U.S.] it’s very, very common.”
Recent studies show that when taking turmeric derived supplements, sufferers of Osteoarthritis reduce their reliance on standard painkillers (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs) by 63 percent compared to patients on conventional medical therapy alone.
“This is great news for people who suffer from osteoarthritis and the physicians who treat them,” said Mark Blumenthal, Founder and Executive Director of the nonprofit American Botanical Council, an independent herbal medicine research and education organization in Austin, Texas.
“Turmeric has long been known to have anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties and this trial, on this special turmeric extract, is another important step towards validating the curcumin in turmeric as an increasingly popular herbal dietary supplement.
When one considers the overall safety of turmeric extract and curcumin, especially compared to some of the pharmaceutical drugs which have had to be removed from the market due to serious safety concerns, the growing clinical evidence for the use of turmeric extract is compelling,” Blumenthal added.
