It won't be an exaggeration to say that turmeric (or as we call it Haldi in Hindi) is one wonder spice in our spice rack. From adding colour to the food to including nutrition in our diet - a pinch of Haldi does it all! It is a storehouse of antioxidants, vitamin C, iron, minerals etc and helps boost immunity, promote metabolism, burn fat and more. Adding to the long list of turmeric benefits, a new study has found that turmeric (Haldi) may also help treat chronic joint pains like knee osteoarthritis. The findings were published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.
As per the study by researchers from the University of Tasmania, Australia, turmeric has shown evidence to bring relief from arthritis-related knee pain. It was small-sized research conducted for 12 weeks and included 70 participants with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis.
By the end of the study, it was found that turmeric significantly lowered the overall knee pain. However, the researchers stated, "Multicenter trials with larger sample sizes are needed to assess the clinical significance of the findings."
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Speaking about the study findings, consultant nutritionist Rupali Datta said that the curcumin in turmeric is rich in anti-inflammatory properties. This further helps lower the arthritis-related pains. "In arthritis the whole joint gets inflamed, leading to pain and stiffness. The anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric help bring down or control the inflammation, thereby reducing stiffness in the joint. This spice is used in Ayurveda and traditional medicine for centuries. Besides, several scientific studies across the globe have also time-and-again proved the health benefits of turmeric."
Datta further recommended that one must not resort to turmeric supplements or pills; instead, it is always a better idea to include the spice naturally in your daily diet. "We generally use turmeric in our everyday cooking. You can also add it to water or milk to enjoy the benefits of Haldi detox water or Haldi doodh. One to two grams of turmeric per day is enough for your daily consumption. Try to add some black pepper to your turmeric-based drinks because the former helps with better absorption of curcumin."
Click here for a turmeric paste recipe that can be used to prepare nutritious turmeric tea, golden milk etc, in a jiffy.
Eat healthy, stay fit!