Anyone take Turmeric for joint pain and inflammation?

[fatfillup]

Have been experiencing joint pain especially in my fingers more and more.  As us older guys do, we talk about our aches and pains and see what others are doing to combat them.  I read about turmeric (yes the spice) recently and it looked promising but of course promptly forgot about it    In talking with a customer yesterday who is my age, he has used turmeric for a while and all his joint pain went away.  He also was experiencing stomach problems (long history of it) and decided to stop all his supplements to see if they affected his stomach and within 3 days his joint pain was back. 

I am going to pick up a bottle of capsules and give it a try unless one of you guys has reasons I shouldn't.

[bonneyman]

Have not read to much on tumeric, Phil. But I've taken bromelain (pineapple enzyme) for inflammation and it works.

I did the Atkins diet many years ago (it worked great!). No longer do it religiously, but Robert Atkins authored a book that was all about supplements, their effects, and dosages for different conditions. Even if you're not doing his diet the supplement info in the book is worth the price of admission. Maybe you can find it used or at Amazon?

The book is called Dr. Atkins' Vita-Nutrient Solution

P.S. I just looked up tumeric in my copy of the book - he has 2 or 3 paragraphs on it.
He says the active ingredient - curcumin - makes up only about 1% of tumeric. So it's better to get curcumin capsules. He recommends starting at 400-1200 mg a day, but often doubles that for better results against arthritis and other inflammation problems.
FWIW

[goodfellow]

I've significantly cut down on carbs and sugar over the last four months. I've lost weight, but the real benefit was the reduced inflammation in my joints. I don't know what it is, but I speculate that as we get older, some of us seniors are getting more sensitive to wheat gluten and sugar, and our bodies react the same way as with allergies.

My personal feeling is that we overdose on gluten and sugar our entire lives, and in our senior years our immune systems can no longer cope with the onslaught, and it manifests itself in a variety of so-called "old age ailments". 

The most interesting aspect of reducing sugar and carb intake is that you regain your taste sensitivity to sugar and salt. I tasted an apple pie crust the other day. My wife thought it tasted delicious -- I on the other hand was overwhelmed by the sweetness and also the amount of salt in the crust. I couldn't eat it.

[Brophy]

Mrs Hippie swears by tumeric...she has been taking it daily for 20 years. Just mixed in water, nothing fancy.

I'm more of a CBD guy. 

...Rob

[J.A.F.E.]

FF I have no experience to help with the question. I have heard anecdotally of people being helped including one of my wifes friends but don't know any details.

GF brings up some interesting points about what we eat. I don't add salt to anything - and it's amazing how salty some things are. And it's in everything sometimes I find things inedible there is so much salt in it.

[DeadNutz]

Only supplement I take daily is fish oil and vitamin D. I do plan on asking my doctor at my checkup next month about other supplements. I cut eating sugar over 10 years ago and avoid it now and many things taste just too sweet. We don't add much salt when cooking but some things need a little. I do like my Lawry's garlic salt and seasoned salt but don't use much of it. It amazes me to see people reach for the salt shaker in a restaurant and put a ton of salt on their food before they even taste it.

I don't care for most of the sugar substitutes out there but the wife will make me banana nut bread using mostly Splenda with a small amount of sugar. It works well and the Splenda doesn't overwhelm the taste. I quit drinking sodas 10 years ago and don't miss them at all and I can't stand the taste of diet soda.

[bonneyman]

Only supplement I take daily is fish oil and vitamin D. I do plan on asking my doctor at my checkup next month about other supplements. I cut eating sugar over 10 years ago and avoid it now and many things taste just too sweet. We don't add much salt when cooking but some things need a little. I do like my Lawry's garlic salt and seasoned salt but don't use much of it. It amazes me to see people reach for the salt shaker in a restaurant and put a ton of salt on their food before they even taste it.

I don't care for most of the sugar substitutes out there but the wife will make me banana nut bread using mostly Splenda with a small amount of sugar. It works well and the Splenda doesn't overwhelm the taste. I quit drinking sodas 10 years ago and don't miss them at all and I can't stand the taste of diet soda.

I agree with you there but I think Coke Zero tastes pretty good.

[slip knot]

Coke Zero is my drink of choice, preferably with Jim Beam but the job kinda frowns on that.


I've been pre-diabetic for years. After a lot of finger pricks I've found that the carbs impact me way more than sugars. I can skip sweet tea and colas for an occasional dessert without much harm. But you get me 3 pieces of white bread and the BS level jumps up noticeably.


Since sugary sweets are off limits now, I crave them more than ever.


A lot of the local Hispanics are big on the herberias which are just naturals supplements. They do seem to work for some of them. 

[bonneyman]

Coke Zero is my drink of choice, preferably with Jim Beam but the job kinda frowns on that.


I've been pre-diabetic for years. After a lot of finger pricks I've found that the carbs impact me way more than sugars. I can skip sweet tea and colas for an occasional dessert without much harm. But you get me 3 pieces of white bread and the BS level jumps up noticeably.


Since sugary sweets are off limits now, I crave them more than ever.


A lot of the local Hispanics are big on the herberias which are just naturals supplements. They do seem to work for some of them.

I thought I might be leaning diabetic but last blood test I had the doc said I wasn't even pre-diabetic. I just think sugar just shoots up my blood pressure. I heard a reference to that in the movie, "The Shooter" with Mark Wahlberg. And I think it's true.

[walrus]

I've taken Tumeric,  I think it helps but it can hurt you if you take too much. Also do you trust its pure tumeric or is it fillers? If its from India or China, is it tainted with lead etc.  You need to eat black pepper also. It makes it more effective.
 
Might read up on Nightshades if its inflammation causing the issues

[nonhog]

Inflammatory issues, my new normal. People who don't have inflammation don't get it.
Heck I didn't get it. Now I too take tumeric.
Out of work and on disability since February.
Sugar is tough to drop considering natural sugars can be just as bad.
Alcohol is converted to sugar in your body. Ugh! All the fun stuff hurts.

[fatfillup]

Quit drinking 2 years ago so that isn't an issue.  Cut way back on carbs before that so I am ahead of that curve.  Eat very little fruit with the exceptions of raisins which I know are high in sugar. 

Have started walking 3 times a week and have lost several pounds. 

Going to the grocery store tonight and will look for the  curcumin capsules as suggested by BM in the second post.  If I can't find them, then turmeric capsules will do.  Knees are screaming today but the weather turned colder so that may be an issue. 

I think GF had a point about us as a society overloading on sugar and gluten causing some of our aging pains. 

I am hoping these measures help my aches as that will motivate me to keep it up.

[bonneyman]

Have a joint that's giving me stiffness and deep pain now, think it might be arthritis. Taking 2000mg of tumeric a day - see if I get some reduction in symptoms over the next month or two.

[Lookin4_67GalaxieConv]

Funny you bring this up, my wife just told me this past week about the benefits of tumeric as an anti inflammatory.

[fatfillup]

Well I took the turmeric for a couple of months but then switched our diet going somewhat organic and really cutting back on sugar and processed foods a year ago this month.  Knee pain is gone, shoulder pain is near gone. Hand pain is greatly reduced. I think cutting back on sugar is the main reason and also gluten.  Weigh about 205 lbs now. 

I will say the Christmas season has been hard on the diet but cleaning that up now.

[bonneyman]

Funny you bring this up, my wife just told me this past week about the benefits of tumeric as an anti inflammatory.

I was searching the old threads for something and came across Phil's thread on tumeric. My joint pain in the hands started about 4 months ago, and as I usually do when something goes amiss is look it up in Dr. Atkins Supplement book. Virtually everything he recommends that I try works like he said. (One thing did not). I highly recommend his book - it's not just for heart stuff and weight loss.

https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Atkins-Vita-Nutrient-Solution-Natures/dp/0684844885

Diet sure helps, too. I'm on vegetarian now with no sugar and detox herbs for 3-4 weeks. See if that helps my ills.

[Lookin4_67GalaxieConv]

I'll have to check that out George, thanks for the tip.