Back pain is something almost every Australian will experience at some point in their life. In fact, a survey conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics concluded that back problems are one of the most common ailments in the country, affecting millions of people every day. Estimates show that 80% of Australians will suffer back pain—typically lower back pain—in their lifetime.

With the prevalence of back pain so high, knowing treatment options is very important. For thousands of years, turmeric was used in traditional Asian medicine as a way of treating back pain due to its natural properties. Today, science is backing up those claims and has shown turmeric is a highly effective way to treat back problems and alleviate back pain.

How Turmeric Helps Treat Back Pain? One of the reasons back injuries are so painful is that muscles, tendons, and joint tissue around the discs in our back become inflamed. Due to this inflammation, nerves become stressed and pinched which can lead to sharp or throbbing pain that does not subside with time.

The outer layer of the human body – the skin – is often our first line of defense against various environmental factors. High temperatures can result in a mechanical damage to the skin, known as burns. Depending on their severity, burns can be treated with a wide range of home remedies, such as cold water, honey, salt, vinegar and tea tree, most of which can alleviate the symptoms and help the skin regenerate faster.

However, one of the most efficient ways to treat burns at home is by using turmeric. The active ingredient in turmeric, known as curcuminoid, has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties, which can greatly benefit burns treatment. The anti-microbial and healing properties of turmeric can speed up the skin recovery and help heal the wound much faster, whilst fighting potential infections.

There are a number of studies, suggesting that the anti-apoptotic properties of turmeric can prevent cell death, usually associated with burns. In an animal study, rats were given curcumin before and after a burn was inflicted and experienced less inflammatory lesions than that of the controlled group. In another study, the research team treated superficial burns with a turmeric gauze…

The Indian spice turmeric has a long list of benefits. However, there are also some side effects of its main active ingredient – curcumin to be aware about before taking it as a part of your diet. The good news is the turmeric in small doses is considered as safe for anyone, disregarding the side effects. In fact, it has been used as a spice to many dishes throughout the history and takes part as one of the most famous spices of the traditional Indian cuisine.

“When taken at recommended doses, turmeric and its ingredient curcumin are definitely safe” – this was a statement by the University of Maryland Medical Center. The National Institutes of Health classify the ingredient as ‘likely safe’, with many positive health benefits associated with it. Some of these benefits include turmeric’s effective anti-inflammatory properties, positive impact on the stomach issues as well as arthritis, osteoarthritis and psoriasis. Additionally, turmeric was found to be a great brain cell protector, and as many studies have proven – it protects our brain against the fatal effects of the Alzheimer’s dementia.

Many people ask us, “Should I take turmeric or curcumin?”.

Turmeric is whole food (root) and is grown for us to use as Mother Nature intended. Turmeric has an active ingredient called curcumin and the standard percentage of curcumin found in turmeric is between 2.5 – 5%.

The 95% Curcumin that people refer to is an extract of the natural curcumin from the turmeric. Once the curcumin is extracted is then standardised – concentrated, manufactured and processed to a range of 80-95% curcumin. You cannot get an organic curcumin standardised in the range of 80-95% simply because it does not naturally exist.

There are arguments for and against the natural food form vs an extracted active ingredient that is then processed for the commercial market.  It is a bit like asking which is better for you; eating the whole orange or taking a vitamin C tablet.  A whole orange will give you many benefits that a single vitamin c tablet may not.  Oranges have a wealth of nutrients.  Vitamin C  93%, Fibre 13%, Folate 10%, Vitamin B1 9%, Pathothenic Acid 7%, Copper 7%, Potassium 7%, Calcium 5%.  So by only taking an extract may not be getting the full benefits mother nature intended by eating the whole food.

Turmeric is whole food (root) and is grown for us to use as Mother Nature intended. Turmeric has an active ingredient called curcumin and the standard percentage of curcumin found in turmeric is between 3- 6 %.

The 95% Curcumin that people refer to is an extract of the natural curcumin from the turmeric. It is then taken and standardised – concentrated, manufactured and processed to a range of 80-95% curcumin. You cannot get an organic curcumin standardised in the range of 80-95% simply because it does not naturally exist.

There are arguments for and against the natural food form vs an extracted active ingredient that is then processed for the commercial market. It is a bit like asking which is better for you; eating the whole orange or taking a vitamin C tablet. A whole orange will give you many benefits that a single vitamin may not. Oranges have wealth of nutrients. Vitamin C 93%, Fibre 13%, Folate 10%, Vitamin B1 9%, Pathothenic Acid 7%, Copper 7%, Potassium 7%, Calcium 5%. So, by only taking an extract you may not be getting the full benefits Mother Nature intended by eating the whole food.

Have you been experiencing muscle cramps, foot pain or muscle “twitches”? You might think these are normal, but the truth is this may be a sign of an underlying health problem. Magnesium deficiency is one of the most under-diagnosed conditions, mostly because its symptoms can be incredibly subtle. The loss of appetite, nausea, fatigue, and muscle weakness that often accompany magnesium deficiency are often misattributed to different health problems; by the time that the actual root of the symptoms is discovered, patients report a variety of more severe complaints, including joint pain and inflammation, muscle tension, neck pain and even seizures and coronary spasms.

In fact, magnesium deficiency affects nearly every organ and system within the body. According to the National Institute of Health Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases National Resource Centre, people who suffer from chronic joint pain, including osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis, often have abnormally low levels of magnesium in their bodies. The deficiency might be caused by both low dietary intake or various malabsorption issues, and lead to a whole range of health complaints that exacerbate the lower the magnesium levels become.

Turmeric is well-known for its many health benefits. In the past few years, science has uncovered some of the amazing properties of the spice, which can prevent and treat some persisting health conditions.

Recently, a study explored the effect of turmeric on gingivitis – a periodontal disease, characterised by bad breath, irritation and inflammation of the gums. Participants in the study were patients diagnosed with gingivitis, who were assigned to either the turmeric mouthwash group, or the traditional chlorhexidine solution. Even though the latter was twice as potent as the turmeric one, results from the study strongly suggested that the turmeric mouthwash produced а significant decrease in inflammation. Apart from diminishing the symptoms of gingivitis, turmeric also reduced the plaque and bacterial activity, improving the oral health of the patients.

In addition, a study published in the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, confirmed that turmeric gel was efficient in treating gingivitis and significantly reduced its inflammatory components. These effects might be due to the proven properties of curcuma, as turmeric is also known, and its anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, antiseptic and immunostimulant action….

Just writing to let you know how much I appreciate your Turmeric capsules. They were recommended to me by a friend and initially although I was a little sceptical, within about a week I was already noticing improvement in my hands and feet. I have for some time suffered arthritis pain in these areas, especially of a morning. The joints in my fingers would be swollen and I would often wake up unable to easily straighten my fingers. They have improved dramatically and there is now almost no inflammation. I am so happy. Again, thank you for a wonderful product.

Alana Keys

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) and several other species of the curcuma genus grow wild in the forests of Southern Asia including India, Indonesia, Indochina, nearby Asian countries, and some Pacific Islands including Hawaii. All of these areas have traditional culinary and medicinal uses going back to pre-history.
In the Indian Ayurveda system of herbal medicine, turmeric is known as strengthening and warming to the whole body. Traditional uses in India include to improve digestion, to improve intestinal flora, to eliminate worms, to relieve gas, to cleanse and strengthen the liver and gallbladder, to normalize menstruation, for relief of arthritis and swelling, as a blood purifier, to warm and promote proper metabolism correcting both excesses and deficiencies, for local application on sprains, burns, cuts, bruises, insect bites and itches, for soothing action in cough and asthma, as antibacterial and anti-fungus, and in any condition of weakness or debility.

Introduction

Turmeric is likely best known as a pungent and bright yellow spice in Indian cuisine. It’s a tropical plant, and can only be grown outdoors if you live in zones 9 or warmer. Your plants won’t be able to tolerate any climate colder than 18°C.

Turmeric is different from most herbs in that you are not going to be harvesting the leaves, but the roots instead. The plant grows an underground tuber, or rhizome much like ginger does. It can take up to 10 months for a new crop of roots to develop, and it’s not a plant that you can harvest in small pieces through the season.

It’s closely related to ginger, and has a similar strong taste that is a little hard to describe. Turmeric is the main ingredient in most Indian curry powders. It sometimes goes by the name of Indian saffron but is not related to saffron at all.

Aside from its power as a seasoning, there is growing evidence of the health benefits from this herb. It’s high in anti-oxidants and may have anti-inflammatory or even anti-cancer properties.