Easing back pain with turmeric
YOU may have heard wellness wellwarriors talking about the health benefits of turmeric, only to be left wondering how on earth the popular household spice has garnered such a cult following.
But the truth is, they’re on to something. Because more and more people are saying that the spice, used to give curry its yellow colour, is helping with various ailments including joint pain, which affects thousands.
A leading company, based in Cambridge, has received a flurry of praise for its turmeric supplement, crediting it with alleviating common health complaints including muscle pain and joint discomfort.
Professor Alf Lindberg, a member of the company’s high-profile scientific board, explains its superior delivery system. ‘It is well known that curcumin (the active ingredient in turmeric) is poorly absorbed in the gut.
‘The supplement combines curcumin with lecithin to prevent it being destroyed in the stomach. This allows it to be absorbed and distributed around the body.’ The results speak for themselves, with positive feedback and claims it is even turning lives around.
After 18 months of suffering from back pain, Roz Palmer (above) was at her wits’ end. ‘It was so bad that I could hardly stand upright,’ she says, adding that she was starting to resign herself to a life of permanent discomfort. ‘My mum had heard about turmeric and suggested that I had nothing to lose by trying it.’ she explains.
Three weeks on, Roz started to notice the benefits. ‘Now, I no longer have to hang on to desks to get from place to place at work and I’m not waking up at night from the pain.’
And David Mullins, 79, says: ‘My wife and I love walking, but I was being held back by lower back pain.’ A friend suggested he tried turmeric and after a few weeks, David realised he was walking further without pain.
From being able to manage only 100 yards, David is now free to stroll for over a mile-and-a-half and enjoy National Trust visits again.
‘The turmeric has made life a lot easier in that way. It’s helped my swimming as well. Before, I was doing five or six lengths. Now I can almost complete my full 32 lengths.’
The company is so confident about its product that it is giving away free packs to every one of its new customers.