Do you take turmeric?

[Hyacinth]

If so, why, how, how much, and what results have you noticed? Thanks!

[creekland]

I've taken one capsule of turmeric once per day (almost always mornings) for the past year or two.  I started because it's supposed to be good for inflammation and that's possibly a cause of health issues I'm dealing with.  My thought at the time was, "why not?"

 

We also use it a fair bit in cooking (making our own yellow rice, adding it to tuna or macaroni salads, adding it to sauteed veggies or as a spice for meats, etc), but on most days not nearly as much as I'll get from that capsule.

 

I never really noticed a difference with my health issues, but those might not be inflammation related.

 

I did notice my digestive system becoming more regular (less constipated), but shrugged that off and more or less forgot about it.

 

Then... this past month we went on a three week trip.  I decided to leave the turmeric home rather than deal with it.  Bad decision.

 

Not immediately, but as the trip went on, my digestive system missed it.  At the end, it was really evident.  I know this can happen when traveling vs at home (different water, different foods, different patterns in general), but it hasn't happened on trips before when I continued it - including some as long or longer with more differences from home.

 

Once home and back to taking turmeric again, life is back to normal - within a day or two.   :coolgleamA:   I doubt I'll be giving it up.  If nothing else, I've conditioned my body to need it - or maybe it's a placebo, but hey, if the placebo works, is it really a problem?

 

FWIW, I also take a multi-vitamin each morning and started taking Culturelle (probiotic) this past January.  I took both of those on my trip and might have missed a day or two, but not many.  The Culturelle obviously didn't take turmeric's place in my digestive system.  I'll probably discontinue that when this box is finished since I've noticed no difference whatsoever from it.  (I picked it up during a round of antibiotic use and kept it until now - just in case it was helpful.)

[madteaparty]

I never remember to take the pills, but I do buy turmeric root and brew it in my tea along with ginger, almost everyday. I mainly do this for DH who is in remission from rheumatoid arthritis. So i can't tell what it does for me, as I take other supplements, but I know it is not hurting and DH continues to be in remission, so. We also eat a lot of garlic. I mean I don't think any one single thing will make a world of difference, but maybe the cumulative effect?

[Seasider]

Creekland (and others), what amount are you taking? I tried and one capsule was too much for me (cramping and nausea). Thinking maybe I could start slow and increase to a regular dose over time. Anyone tried this?

[Denisemomof4]

I can't give amounts because I'm out at the moment. I am going to start to make golden paste which you can find a recipe for on the Internet. I notice I am not as swollen when I take it. My rings are looser but I have a problem ankle, badly sprained and re injured while sprained, years ago which is so swollen doctors tell me you can't even tell there's an ankle in there. While taking the supplements, there is no swelling in my ankle.i have had severe foot pain my entire life, no matter what I do. The supplement takes it away completely unless I'm wearing bad ahoes with no support for a long walk/day. Since I ran out I am in a lot of pain everywhere. It's either my Lymes or fibro (I was never told I have Fibro) but my body is aching so bad today that as soon as u finish up my coffee, I'm going to make my golden paste. Turmeric is absorbed 100 or 1000 times better with pepper added to it, requires a fat to carry it through to the intestines, and requites HRST for optimal results. Let me go see if I can find a link to the recipe

[Denisemomof4]

http://www.turmericlife.com.au/turmeric-recipes-golden-paste/

[Jean in Newcastle]

I was taking curcumin (the anti-inflammatory ingredient in tumeric) on the advice of my naturopathic doc.  I took 500 mg in the a.m. and 500 mg in the p.m.  I was told that it takes up to 3 weeks to reach it's optimal therapeutic level in your body.

 

More recently the naturopathic doctor switched me from the tumeric to boswellia (another natural anti-inflammatory).  Boswellia is a little bit less likely to cause upsets to my system.  Boswellia is also more suited to some of the kinds of inflammation I have, including helping to regulate bloodsugar levels.  I take 400 mg. of boswellia in the a.m. and 400 mg. of boswellia in the p.m. 

Edited March 23, 2016 by Jean in Newcastle

[creekland]

Creekland (and others), what amount are you taking? I tried and one capsule was too much for me (cramping and nausea). Thinking maybe I could start slow and increase to a regular dose over time. Anyone tried this?

 

I take one 500mg capsule once per day every morning - along with a few cashews since I swallow pills more easily with food.  (I chew the cashews first, then pop any pill in right before swallowing.)

 

Except when a recipe calls for it (like yellow rice) we never exactly measure out how much we add.  I use a baby spoon to give me my amounts with salads, etc, and just sprinkle it on with sauteing. 

 

It never adversely affected me, but within a week or so I noticed  the benefit with digestion.  It probably took a week and a half or so before I noticed the effect of stopping it.  This assumes I can give credit to turmeric for both, of course, but if not, it was terribly coincidental and I wasn't expecting to see either making me doubt it was due to thinking it would be that way.  I started it to help with inflammation and decided not to take it along on the trip due to thinking it wasn't really doing anything, so why bother hauling it with us.

 

I've since decided I won't stop taking it.

 

My rings are looser

...

Turmeric is absorbed 100 or 1000 times better with pepper added to it, requires a fat to carry it through to the intestines, and requites HRST for optimal results. Let me go see if I can find a link to the recipe

 

Interestingly enough, my rings are looser too.  I thought that was due to losing significant weight.  But now that you mention it, I don't recall any loose ring issues while traveling, so perhaps it is doing something.  I may not have been putting two and two together properly - expecting assistance with other issues (that never materialized).

 

I suspect the cashews I eat with it provide the fat that is helpful.  ;)

 

Black pepper or green/red pepper?

 

When we cook black pepper is another spice we use along with turmeric most of the time.  When I mix salads I always include green peppers... I like "stuff" in my macaroni/tuna salads.  Green peppers are one of those.  Black pepper gets added too.

[Journey]

Yes, I take it, my dog takes it and our two horses take it....we take the golden paste.  it has stopped my dog from limping and i'm almost certain that it has helped with her coughing.  My one horse has a bone chip in her knee and was a limping mess, she has stopped limping as badly as she was.  our other horse rears and plays now and he never reared in all the time we had him.  I actually ran up my driveway the other day and I can't tell you when the last time I ran was.  I have to say that I am a believer when I once wasn't!

[redsquirrel]

I make a quart of turmeric and ginger tea every day. I have a vita mix and my supermarket always stocks fresh turmeric and ginger.  I just blend about half an ounce of fresh ginger and half an ounce of fresh turmeric with 4 cups of water in the vitamix.  I add a dash of powdered vitamin C to keep it from going oxidizing. Then I heat it up in the microwave and drink it. 

 

I find it very helpful for my poor circulation in the winter. It warms me right up, sometimes to the point that my cheeks get a little red. This is rather amazing b/c my hands are frequently so cold that I can't make the touchscreen on my iphone register my touch. I spend all of November-May wearing piles of wool clothing.

 

I also think it has helped my dry skin, I am much less itchy this winter, and I have a bit more energy. I recently noticed that when I exercise my muscles are much less sore than I expected them to be.

 

 

[Liz CA]

I also take Optimal Curcumin by "Seeking Health." When my back acts up I take more, but normally I take about 500mg a day split into 2 doses.

[friscomom]

I always add ground organic turmeric to all  my curries and side dishes. (I am from India...its just become a habit to add turmeric to anything savory)

I also give it to my son, mixed with ground ginger and long pepper with honey to strengthen his respiratory system.

I have never tried taking it as a supplement, so its nice to hear that its helping so many of you with inflammation.

[happi duck]

This intrigues me...great thread!

[madteaparty]

I make a quart of turmeric and ginger tea every day. I have a vita mix and my supermarket always stocks fresh turmeric and ginger. I just blend about half an ounce of fresh ginger and half an ounce of fresh turmeric with 4 cups of water in the vitamix. I add a dash of powdered vitamin C to keep it from going oxidizing. Then I heat it up in the microwave and drink it.

 

I find it very helpful for my poor circulation in the winter. It warms me right up, sometimes to the point that my cheeks get a little red. This is rather amazing b/c my hands are frequently so cold that I can't make the touchscreen on my iphone register my touch. I spend all of November-May wearing piles of wool clothing.

 

I also think it has helped my dry skin, I am much less itchy this winter, and I have a bit more energy. I recently noticed that when I exercise my muscles are much less sore than I expected them to be.

Interesting, I make tea but just by steeping ginger and turmeric in warm water along with my flavored green tea. What kind of Vit c powder do you use? I have some from back when I made my own bit c serum for face, but I suspect it needs to be food grade ;) I can't imagine the Vit c survives the microwaving though

Do you make the paste each day? That would be a pain here but maybe I can refrigetate...

[madteaparty]

I always add ground organic turmeric to all my curries and side dishes. (I am from India...its just become a habit to add turmeric to anything savory)

I also give it to my son, mixed with ground ginger and long pepper with honey to strengthen his respiratory system.

I have never tried taking it as a supplement, so its nice to hear that its helping so many of you with inflammation.

I also do this and add it to broth as well

[creekland]

Yes, I take it, my dog takes it and our two horses take it....we take the golden paste.  it has stopped my dog from limping and i'm almost certain that it has helped with her coughing.  My one horse has a bone chip in her knee and was a limping mess, she has stopped limping as badly as she was.  our other horse rears and plays now and he never reared in all the time we had him.  I actually ran up my driveway the other day and I can't tell you when the last time I ran was.  I have to say that I am a believer when I once wasn't!

 

I never thought of giving it to any of our ponies.  We have one broodmare here who came to us after going lame showing, but nothing the vets did could pinpoint what it was (even nerve blocking didn't show them).  She seems happy, but is lame.  She was so good in the show ring that we're using her as a broodmare.  (We bred her so I also want to make sure she has a good retirement home.)

 

So... I gotta ask.  How much do you give your horses?  She's a large pony coming in at 14.1+.  

 

Did you have any problems with them liking it?  She's not fond of anything other than carrots or apples added to her feed, but I'm willing to try to see if it helps her.

 

I find it very helpful for my poor circulation in the winter. It warms me right up, sometimes to the point that my cheeks get a little red. This is rather amazing b/c my hands are frequently so cold that I can't make the touchscreen on my iphone register my touch. I spend all of November-May wearing piles of wool clothing.

 

This also is making me wonder!  On this last trip - a little less than one week in (three week trip) - I noticed that my hands were going crazy in both hot and cold water.  You could literally see an extremely vivid road map from the veins on them.  It was like someone had drawn it in pen and some areas were starting to fill in purple in places.  It was really, really weird - I even showed hubby to make sure it wasn't my mind going crazy.  He used the same water and couldn't replicate anything remotely the same.  That lasted to some degree the whole trip.  I figured I hadn't noticed it before the trip because I tend to use reasonably warm water at home - but at some rest areas, etc, that's not an option, so it stood out.

 

On top of that, I was cold in 75 degree weather - pulling on a jacket when everyone else my age was in shorts.  It was frustrating.  Sudafed stopped this last one and might have diminished some of the hand/vein deal as I couldn't show the boys how it looked at full strength like I could with hubby.  It was still there some though - enough that they could easily see it.

 

Today I just noticed that my hands are totally fine both in cold and hot water (been preparing a roasted turkey, so washed veggies in cold and used as hot as I could stand to clean up afterward).

 

The thermometer in my house is telling me it's 71 and I'm ok in short sleeves.

 

I have to wonder if the turmeric was doing more than I gave it credit for...

 

We've been home for one week now and I restarted it as soon as we returned.

 

This thread has been intriguing.

Edited March 23, 2016 by creekland

[Chris in VA]

I can't give amounts because I'm out at the moment. I am going to start to make golden paste which you can find a recipe for on the Internet. I notice I am not as swollen when I take it. My rings are looser but I have a problem ankle, badly sprained and re injured while sprained, years ago which is so swollen doctors tell me you can't even tell there's an ankle in there. While taking the supplements, there is no swelling in my ankle.i have had severe foot pain my entire life, no matter what I do. The supplement takes it away completely unless I'm wearing bad ahoes with no support for a long walk/day. Since I ran out I am in a lot of pain everywhere. It's either my Lymes or fibro (I was never told I have Fibro) but my body is aching so bad today that as soon as u finish up my coffee, I'm going to make my golden paste. Turmeric is absorbed 100 or 1000 times better with pepper added to it, requires a fat to carry it through to the intestines, and requites HRST for optimal results. Let me go see if I can find a link to the recipe

 

Ds makes his own capsules (he empties cheap fiber capsules and puts the tumeric in them; they are fairly large, but IDK how big, exactly) and adds black pepper to it--just a tiny bit does the trick.

 

He takes it faithfully, I don't, but dd did a few times and it helped with period cramps.

 

[Journey]

^{Creekland, our mare with the lamness issue gets a teaspoon full then another heaping teaspoon full.  We mix in right in her grain and she eats it right up.  We mix it in our gelding's beet pulp and he doesn't notice the difference either! She gets it twice a day and right now because he's at the trainer he's only getting it once but when he comes back to our barn he'll be getting it twice a day}

Edited March 23, 2016 by Journey

[MIch elle]

I don't take it; I eat it.  I put it into boiling water for rice, soup, stews, meat, chicken but not my tea!

[6packofun]

I take a turmeric supplement (capsules):  http://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-turmeric-extract-curcumin-c3-complex-with-bioperine-1160-mg-per-serving-120-capsules-10

 

My knees and hips can tell when I don't take it.  It's one of those things where I started taking it, wasn't quite sure it was doing anything for a couple weeks and then I realized that my knees weren't killing me when going up and down the stairs!  lol  I wouldn't call it a miracle supplement, BUT it works well enough for me to continue taking it.  

[redsquirrel]

Interesting, I make tea but just by steeping ginger and turmeric in warm water along with my flavored green tea. What kind of Vit c powder do you use? I have some from back when I made my own bit c serum for face, but I suspect it needs to be food grade ;) I can't imagine the Vit c survives the microwaving though

Do you make the paste each day? That would be a pain here but maybe I can refrigetate...

 

I don't make a paste.  Like I said, I blend the fresh ginger and turmeric with 4 cups of water and about half a gram of vitamin C powder. It makes 4 cups of liquid that I drink, not a paste.

 

I just buy the vitamin C at our local health food store in the vitamin section. It is a store brand. I've never heard of vitamin C that isn't food grade. I have friends who make the vitamin C face serum from what we can get at the store. It is very inexpensive. It does survive the microwave, because without it, the tea oxidizes and turns a very dark yellow when I heat it. With the vitamin C powder it stays a bright yellow even after heated through. I suspect you could achieve the same with lemon juice or some orange juice added.

 

It stains the heck out of my vitamix though, lol.

 

 

[iamonlyone]

I try to eat a teaspoon a day with black pepper and olive oil (like in chili or cooked in an egg, etc.). That is a lot of powdered turmeric for my taste, and I am really looking forward to trying the gold paste recipe. Thank you, Denisemomof4!

[creekland]

^{Creekland, our mare with the lamness issue gets a teaspoon full then another heaping teaspoon full.  We mix in right in her grain and she eats it right up.  We mix it in our gelding's beet pulp and he doesn't notice the difference either! She gets it twice a day and right now because he's at the trainer he's only getting it once but when he comes back to our barn he'll be getting it twice a day}

 

Where do you buy it in bulk?  A couple of teaspoons a day from our grocery store is likely to get expensive.  Bulk is bound to be less.

 

I'd really like to try it for her to see if it makes a difference.  I see lameness and I think pain.  She seems fine and willingly moves at all gaits, but I wonder if she'd feel better...

 

I suppose I should put some google time in to see if it's ok with her being pregnant come to think of it...

[madteaparty]

I don't make a paste. Like I said, I blend the fresh ginger and turmeric with 4 cups of water and about half a gram of vitamin C powder. It makes 4 cups of liquid that I drink, not a paste.

 

I just buy the vitamin C at our local health food store in the vitamin section. It is a store brand. I've never heard of vitamin C that isn't food grade. I have friends who make the vitamin C face serum from what we can get at the store. It is very inexpensive. It does survive the microwave, because without it, the tea oxidizes and turns a very dark yellow when I heat it. With the vitamin C powder it stays a bright yellow even after heated through. I suspect you could achieve the same with lemon juice or some orange juice added.

 

It stains the heck out of my vitamix though, lol.

Sorry, by paste I meant the blended ginger turmeric Vit c thing. No way I could do that everyday but maybe a couple of times per week... My current Vit c came from lotioncrafter for specific purpose of serum--so I'm not going to eat it, lol. If i stop posting for a while you all with know I broke down and ate the Vit c ;)

[madteaparty]

Where do you buy it in bulk? A couple of teaspoons a day from our grocery store is likely to get expensive. Bulk is bound to be less.

 

I'd really like to try it for her to see if it makes a difference. I see lameness and I think pain. She seems fine and willingly moves at all gaits, but I wonder if she'd feel better...

 

I suppose I should put some google time in to see if it's ok with her being pregnant come to think of it...

I know Indian stores in NYC (think Jackson Heights) sell big bags of the spices for nothing.

[creekland]

I know Indian stores in NYC (think Jackson Heights) sell big bags of the spices for nothing.

 

NYC is a 4hr one-way drive for us, but there are bound to be similar places closer.  Thanks for the suggestion!

 

This thread has been on my mind all night.  I'm really, really curious and will have to quit taking turmeric myself here at home to see if any of those other things I hadn't been connecting to it are related or not.  

 

My brain is just not happy with "maybe!"

 

If I can find some in bulk I'll see if my pony improves (if she eats it in her grain), and starting tomorrow I'll lay off it here at home to see if that hand oddity comes back and my rings start fitting as they should.

 

Some things can be tested.   :hurray:

[jak of in]

I have been making a paste of turmeric, coconut oil, honey, black pepper, cayenne & ground ginger and taking 1/2 tsp. 3 or 4 times during the day. I haven't noticed any benefit yet, but I also didn't have any ailments or pain. I have just read that it has many health benefits, so decided to start taking it.  

 

I haven't received it yet, but I just ordered turmeric in bulk, which seems to be a fairly good price compared to the grocery store...I was paying around $5 for 1.41 ounces. Here is the link:  http://www.amazon.com/Starwest-Botanicals-Organic-Turmeric-Powder/dp/B003AYEHUC?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

[Carol in Cal.]

It's contraindicated for liver issues, so use caution if you have fatty liver syndrome (which is pretty common nowadays.)

[nrg]

I investigated the turmeric at COSTCO.  In the supplements aisle, a container of pure ground turmeric was priced at @$34. In the spices aisle, a container of the same size was going for @$4. I bought some at Smart and Final for $4.

[gardenmom5]

I've taken it  periodically.  it's in a couple supplement blends for specific issues I take. because of those issues - I haven't necessarily noticed anything specific.

 

meriva is a more dense form of what you actually want.

[AngieW in Texas]

My 17yo has taken turmeric as an anti-inflammatory when she needs it. She is actually taking it right now because she had an allergic reaction to the azithromycin the doctor prescribed and the doctor said that it would be better to just take any anti-inflammatory that she can tolerate instead of moving on to another antibiotic unless it turns into pneumonia. The Z-pak has a long half-life, so I'm hoping that she gets past the reaction soon. Right now her allergic reaction is causing her a lot more problems than what she originally went to the doctor with.

 

She doesn't tolerate naproxene or ibuprofen or prednisone. She had an extremely scary allergic reaction to prednisone last year.

 

Unfortunately, this is common for her. Going to the doctor frequently means getting worst if they prescribe a medication and only means getting better when the prescription is for occupational/physical therapy.

 

 

[J-rap]

I take this:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Organic-India-TURMBTL-Turmeric-90-Count/dp/B000YC70XY/ref=sr_1_1_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1459051818&sr=1-1&keywords=organic+india+turmeric+formula

 

I take it as a preventative, not a cure, so I can't say that I feel any different as a result.  (But I feel great!)