Spices have a way of earning superfood status.Cinnamonmay help manage cholesterol.Gingeris good for bloating. Andspicy foodshave been linked to healthier blood pressure. So, it’s no surprise that when we talk about reducing inflammation, there’s a spice that is said to do just that. And that spice is turmeric.
You might hear the term “inflammation” thrown around all the time—but what does it actually mean for your health? And for such a chronic condition, can one food—specifically, one spice—actually play a role in reducing inflammation? We’re here to break it down.
The Best Foods to Eat to Fight Inflammation
Jacob Fox
What Is Inflammation?
Inflammation is an important short-term response, as it’s your body’s natural way of healing itself. However,chronic, or long-term, inflammationis what can cause harm, possibly leading to cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, cancer, joint conditions and more, Costello adds.
That’s why understanding and managing inflammation is crucial for staying healthy. There are a number of ways you can do this, including consuming anti-inflammatory foods, like spices.
Anti-Inflammatory Benefits of Turmeric
If you’re focusing on a single spice to decrease inflammation, choose turmeric.
Turmeric, a root related to the ginger family, is a bright yellow spice. It contains a compound called curcumin that’s responsible for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Although the actual mechanisms can be quite complex, Costello explains, there is promising research that suggests curcumin directly acts as a shield to healthy cells during an inflammatory response.
In fact, there is a strong correlation between curcumin and decreased inflammation.The research explains that curcumin targets several inflammatory pathways and may be useful as part of a treatment approach for inflammatory conditions, such as arthritis and psoriasis. It also highlights how curcumin may play a role in improving levels of C‐reactive protein (CRP), which Costello explains is a blood protein that increases in response to inflammation. This is important to keep in mind, as high levels of CRP in the blood can be a marker of chronic inflammation.
One limitation is that the amount of curcumin needed to meaningfully impact an inflammatory disease is likely too high to get from food, like turmeric, alone. The most potent type of treatment may come froma supplement, this research points out.
Still, adding turmeric to your meals is one doable move you can make to potentially decrease the inflammatory load on your body. If you have a disease where inflammation plays a part in the development or severity of symptoms, then you may find that adding turmeric to your meals as part of an overall anti-inflammatory diet makes a difference for you. It’s important, though, to stick with any current treatment plan; turmeric is not a replacement for medication.
Turmeric Recipes to Try
Revamp your daily meals with these anti-inflammatory turmeric-infused ideas:
When eating turmeric, it’s a good idea to add a tiny pinch of ground black pepper to the dish.Piperine, the major active component of black pepper, helps increase the curcumin’s bioavailability (the amount of the compound your body can absorb). Enjoy your spiced-up meals!
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SourcesEatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.Peng Y, Ao M, Dong B, Jiang Y, Yu L, Chen Z, Hu C, Xu R.Anti-inflammatory effects of curcumin in the inflammatory diseases: status, limitations and countermeasures.Drug Des Devel Ther. 2021 Nov 2;15:4503-4525. doi: 10.2147/DDDT.S327378Freitas e Silva-Santana NC, Rodrigues HC, Pereira Martins TF, et al.Turmeric supplementation with piperine is more effective than turmeric alone in attenuating oxidative stress and inflammation in hemodialysis patients: A randomized, double-blind clinical trial.Free Rad Bio Med, 2022;193:648-655.
Sources
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.Peng Y, Ao M, Dong B, Jiang Y, Yu L, Chen Z, Hu C, Xu R.Anti-inflammatory effects of curcumin in the inflammatory diseases: status, limitations and countermeasures.Drug Des Devel Ther. 2021 Nov 2;15:4503-4525. doi: 10.2147/DDDT.S327378Freitas e Silva-Santana NC, Rodrigues HC, Pereira Martins TF, et al.Turmeric supplementation with piperine is more effective than turmeric alone in attenuating oxidative stress and inflammation in hemodialysis patients: A randomized, double-blind clinical trial.Free Rad Bio Med, 2022;193:648-655.
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
Peng Y, Ao M, Dong B, Jiang Y, Yu L, Chen Z, Hu C, Xu R.Anti-inflammatory effects of curcumin in the inflammatory diseases: status, limitations and countermeasures.Drug Des Devel Ther. 2021 Nov 2;15:4503-4525. doi: 10.2147/DDDT.S327378Freitas e Silva-Santana NC, Rodrigues HC, Pereira Martins TF, et al.Turmeric supplementation with piperine is more effective than turmeric alone in attenuating oxidative stress and inflammation in hemodialysis patients: A randomized, double-blind clinical trial.Free Rad Bio Med, 2022;193:648-655.
Peng Y, Ao M, Dong B, Jiang Y, Yu L, Chen Z, Hu C, Xu R.Anti-inflammatory effects of curcumin in the inflammatory diseases: status, limitations and countermeasures.Drug Des Devel Ther. 2021 Nov 2;15:4503-4525. doi: 10.2147/DDDT.S327378
Freitas e Silva-Santana NC, Rodrigues HC, Pereira Martins TF, et al.Turmeric supplementation with piperine is more effective than turmeric alone in attenuating oxidative stress and inflammation in hemodialysis patients: A randomized, double-blind clinical trial.Free Rad Bio Med, 2022;193:648-655.
