Q. I heard somewhere that turmeric is an anti-inflammatory agent. I cannot find a reference for the dosage. I am wondering which turmeric to try. I am a 52-year-old female runner with a persistently sore glute muscle.
A. Turmeric is a spice made from the root of a tropical plant, Curcuma longa. This rhizome somewhat resembles ginger root, but it is bright yellow or orange in color. As a spice, it is dried and powdered.
Both fresh and ground turmeric have anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, attributed to the active ingredient curcumin. Readers tell us that turmeric or curcumin helps ease sore joints, psoriasis and leg cramps. Some report it also helps control blood sugar.
The usual dosage recommendation for using a turmeric supplement as an anti-inflammatory is 500 mg two or three times a day. ConsumerLab.com just did an analysis of turmeric products and found that many products fall short of their labeled dose. The most cost effective of those that passed the test were NOW Curcumin and Doctor’s Best Curcumin C3. You can listen to the interview with Dr. Tod Cooperman, founder of ConsumerLab.com.
The testers also found that turmeric sold as a spice for kitchen use was often contaminated with insect parts. Organic turmeric powders were especially prone to this problem. The best of the tested ground turmeric powder was The Spice Hunter India Turmeric Ground.
