Posted in Blog, Featured, Healthy Eating.
Unlocking the Health Benefits of Turmeric for Recovery
by Ryan Choi, PT, DPT
You’ve probably heard of turmeric, that golden spice tucked away in your kitchen cupboard and easily found in any culinary enthusiast’s spice rack. But did you know it’s not just for flavor? Turmeric contains an important compound called curcumin, and there’s been a lot of buzz about its potential health benefits.
Turmeric contains a powerful compound called curcumin. Recent studies have delved into the health benefits of curcumin and discovered some exciting findings. These benefits include managing inflammation and oxidative stress. Now, here’s the exciting part: curcumin can help you recover faster and perform better after exercise.
When we exercise intensely, our muscles can take a beating, leading to inflammation and muscle soreness, which we often experience as Exercise Induced Muscle Damage (EIMD) and Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). These factors can slow down our progress and make it harder to stay active. When we push our bodies during these intense workouts, they undergo stress due to increased oxygen consumption. This results in muscle damage and inflammation, indicated by markers like Serum Creatine Kinase (CK) and inflammatory cytokines. These markers can impact your performance, and the key to managing them lies in the nutrients in your body.
That’s where curcumin comes into play. Studies have shown that taking curcumin as a supplement can reduce inflammation and muscle damage markers, lowering CK levels and reducing biological inflammation. In fact, runners taking curcumin had fewer muscle injuries compared to those who didn’t. Curcumin works similarly to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) but with less intensity. It modifies the COX-2 pathway, leading to a reduction in inflammatory cytokines and prostaglandins. Prostaglandins influence how much pain you feel after EIMD, so reducing their levels can decrease the severity of DOMS.
While more research is needed to confirm these benefits on a larger scale, it’s clear that curcumin can reduce EIMD and DOMS, ultimately improving your recovery and performance.
Now, here’s the catch: curcumin has low bioavailability, meaning it’s not easily absorbed by your body. But there are ways to enhance its absorption. One option is to consume curcumin with piperine, a compound found in black pepper, which can increase its bioavailability by up to 2000%. Another exciting development is liposomal encapsulation, which involves wrapping curcumin in tiny, healthy fat vesicles. This protects curcumin from breaking down in your gut, ensuring it gets absorbed by your cells. The benefits of liposomal curcumin include:
- Improved bioavailability and absorption of curcumin to target cells
- Non-invasive: requiring no injections
- Increased intracellular delivery of curcumin
- Liquid alternative for those who have difficulty taking capsule/tablet
This makes taking curcumin in liposomal form a convenient and effective way to reap its benefits in smaller doses.
In conclusion, curcumin has garnered global attention for its health benefits, particularly for active individuals. By positively affecting our body’s environment, it can help you recover more efficiently and perform at your best. Remember, before making any changes to your health routine, consult with a healthcare professional. Their advice is essential to ensuring you make the best choices for your well-being.
- Drobnic F, Riera J, Appendino G, et al. Reduction of delayed onset muscle soreness by a novel curcumin delivery system (Meriva®): a randomised, placebo-controlled trial. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2014;11:31. Published 2014 Jun 18.
- Hewlings SJ, Kalman DS. Curcumin: A Review of Its Effects on Human Health. Foods. 2017;6(10):92. Published 2017 Oct 22.
- McFarlin BK, Venable AS, Henning AL, et al. Reduced inflammatory and muscle damage biomarkers following oral supplementation with bioavailable curcumin. BBA Clin. 2016;5:72-78. Published 2016 Feb 18.
- Shoba G, Joy D, Joseph T, Majeed M, Rajendran R, Srinivas PS. Influence of piperine on the pharmacokinetics of curcumin in animals and human volunteers. Planta Med. 1998;64(4):353-356.
