I take Turmeric a few times a week. I began using it when I heard that I should add turmeric to my juicing regime to fight inflammation. I still use it in my juices but I only juice 1-3 times a week. Here is information from another blogger that uses curcumin for pain. (Thanks for the lead Carrie!)
There has been a good amount of research on turmeric. However, there are not a lot conclusive findings and the search for answers lumbers on. The active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin. This substance is what is used in many studies. There have been studies that demonstrate different results when using the whole plant verses just one of its extracts. So, when looking up research studies, please keep in mind that the actual chemical used, may not be the exact supplement you are taking. For another opinion, this site does discuss the difference between the extract and the whole plant.
What Turmeric May Help
Inflammation, Arthritis, Stomach and GI issues,
Bloating, Water Retention, Skin Problems, Infections, Headache,
Cancer, Ulcerative colitis, Viruses, Transplant Rejection
Warnings and Precautions:
Do not take if you are pregnant
It may decrease blood clotting so discuss with your doctor if you are on blood thinners or have a blood disorder, or are having surgery
It may affect blood sugar levels
May cause stomach upset
It may stimulate bile production so do not use if you have gallbladder problems or a bile duct obstruction
Please discuss all supplements with your doctor
Does this sound like a pharmaceutical add yet?
Other Sources:
University of Maryland Medical Center
Previous Popping Pills:
Real Woman's Health 
While I don’t use it as a supplement, I do use it often as a seasoning, especially in rice, bean, and seafood dishes. It’s also a lovely yellow Easter egg dye! 😉 xoxoM
Egg dye, nice! I have heard that fresh ground pepper increases its affect when cooking.
Oh, that’s good to know, too! xoxoM
This site talks a little about it. Happy cooking!
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400915/Curcumin-or-Turmeric.html
Thanks! xoM
Another blogger I follow posted on this once. She’s done her research on the supplement, and since she’s started taking it, she’s noticed an improvement. Will be interesting to see what the future research shows.
Do you happen to remember who it was?
It was Maddie Cochere: http://breezybooksblog.wordpress.com/2013/02/12/oh-my-aching-back/
Thank you so much! Great post and blog.
You’re welcome, and thanks for the link to my site. I love Maddie’s blog. She’s a great writer and posts on a number of topics.
Katie ! You said “What Turmeric May Help ………………….. and GI issues,”
So that’s your soldier boyfriend sorted then 😉
The VA office can use all the help it can get. 8)
Some GI’s do prefer cooking with instead of the supplement. 😉
Hi Katie! Thanks for the mention to my pain post. (Thanks to Carrie for telling you.)
I started taking curcumin again shortly after I wrote that post. I deliberately didn’t take any ibuprofen, and I only made it about a week before I couldn’t tolerate the pain any longer (at night and morning while lying in bed). I had to add IB again at night. It took about three weeks before I started to notice the decrease in pain due to the curcumin.
I’m not always organized, and I didn’t order my next bottle until I had taken the last of the new bottle. I had to wait five days before it arrived, and by the fifth morning, I noticed the pain creeping back.
I’ve been taking it for a week again now, and I’m completely off of ibuprofen. I have some aches and pains, but the pain in my hips, arms/shoulders, and my low pack are diminished greatly, and in some cases, gone. My pills are 1,000 mg., and I take four per day. I started with 1 pill per day for a week, then two per day for a week, then moved to four per day from there on out. I’m not on any medication, and the only other supplement I take is fish oil.
I take curcumin for pain, but hope there are other good things happening from it, too.