Golden Milk for Joint Pain
What is golden milk? The basis of golden milk is a combination of the warming the golden-colored) turmeric along with coconut milk and/or coconut oil.
Turmeric is earning a name for itself as a potent medicinal food in the West.
Turmeric Has Over 150 Potentially Therapeutic Activities
Turmeric's benefits have since been well documented in the medical literature, and curcumin — one of the most well-studied bioactive ingredients in turmeric – has been found to promote health and protect against a wide variety of health conditions.
It actually exhibits over 150 potentially therapeutic activities, including anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity, as well as potent anti-cancer properties that have been intensely studied.
Researchers have found a number of different mechanisms of action for curcumin, and part of the answer as to why curcumin appears to be such potent medicine is because it can:
- Modulate about 700 of your genes
- Positively modulate more than 160 different physiological pathways
- Make your cells' membranes more orderly
- Affect signaling molecules such as inflammatory molecules
Turmeric and joint pain
Inflammation is a component in joint pain, whether it’s caused by arthritis or a sprain, inflammation is present. Reducing inflammation is how pain killing drugs like ibuprofen have their effect.
Curcumin (found in turmeric) is one of the most potent anti-inflammatories in nature and so it can reduce the inflammation in and around a joint.
Curcumin can inhibit both the activity and the synthesis of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) and 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX), as well as other enzymes that have been implicated in inflammation.
A 2006 study also found that a turmeric extract composed of curcuminoids (curcumin is the most investigated curcuminoid) blocked inflammatory pathways, effectively preventing the launch of a protein that triggers swelling and pain.
They concluded that short-term supplementation with bioavailable curcumin significantly improves oxidative and inflammatory status in people with metabolic syndrome, and could be regarded as a natural, safe, and effective inflammation lowering agent.
This reduction in inflammation reduces pain so that you can get moving again. So the next time you feel like a glass of milk, consider golden milk as one part of a healthy lifestyle.
