How to reduce Inflammation better than Aspirin
Recently, I was reminded of Turmeric’s powerful anti-inflammatory benefits.
My husband had to go to urgent care a few months ago for a swollen hip, which turned out to be a muscle/ligament issue likely from his week of hunting. Once we got this news, then it was just a matter of managing the inflammation to reduce the pain. The event reminded me that I hadn’t made any of my ginger/turmeric root tea lately, and this is exactly what we needed to help reduce his inflammation.
There have been tons of peer reviewed journal articles (over 700) on the benefits of curcumin, which is one of the ingredients in turmeric that provides the anti-inflammatory properties to the root. In fact, one study found that aspirin and ibuprofen are the least effective in reducing inflammation, while curcumin is one of the most effective anti-inflammatory compounds.
How does it work?
Turmeric contains around six anti-inflammatory compounds, one of those compounds stops the COX-2 enzyme from producing pain, swelling, and inflammation. Other studies have shown it also can decrease your risk of cancer, can help regulate blood sugar, and can help digestive disorders.
Ginger has more digestive relief properties than turmeric but also contributes to reducing pain and the inflammation, so why not throw them together for a tea! I like to use both ginger and turmeric in their whole root form rather than powder to get the maximum benefits.
Turmeric, Ginger, and Black Pepper Tea
1 cup water
½ tbsp roughly chopped ginger root
1 tbsp roughly chopped turmeric root
¼ tsp freshly grated black pepper
1tsp coconut oil (optional)
Peel your turmeric and ginger roots using a peeler. Cut the peeled roots up into chunks and place in a saucepan with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, place a lid on the saucepan, and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain the tea, removing the chunks of root. Add black pepper (which aids in turmeric absorption).
When making the tea, dilute this mixture at 1:1 ratio with water, for instance ½ cup tea mixture to ½ cup hot water (or dilute more if this is still too strong for you). Add coconut oil to make your tea a little richer.
This is also great as an iced tea, just pour over ice!