Ah turmeric! Such an underappreciated spice. It is nature’s anti-inflammatory. And with inflammation such a key factor in Endometriosis, we have to consider if turmeric can be of benefit. . I know you probably know it as a cooking spice, but how about its medicinal properties?

Turmeric is a root, from the ginger family, and contains a compound called curcumin. Curcumin is both an anti-inflammatory and an antioxidant.

As an antioxidant, its two main functions appear to be that it increases the activity of certain other antioxidants and by acting as an antioxidant itself.

As an anti-inflammatory, turmeric blocks the activation of certain cells that regulate inflammation, as well as directly suppress inflammation.

Turmeric is especially useful if your Endometriosis, because it also helps to reduce gut inflammation and gut permeability (Leaky Gut). It does this by increasing the amount of mucus in the gut wall and improving gut microbiome.

One of the problems with turmeric is that it is processed so quickly in our digestive system, that not much gets absorbed.  But here’s a neat little trick: when it is combined with black pepper, you can increase absorption by 2000%.

There are two ways you can increase the amount of (or start adding) turmeric to your diet:

• Add it to your food. Many curries contain turmeric and some popular drinks like Chai also contain it. Make sure that when you are adding turmeric to your dishes that you also add black pepper to increase the amount you’re absorbing.
• Take a supplement. A turmeric or curcumin supplement can be a good option to help your body reduce its chronic inflammation and start to heal your gut. I don’t recommend you buy an over-the-counter version in the supermarket or at the chemist, as the quality of ingredients used will not be as good as a practitioner only supplement. Plus, the shop-bought brands tend not to contain the black pepper component, so not much of the supplement would actually be absorbed.

If you’d like to start using a turmeric supplement, I can help you get access to high-quality, practitioner-only brands. Just get in touch and I’ll get it organised.

And if you're ready to start bringing your chronic, systemic, inflammation down through diet, I'd love to welcome you in my program: "12 Weeks to Eat Your Way to Less Pain".