Benefits of Turmeric for Neuropathy

Neuropathy, which means a damage to the nerves, can cause a lot of pain, regional hypersensitivity and overall physical discomfort in a person. Peripheral neuropathy is caused by damage to the nerves of the peripheral nervous system and such damage is either a result of an underlying disease or illness or is a consequence of physical trauma or injury.

While most of the mainstream treatment measures undertaken to relieve neural discomfort work on a symptomatic basis, certain alternative treatments and therapies have proved to be more effective in alleviating the underlying neural abnormalities.

While most of us are familiar with the efficacy of various herbs and natural spices in curing and treating a lot of physical ailments, I am sure most of us would be surprised at the idea of these very herbs and spices being able to treat something as complex as an ailment or injury of the nerves.

Turmeric is one such natural spice that seems to be quite effective in dealing with peripheral neuropathy - mind you, it doesn't just alleviate the pain and sensitivity but corrects the neural damage to a large extent!

The reason behind the efficacy of treating neuropathic pain with turmeric can be traced to a very significant chemical compound, curcumin, that turmeric contains. The following segment provides an elaborate insight into facts about using turmeric for neuropathy.

The fact that turmeric works as a great pain reliever and anti-inflammatory agent is not an unknown one. Remedies like turmeric milk are used in a lot of exotic ethnic cultures to accelerate the healing of wounds and to provide relief from fever and bacterial infections. So, what is it about turmeric that gives it all these medicinal properties?

Well, as mentioned in the previous segment, it's a chemical compound called Curcumin. Curcumin is a naturally occurring polyphenol.

Natural polyphenols are a group of organic antioxidants that have great beneficial effects on the body when consumed. Laboratory research and experiments have proved beyond doubt that curcumin has very potent anti-inflammatory, antibiotic and anticarcinogenic properties. Indeed, the traditional medicine systems of many Oriental cultures (such as China, India, etc.) do maintain that regular use of turmeric and other spices containing curcuminoids (such as ginger) in daily cooking is a great way to keep various types of cancers and tumors away.

Now, the question is, how does curcumin cure neuropathy? How does it treat or heal damaged nerves? Well, while the anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of turmeric do contribute towards providing symptomatic relief, the antioxidant properties of curcumin are believed to slow down and reverse neurodegeneration.

In a study conducted by the UCLA Center on Aging during the latter part of the 20th century, the researchers were able to successfully demonstrate the efficacy of curcumin in reducing neural degeneration, plaque deposition in the brain, damage to neural tissues due to oxidation, etc.

All these findings indicated towards the fact that curcumin and its derivatives can be used as a potential treatment alternative for neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease.

So, if curcumin can be a possible curative agent of a neurodegenerative condition as complex and serious as Alzheimer's disease, it definitely makes sense that turmeric may be used to effectively treat the symptoms as well as underlying neural damage that characterize peripheral neuropathy.

Therefore, the possibilities of success involved in the use of turmeric for treating neuropathy and neural pain relief cannot, and should not, be ruled out.

So, the next time you embark upon preparing that exotic curry dish, do not miss out on sprinkling a couple of pinches of turmeric - besides the great color and exotic aroma, you'll benefit greatly from its antioxidant properties. I rest my case here, having made and proved my point.