Ok, so there is a touch of poetic license here, but I do love a curry, in fact other than my ex father in law I don’t know anyone that doesn’t! Going on that premise and the fact that if I can scientifically justify something with some good solid research I’m going with the title.  As an aside, I’m happy to include one of my own recipes I use to get all the goodness in, at the end of the article.

So what am I going on about?  Well, In the immortal words of Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, 1826:

“Dis-moi ce que tu manges, je te dirai ce que tu es.” [Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are]. Or putting it simply… “You are what you eat”!

If you are suffering from inflammation; this could be arthritis, it could be an inflammatory bowel disease, it could be a case of non specific skin rashes, there are various foods that can help to reduce this inflammation around the body and thus help it to heal.

We all know about omega three fatty acids found in fish such as sardines, herring and salmon, or in the case of the clinic the cold filtered pure omega three we sell to our clients, it’s one of biggest product sellers! But did you know about the “good stuff” in certain nuts and indeed dark chocolate! (Another fabulous justification as long as you stick to the dark stuff, the sugar in normal chocolate actually increases inflammation!).  Alongside these three things there are 7 spices in particular which are amazing at reducing inflammation.

1. Black pepper or more precisely the active chemical “piperine” in the pepper, has also been demonstrated to be a great anti inflammatory, anti oxidant as well as having anti bacterial effects, especially in the early acute stages of inflammation.
2. Cayenne pepper has been used as an anti-inflammatory for thousands of years. The active ingredients “capsaicinoids” are a powerful anti-inflammatory and have long been used to ease digestive problems, however more recent research has demonstrated its amazing ability to reduce the inflammations associated with arthritis and headaches.
3. Cinnamon is another spice that numerous studies have shown it has anti inflammatory properties and can help to ease swelling. Best of all it can be used in both sweet and savoury dishes.
4. Cloves, which have been used for years as an expectorant, treat upset stomachs, nausea and inflammation of the throat and mouth
5. Garlic has been proven to ease the inflammatory markers associated with arthritis, fresh is best but your friends and family may start to avoid you, is this is the case, try roasting it or adding it to your meals.
6. Ginger in all its forms, powdered in teas, in cooking (Asian and Indian food) has again been used for centuries to treat inflammatory conditions such stomach upsets, headaches and infection.
7. And finally we have turmeric, which contain “curcumin” has been used for centuries to reduce inflammation, let alone treat wounds, infections, colds and even liver disease

So there you have it, all the ingredients of darn fine curry! And as promised… my recipe – click here to see it!

P.S. Make sure you pop over to my dedicated recipes section!