Turmeric For Dogs
What if I told you a*little spice (that’s probably sitting in your kitchen cupboard right now) could make a huge difference in your dog’s health and even his lifespan?
I know it sounds crazy, but research shows it’s true … turmeric (the spice used in curries and mustards) with over 6,000 studies to its credit, is*found to trump a lot of fancy, expensive drugs.
-Arthritis drugs
-Steroids
-Chemotherapy
-Inflammatory bowel disease drugs
-Anti-inflammatory drugs
These are a whole lot of reasons to give your dog turmeric! So let’s take a closer look at this handy little spice (we’ll show you how much to give and which dogs shouldn’t get turmeric in a bit).
Turmeric contains a*compound called curcumin – which is essentially its active ingredient. Curcumin*has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, wound healing and anticancer activities. It can help fight diseases like arthritis, diabetes, cancer, liver disease, gastrointestinal issues, Alzheimers and more.
One study*at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, called it “Cure-cumin” because of its long list of amazing therapeutic and clinical uses.
So let’s look at the Top 5 Ways*turmeric can help your dog (and how it*compares*to conventional drugs):
#1 – Turmeric Is Anti-Inflammatory
You may be thinking inflammation is only a problem for dogs with joint disease … but chronic, hidden inflammation is a silent killer. It’s the root of nearly all disease.
Cancer, arthritis, allergies, kidney disease, dental disease, digestive disease … it’s all caused by inflammation.
Not all inflammation in the body is a bad thing. If your dog is exposed to viruses or bacteria,*acute inflammation will release*white blood cells to the body tissues*and start the healing process. But chronic inflammation – the kind of low-grade inflammation that stays for weeks, months and even years – is the real culprit behind most degenerative and inflammatory health issues in your dog.
Researchers are finding that heart disease can be linked to dental disease. Chronic bladder infections can lead to bladder cancer.*And they’re finding that*chronic low-grade inflammation is a major driver of joint degeneration.
A*2014 study*found that the curcumin found in turmeric (its active ingredient) outperformed ibuprofen in people with arthritis. But turmeric doesn’t just control the inflammation in joint disease …
Another*2004 study in Oncogene*found that curcumin (as well as resveratrol) worked just as well as anti-inflammatory drugs … and worked*better*than both aspirin and ibuprofen.
Inflammation is the key driver of most disease in the body … and turmeric is one of the best natural anti-inflammatories either nature or medicine has to offer. Keep this in mind as we look at the next few reasons to give your dog turmeric.
#2 – Turmeric Can Treat And Prevent Cancer
So we know that chronic inflammation can lead to cancer and turmeric is a powerful antioxidant.*And*a UK study*showed that curcumin could stop the precancerous changes from becoming cancer. So turmeric can help prevent cancer.
But turmeric*can also treat cancer naturally.*Nearly 1/3 of the studies done on*turmeric*are cancer research … and the results are very promising. It’s been shown to*kill cancer cells and prevent more from growing.
The American Cancer Society claims “Curcumin interferes with cancer development, growth, and spread.*Recently, curcumin has received a great deal of focus because of it’s ability to reduce tumor size and kill cancer cells.
Half of adult dogs today will get cancer, so turmeric could be a great way to protect your dog from inflammation and cancer.
#3 – Turmeric Can Relieve Arthritis Pain
We know that arthritis is the result of inflammation and turmeric can decrease inflammation in the body. But it can also relieve the pain and stiffness in arthritis … better than conventional pain medications.
In 2014 a group of researchers in Thailand published*a study comparing the effects of curcumin vs ibuprofen treatment*in patients with knee osteoarthritis.* They found that curcumin worked just as well as ibuprofen to reduce pain … but without the gastrointestinal side effects experienced by the patients who took ibuprofen. Which brings us to the next benefit …
#4 – Turmeric Can Treat Gastrointestinal Disorders
Turmeric’s anti-inflammatory effects can be helpful in treating Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) as well as other gastrointestinal disorders.* It’s been shown in several preclinical studies and uncontrolled clinical trials as having positive effects on gut inflammation and gut permeability.
Researchers at Hamamatsu South Hospital in Japan*commented that curcumin’s “inhibitory effects on major inflammatory mechanisms* […] and its unrivaled safety profile suggest it has bright prospects in the treatment of IBD.”
#5 – Turmeric*Can Replace Steroids
Many dogs are on steroids for allergies and joint pain – but*some studies show*curcumin*is just as effective as steroids. And the authors note:*“The*lack of side effects*with curcumin is its greatest advantage compared with corticosteroids.”
And a study published in the*Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology*shows that*combing curcumin with a steroid*reduced the side effects*of this dangerous medication.
And that’s the main benefit of turmeric – not only can it work just as well as many prescription and over-the-counter drugs, it doesn’t carry the same nasty,*unwanted side effects.
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