Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

After a serious knee injury from running a couple of years ago and the subsequent surgeries to repair it, my knee has not returned to normal. If I over-exert or twist it during heavy exercise, it tends to swell and become very painful. My orthopedist put me on regular daily doses of anti-inflammatories; but I had a problem with stomach irritation so I've tried a number of natural supplements which provided some relief. Turmeric had been mentioned to me by a nutritionist, but I had waited to try it. I started out with a couple of different name brands of turmeric/curcumen. After a few days on the it, the pain in my knee improved noticeably but I still had a fair amount of pain after workouts. While I use the Gaia Herbs brand for a couple of other supplements and have been extremely happy with their quality, I avoided buying Gaia Herbs' version of turmeric since the other brands I was using were less expensive. I decided to try one bottle's worth to see if it made a difference. It did! Several weeks after switching brands to the Gaia Herbs version, my knee pain improved dramatically...often to the extent that I don't even notice the pain (haven't been without knee pain in 2 years). In researching the most effective way of taking turmeric for joint pain, I learned that it's important to include an extract of the black pepper berry which aids in the absorption of the curcumin. Basically, it helps the curcumin to get into your bloodstream rather than just passing through your intestines. Gaia Herbs version contains 7mg of this black pepper berry extract and uses an alcohol extraction method to best capture the curcumin. I've also read that it's helpful to pair the turmeric/curcumin with Bromelain because it forms a synergistic combination that helps to support a healthy inflammatory response. The recommended daily dosage on the bottle is 1-2 capsules per day. I take two capsules daily -- one in the morning and one later in the day. I can't take more than one at a time because too much can result in upset stomach or acid indigestion. (NOTE: Turmeric grows as a rhizome (large root) and has been used since early times to treat gastrointestinal upset, arthritic pain, and other ailments. Curcumin, which is a constituent of turmeric, is known for for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity and it's being studied as having a potential role in the battle against cancer, Alzheimer's disease, psoriasis and cystic fibrosis. For joint pain and inflammation, a number of orthopedists claim that it offers the same degree of pain relief as NSAIDs (anti-inflammatories)...without the health risks.)