(Natural News) Turmeric is an Indian spice used to give curry it’s distinct golden color. But beyond its culinary use, turmeric is considered one of the most widely used medicinal herbs on the planet. This is because turmeric contains a compound called curcumin, which is responsible for its health benefits. These benefits range from reducing inflammation to preserving cognitive function. Research also suggests that turmeric can be used as a natural treatment for asthma.

Asthma is a chronic upper respiratory condition caused by mucus or phlegm getting trapped in the airways. This makes breathing difficult and causes inflammation along the linings of the lungs and the airways. According to the American Lung Association, more than 26 million Americans suffer from asthma and 6.1 million of them are children. Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for asthma. There are, however, available natural remedies that can alleviate its symptoms and allow people with asthma to live healthy lives. Turmeric is one of those remedies. 

In a study published in the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, researchers from India investigated the efficacy of curcumin as an add-on therapy for patients with bronchial asthma. They asked 77 patients with mild to moderate bronchial asthma to take curcumin supplements alongside their regular medications. The results showed that curcumin supplementation helped relieve airway obstruction, as evidenced by the significant improvement in the participants’ mean FEV1 values, which refer to the amount of air they could exhale in a second.