Being Indian and growing up in India for 22 years (still haven't "grown up" even though I'm 34 now!), I was never more than 2 feet away from Turmeric or other major spices (exaggerated stereotypical fact, of course
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Unsure about them helping against joint aches, but a Turmeric milk concoction sure helped when we had cold and flu.
It is just hot milk (1 cup) with about 3/4 tea spoon of turmeric with equal parts sugar (sometimes they used an orange coloured sugar crystal available in temples, not sure how different it is to regular sugar), equal parts crushed pepper. This helped soothe the throat, get taste sensation back and help one heal sooner. You can make it stronger or weaker based on your preference.
On the direct application front, turmeric was and still used in remote places as an antiseptic powder and an instant clogging agent on open wounds, scratches and scrapes where skin broke and bleeding is there (of course not on things like compound fractures). Mind you, this is the food grade one. There is also a different grade which is used for rituals etc, which has enhanced colours hence not fully natural.
Turmeric is really good for your gut, hence a regular Turmeric intake is recommended in food. It enhances good digestion by promoting the good type of bacteria. A good curry (south Indian based lentil or coconut or both is leaner and healthier than North Indian butter or nut based thick and creamy curry) with almost a clear soup like consistency is recommended for this.
Beyond this, there are small benefits on skin, hence it is used in some skin products and cosmetics.
That's all I can contribute here.
Never thought I'd be able to offload this info on a woodworking forum
