The brand’s founder, former elite footballer Thomas Hal Robson-Kanu, hosted a healthcare community launch event in London last week (Sept. 8, 2026) at which he convinced practitioners, sports nutritionists and athletes that his potent turmeric shots could have a significant impact on the public’s health.
“28 million people in the UK are affected by chronic pain at any one time,” he told his audience, referring to the brand’s newly conducted ‘State of the Nation’ survey. “We are taught to just accept it and my experience is we don’t have to.”
In an aim to see GP’s recommending its functional shots to patients suffering chronic pain, The Turmeric Co. has partnered with two NHS trusts and will educate practitioners about the benefits of its raw turmeric blends.
“Our vision is to see turmeric as a recommended solution by the NHS and a world where turmeric is an every day health intervention,” said Robson-Kanu. “We know clinicians are trying to reduce reliance on medication and we want to be one of the solutions in their toolbox.”
Functional shots range
The Turermic Co.'s functional shot range includes an original turmeric shot, which contains cold-crushed raw turmeric root, watermelon, pineapple and lemon, with magnesium, vitamin C and the BioMax Uptake Blend (black pepper mix).
The range additionally includes turmeric blends incorporating ginger, ashwagandha, collagen, or beetroot.
Corrine Toyn, the brand's head of healthcare marketing, explained that while many other turmeric shots on the market are largely comprised of apple juice, The Turmeric Co. shots contain potent doses of turmeric and the bioactive compound curcumin.
A sea-change from treatment to prevention
“We’re trying to create a sea change in healthcare”, said Robson-Kanu, adding “we believe we are coming out of the age of treatment-only healthcare.”
Joining the event to provide his insights, Dr Paul Trikha, consultant and orthopedic surgeon, revealed that clinicians with short appointment windows have to respond to the symptoms presented to them and often don’t have time to look into the patient’s lifestyle and the root causes of issues.
He argued that often lack of movement is one of the biggest and most cyclical issues when it comes to pain, noting that any product that can help a patient remain active will have a significant impact.
“The most valuable medicine in the world is exercise – that is by far the most important thing,” he said. “Turmeric has a proven anti-inflammatory action with an excellent side effect profile in comparison to pain killers.”
The company’s lead research scientist Dr. Loris Juett noted The Turmeric Co has conducted its own peer-reviewed and published research indicating the shots improve markers of recovery and reduce post-exercise gut damage in elite male footballers and reduce menstrual cycle symptoms in female footballers.
He revealed the company is further undertaking an eight-week RCT in healthy older adults to determine its impacts on physiology and wellbeing.
“At a time when we know the strain on the NHS is really high and we know there’s a lot of conversation around the importance of switching from treatment to prevention, we know turmeric can fit into that preventative approach,” he told the audience.
Corrine Toyn, dietitian and head of the brand’s healthcare marketing, added: “So many healthcare professionals are already recommending these shots but we want to increase this awareness and help more healthcare professionals help their patients on their recovery journeys.”
White paper reveals ‘pain pandemic’
The company further revealed results from its ‘State of the Nation’ survey involving 2,000 UK adults.
The survey results, detailed in a newly published whitepaper, reveal 65% of Brits have lived with physical pain in the past year, with 61% saying it disrupted their sleep at least weekly, 47% saying it affected their mood, and 60% saying it limited their ability to exercise or stay active.
“The white paper is really fascinating because it shines a light on what we already knew was an issue — the negative impact of poor nutrition and poor lifestyle — but seeing it in black and white is really alarming,” Robson-Kanu said, “there’s a pain pandemic going on and people are just accepting it.”
What’s more, 60% of respondents agreed pain is “just something you have to put up with as you get older”, with half of these people not taking action because of this belief, Toyn revealed.
She said the results highlighted the huge opportunity for preventative solutions.
“Pain shouldn’t be accepted as part of getting older,” she said, “Small, steady steps — staying active, prioritizing rest and looking at nutrition — can make a meaningful difference when taken early.”
And with younger generations more inclined to take a preventative approach to health, this message is not as difficult to communicate as it once was, according to Dan Clarke, health and sustainable diets manager at IGD (Institute of Grocery Distribution).
Speaking at the event, Clarke revealed Gen Z and Millenials regularly put pain in their top three health concerns, but they tend to be looking to manage it preventatively rather than treating a chronic issue, revealing a clear opportunity for a science-backed botanical solution like turmeric shots.
“The younger generations are much more interested in health and its partly due to influencer culture through which health has become a status symbol,” he informed the audience, adding “you can’t put on a show of health if you are bent over in pain.”
Turning sporting desire into potent supplement
Robson-Kanu’s founding story began at the age of 17, when he was playing in Arsenal’s Academy and suffered two serious knee injuries leading to two operations.
Facing persistent pain and severe inflammation, the doctor told him his football career could be over. He and his father began researching natural ingredients that could support his recovery and together they created a raw turmeric blend.
He went on to make his first-team debut for Reading, represent Wales and play at the highest level for another 15 years before moving on to launch The Turmeric Co in 2018.
“Doctors said my career was finished. 15 years later, I was still playing in the Premier League,” he said. “In professional football, recovery is treated as a daily priority. Nutrition, movement, sleep and rehabilitation are considered together, with the aim of keeping players well—not simply stepping in once something has gone wrong.
“Most people will never have access to a Premier League medical team. But the principles behind that support should not be reserved for elite athletes.”
Thomas Hal Robson-Kanu will be speaking at NutraIngredients’ Sports & Active Nutrition Summit Europe taking place in London on November 9th. To find out more and get your tickets, visit the event website here.
