Turmeric has been used both in food and in medicine for over 4,000 years. It has a unique flavor and a bright yellow color which easily stains. It comes from the root of the Curcuma longa plant. Fresh turmeric powder can be made by boiling, drying, and then grinding turmeric rhizomes, which can sometimes be found in the grocery store.
Warning
Many claims have been made about the medicinal properties of turmeric. However, many of these studies have used an injectable form of the active substance found in turmeric, curcumin, and not the ground spice found in the grocery store. Turmeric may actually make some diseases worse, such as stomach ulcers, as there is some evidence that it increases the amount of acid in the stomach.
Cucumin: The Active Substance of Turmeric
Curcumin has been shown to be the active substance in turmeric and has been shown to have antioxidant, anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory properties both in test tubes and in animals and some limited human studies.
Turmeric as a Treatment for Inflammatory Diseases
Curcumin's anti-inflammatory properties have been well demonstrated in test tubes and animals. These studies also inspired a few clinical trials studying the effect of curcumin on inflammatory diseases in humans.
The results of studies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, hernia or hydrocele repair surgery, ulcerative colitis and uvelitis, an inflammation in the eye, showed that curcumin was just as effective as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and better than a placebo, for improving pain, inflammation, and other symptoms associated with those diseases.
Turmeric may relieve osteoarthritis, but the results are inconclusive as patients were given a formula that contained a mix of herbs. It was unclear if the improvement was due to the turmeric, the other individual herbs or all of the herbs acting together.
Turmeric and the Treatment of Cancer
Evidence from test tube and animal studies suggests that curcumin may be effective in treating prostate, breast, skin and colon cancers.
Research in humans has so far been limited. Preliminary results indicate that curcumin may be effective in fighting gastrointestinal tract cancers. Curcumin exhibited some anticancer activity in some studies, but the bioavailability of the curcumin was extremely low, indicating more research is needed.
Turmeric and Cystic Fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis is a hereditary disease caused by mutations in a gene known as CFTR. In 2004, a study in mice with a specific mutation in the CFTR gene showed oral curcumin administration improved the survival of these mice. However, these studies are not directly applicable to humans.
Human trials showed that curcumin did not correct the function of the defective CFTR protein, but the trial was not designed specifically to test this hypothesis. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation does not recommend the use of curcumin as a therapy for cystic fibrosis until safety studies are completed.
Curcumin and Alzheimer's Disease
In Alzheimer's disease, aggregates of a small peptide called amyloid accumulate in the brain, forming deposits called amyloid plaques. Curcumin inhibits amyloid plaque formation in test tubes, and when injected into an animal model, it decreases inflammation, oxidative damage and the formation of amyloid plaques in the brain. In humans, preliminary studies showed that oral administration of curcumin was safe, but more studies are needed to show if it will be effective.
Turmeric in the Treatment of Atherosclerosis and Diabetes
Animal studies have indicated that turmeric may help prevent the buildup of plaque in arteries. It is not known if turmeric would have the same effect in humans and if it did, how much turmeric would have to be ingested to see it.
Diabetic animals given turmeric showed a drop in blood sugar and blood cholesterol levels. However, no studies on humans with diabetes have yet been done. Turmeric may increase the effects of diabetic drugs designed to lower blood sugar, increasing the risk of hypoglycemia or low blood sugar.
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