Turmeric has found its way into scores of commercial products stocked on the shelves of supermarkets and specialty stores. Used in prepared mustard and steak sauces as well as a coloring agent in yogurt, ice cream, cereals and canned beverages, turmeric also enjoys a reputation as a purported treatment for cirrhosis of the liver. However, as the efficacy of turmeric remains complicated and unclear, consult your physician before use.
Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis occurs when the liver's outer layers are injured and fibrous scar tissue begins to form. The scar tissue disrupts blood supply to healthy liver cells, and your liver eventually ceases to function normally. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, 10 percent to 20 percent of Americans with a heavy drinking problem develop alcohol cirrhosis. Liver damage also may result from viruses like Hepatitis B or C, too much iron or copper in the blood, medications or bile duct disorders.
Tumeric Description
Used for generations in traditional Ayurvedic and Chinese medicines to treat liver disorders, turmeric, a member of the ginger family, also lends itself as a flavorful, bright yellow spice for cooking. It grows up to 3-feet tall and bears large, lance-shaped leaves and spikes of yellow tubular flowers that emerge from a fleshy rhizome, or underground stem. Cultivated in India and Southern and Eastern Asia, turmeric's rhizome contains an orange pulp used for medicinal purposes.
Turmeric Benefits
Curcumin, turmeric's most active ingredient, appears to act as a powerful anti-inflammatory agent and a potent antioxidant. These qualities seem to provide benefits when used to treat hepatic disorders. According to Phyllis A. Balch, certified nutritional consultant and author of the book "Prescription for Herbal Healing," curcumin may improve your liver's detoxification process by helping to slow the rate at which alcohol and other toxins convert into harmful substances within your liver. However, the need for further scientific research exists.
Cautions and Considerations
Though generally recognized as safe when taken at recommended doses, large quantities of curcumin may cause stomach upset. Pregnant and nursing women, women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer, people with congestive heart failure and those suffering with gallstones, diabetes and blood-clotting disorders should avoid turmeric.
References
- PubMed Health: Cirrhosis
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Cirrhosis
- "Prescription for Herbal Healing"; Phyllis A. Balch: 2002
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Turmeric
- Oregon State University Linus Pauling Institute: Curcumin
