Health Brief, by Nathaniel Mead
The
bright orange yellow spice that colors curries also cuts inflammation better
than ibuprofen
Turmeric
(Curcuma longa)
What It Is
Also known as Indian Saffron, turmeric is an
orange-yellow spice that's included in most Indian curry powders and in
mustards. Traditional doctors in India and China have long used the powdered
rhizome plant medicinally.
Healing Claims
Western doctors today give turmeric for
inflammatory conditions (such as arthritis or acute infections), for
conditions caused by free radical damage (such as damage to artery walls that
leads to heart disease), and as part of treatment for certain cancers.
The Evidence
Dozens of studies have confirmed that antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and
anti -cancer power of curcuminoids (the compounds that give turmeric it
distinctive color). In one study, ten volunteers who received 500 mg of
curcumin (the principle curcuminoid) per day for an entire week had a
sufficient drop in the free radicals that damage the arterial walls. And in double-blind
trial, symptoms of patients with rheumatoid arthritis who received curcumin
improved as much as the symptoms of a group who received phyenylbutazone, a
popular prescription drug that produce adverse side effects. Other
studies have shown that turmeric extract and curcuminoids inhibit the formation
of cancer cells and mutagens. Because the spice has been used medicinally
for centuries, it's possible that curried dishes have therapeutic properties,
but Western scientists have not studied the precise effects.
Safety
It should not be used by people with clotting disorders or people taking
anti-coagulant medication. Anyone trying to convince or with fertility
problems should avoid using turmeric. In large amounts, the herb may
cause heartburn or stomach upset. Children under the age two should not
be given medicinal preparations of turmeric, and older children and the elderly
should begin with low-strength preparations, increasing the dosage if necessary.
Comparison
According to naturopathic doctor Joseph Pizzorno, Jr., curcumin curbs
inflammation better than the common anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen.
Nathaniel Mead is a medical journalist living in North Carolina.
September-October 1997, Natural Health
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