Benefits of Turmeric

Turmeric seems to be all the rage recently, and for good reason. It has a history of use of thousands of years, and it is still being used today for a variety of health benefits. A growing body of convincing research is justifying the popularity of turmeric today. You can use fresh or dried turmeric in recipes to increase your intake, or look for it as a supplement.

What Is Turmeric?

Turmeric comes from the rhizomes of the plant called Curcuma longa, Curcuma aromatica, or Curcuma domestica, and it is a member of the same botanical family that includes ginger. It is grown in Asia, mostly South Asia, and Central America. Javanese turmeric, or Curcuma xathorriz, is a separate plant.

Dried turmeric is a yellow spice, and turmeric is also known as Indian saffron, possibly because of this yellow color. Dried turmeric may be better-known, but fresh turmeric is also edible. Along using it in cooking, people use turmeric as a dye for foods and cosmetics, and for many purported health benefits.⁽ⁱ⁾

Turmeric versus Curcumin

“Turmeric” refers to the spice or the entire rhizome of the Curcuma longa plant, but the effects in your body are due to active compounds called curcuminoids. The most familiar of these may be curcumin, which is not to be confused with the spice called cumin! When you purchase dietary supplements, they are likely to have concentrated amounts of curcumin so you get more than you would from dried or fresh turmeric.

Turmeric in Chinese and Ayurvedic Medicine

Turmeric has been used for thousands of years as a food and a yellow dye. It has also been used for medicinal purposes in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Ayurvedic medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine can include herbal remedies, along with practices such as tai chi, acupuncture, and qi gong. Today, TCM is typically used as a complementary health approach, alongside conventional Western medicine strategies.⁽ⁱⁱ⁾

The Chinese term for turmeric is “yu jin.” In TCM, yu jin is used to get the blood and qi energy flowing properly. It is thought to affect the meridians, where energy flows, of the heart, lung, liver, and gallbladder.⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾ In addition, it can have the following uses:

• Heal traumatic injuries
• Treat epilepsy
• Relieve menstrual pain
• Normalize enlarged liver and spleen
• Treat bleeding abnormalities.

Turmeric is also used in Ayurvedic medicine, which dates back over 3,000 years in India. It is still widely practiced and studied today in eastern cultures, although it is less commonly practiced in the context of western medicine. Ayurvedic medicine can include the use of herbal products and special diets to promote healing and disease prevention.^(iv)

Western Discovery of Curcumin

As described in the journal, “Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology,” curcumin was not discovered in the West until the nineteenth century, which is thousands of years after Asian cultures had begun using it. Its chemical structure was described in the twentieth century, and eventually researchers began looking at possible antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, along with links to diabetes and cholesterol risk reduction.^(v)

Health Benefits of Turmeric

Neither turmeric nor curcumin have been shown to prevent or cure any diseases, but the results of many research studies suggest that turmeric could be worth taking. There is mounting evidence that shows how curcumin acts in the body, and it appears to have the potential to have a variety of biological activities. This could be good news for your health.

A Healthier Inflammation Response

Inflammation is one of your body’s natural defense responses. Acute inflammation in response to an injury can be helpful because it increases the blood flow to the area to deliver more nutrients and allow cells in the immune system to eliminate unhealthy components. This is your body’s effort to speed the healing process. You can visualize acute inflammation by thinking of the redness and swelling that occurs when you sprain an ankle.

In contrast, chronic inflammation can be unhealthy. High levels of chronic inflammation are linked to the development of chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, arthritis, and heart disease. Some autoimmune diseases are also linked to inflammation. People are interested in natural anti-inflammatories to lower levels of unhealthy inflammation.

Researchers have investigated how turmeric might affect inflammation at the cellular level. One study found that curcumin interferes with a specific signaling pathway in your body that leads to inflammation. Reduced inflammation could lead to improved joint health if you are suffering from arthritis.^(vi)

Antioxidant Properties

You may have heard that antioxidants are good, but do you know why? As their name says, they fight oxidation in your body, but what does that mean? As you go through your day, your body produces compounds called free radicals, including reactive oxygen species, or ROS. Internally-produced free radicals are produced by your body, such as through normal metabolism or during exercise. External sources of free radicals can include pollution in the environment, especially cigarette smoke, exposure to radiation from sources such as the sun or x-rays, and toxic chemicals, including pesticides or chemicals found in paint.

Whether their sources are internal or external, free radicals can be dangerous for your health. They are highly reactive, and can react with components of your body’s cells and tissues. This can lead to damage and increase cancer risk. As explained in a review article in “Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences,” antioxidants have potential to fight conditions such as heart disease, cancer, cataracts, and aging of the skin.

Blueberries, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, and other superfoods are rich in antioxidants, as are many spices. Turmeric can scavage free radicals in vitro (in the test tube), and a study with curcumin found its ability to increase the activity of antioxidant enzymes, too.^(vii,viii)

Healthy Cell Life Cycle

While the term “cancer” includes a wide range of diseases, they all have something in common. They have abnormal cells with uncontrolled growth. Normal, healthy cells undergo apoptosis, or programmed cell death, when it is time. Cancerous cells continue to grow, which is why they can form tumors or spread.

The goal of cancer treatment such as radiation therapy or chemotherapy is to kill the carcinogenic cells. Similarly, the goal of cancer prevention is to maintain your body’s cells’ ability to maintain their normal life cycle. In various studies, curcumin was shown to increase cell death of:

• Brain tumor cells known as glioblastomas.^(ix)
• Squamous cells in skin cancer.^(x)
• Multiple myeloma cells.^(xi)

Healthy Metabolism and Weight Support

Obesity is a complicated condition that, often, goes far beyond the simple explanation of eating too much while exercising too little. Imbalances of hunger hormones, resistance to a satisfaction hormone called leptin, and impaired fat-burning can all factor into trouble losing weight or unwanted weight gain. Obesity is also considered an inflammatory disease.

In a study in “PLoS One,” mice were fed a high-fat diet in order to induce obesity. Then, some mice were fed curcumin along with their high-fat diet for 28 weeks. The mice who received curcumin gained less weight and had less of activity in the fat-producing genes in their livers.^(xii)

Better Focus and Sharper Thinking

A decline in cognitive thinking has often accepted as part of aging, and Alzheimer’s disease was often accepted as inevitable, but the outlook may be rosier than you thought. Keeping your brain active through mental activities and playing brain games and exercising regularly can lower your risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease. So can eating a healthy diet that is rich in antioxidants, which are present in nutritious foods including fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and nuts.

Alzheimer’s disease is linked to a build-up of beta-amyloid plaques in certain areas of the brain. A study among mice with high levels of amyloid plaque build-up found that curcumin can cross the blood-brain barrier and reduce levels of amyloid plaque.^(xiii)

Supporting a Better Mood

As explained by the Linus Pauling Institute, major depressive disorder is linked to chemical imbalances in the brain, such as reduced bioavailability of brain messaging chemicals including serotonin, noradrenaline, and dopamine. Inflammation of neuronal tissue is another marker of major depressive disorder.^(xiv)

Treatment for major depressive disorder can focus on increasing neurotransmitter availability through drug therapy. Some studies have looked at the effects of adding curcumin to the treatment regimen, and found mixed results. Some studies did not find curcumin to affect patient outcomes, while other research found that patients who took curcumin in addition to their prescribed medications had fewer symptoms of major depressive disorder.

Maintains Intestinal Wall Integrity

Ulcerative colitis is chronic condition in which the mucosal cells lining the colon become inflamed. A study that looked at the effects of a curcumin enema in patients in remission for ulcerative colitis concluded that those who took the enema for six months were less likely to have a relapse during that time.

Hanai H, Iida T, Takeuchi K, et al. Curcumin maintenance therapy for ulcerative colitis: randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2006;4(12):1502-1506.

A different study looked at oral supplementation of curcumin among patients with ulcerative colitis who were taking mesalamine, which is a commonly used for treating the condition. In the study, those who took curcumin had a better chance of being in remission after a month.^(xv)

Radiant, Younger-Looking Skin

Wrinkles and sagging skin come with aging. They are the results of factors including the natural decrease of collagen in your skin as you age, along with exposure to the elements over the years, plus any UV radiation from the sun that your skin receives. While some aging of your skin is inevitable, you may be able to slow the process. At this point, many people use curcumin creams to help maintain skin integrity and a youthful appearance.

In addition, both genetic and preventable factors a variety of skin diseases. One review article examined curcumin in oral supplement form and in topical creams, and its effects on multiple diseases of the skin. Facial photoaging, eczema (atopic dermatitis), sulfur mustard-induced chronic pruritus, and psoriasis were all investigated. In many studies, these diseases caused fewer symptoms among patients who also took curcumin or turmeric supplements along with their standard therapy or drug regimen.^(xvi)

Cooking with Turmeric

Turmeric is a standard item that you can find in most supermarkets in the spice section. Pure turmeric is a yellow spice that has a taste similar to that of mustard, and is slightly bitter. It also tastes earthy. It is an aromatic spice, used more often in savory dishes than sweet ones.

Some curry powders contain turmeric. However, the concentration of turmeric is lower than pure turmeric spice, since curry powders are mixtures of spices that can include coriander, fenugreek, cumin, and other spices in addition to turmeric.

You can also purchase fresh turmeric from the produce section of many large supermarkets. Fresh turmeric looks like ginger, but is smaller and thinner than ginger. Its interior is bright orange, while its woody exterior has a light brownish color.

Select firm turmeric that does not bend easily, since floppiness is a sign of aging. Peel your turmeric and wash it as you would wash any fresh fruit or vegetable. Then it is ready to use. The turmeric pieces can have small bumps, or nodules. These are no different from the rest of the turmeric, but they can make peeling more difficult. For your convenience when preparing the turmeric, you might want to choose the smoother pieces.

Soup

Turmeric adds color and flavor to soups. You can use dried turmeric in hearty lentil soup, Thai-inspired chicken soup with milk, coconut oil, cilantro and vegetables, and vegetable noodle soup with potatoes, carrots, and zucchini. It is also an ingredient in Mulligatawny, the Indian-inspired soup with spices such as turmeric ,cloves, coriander, and cardamom.

Curries

The warm, savory flavor of turmeric makes it an ideal ingredient in curries, and that is why turmeric is an ingredient in curry powder. Turmeric gives many curries their yellowish tinge. You can use about 1 teaspoon in curries; your best bet for intense flavor is to add it to the pan when you sauté vegetables in oil. These are some components that can combine to make hearty, tasty, and nutritious curries:

• A protein, such as chickpeas (garbanzo beans), chicken, fish, tofu, or paneer (a type of Indian cheese).
• Your base vegetables, such as onion and carrot.
• Other vegetables, such as eggplant, tomato, cauliflower, or peas.
• A starch (optional), such as potato or sweet potato.
• Spices and herbs, such as turmeric plus ginger, garlic, curry powder, cayenne, mustard powder, cumin, coriander, and/or cinnamon.
• Yogurt, oil, and/or broth for cooking and serving.

Smoothies

You can use dried turmeric or fresh turmeric in your smoothies. Start with about ½ teaspoon of dried turmeric in your smoothie to start, and add more if you want as you get used to the flavor. If you are using fresh turmeric, try about 1 inch of peeled, washed turmeric root. These are some smoothie combos to try:

• Kale, turmeric, milk or soy milk, banana, and strawberries.
• Papaya, almond milk, turmeric, ginger, ice, and tofu.
• Banana, peanut butter, mango, ice, and turmeric.

Tea and Other Drinks

Green and black tea are both rich in antioxidants. After making a cup, you can add a dash of turmeric. Or, make “Golden Milk” with turmeric, coconut milk, and honey. If you enjoy sipping on broth, you can add dried turmeric to hot water to make a tisane.

Other Uses for Turmeric

You can use turmeric to liven up the flavor and color of many different foods, such as the following examples:

• Dried turmeric in rice or pilaf.
• Dried turmeric in scrambled eggs, omelets, or tofu scrambles, or in the filling for deviled eggs.
• Dried turmeric in mashed potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes.
• Dried turmeric on eggplant dip or hummus as a garnish.
• Dried turmeric in creamed spinach or collard greens.
• Dried turmeric tossed with roasted vegetables.
• Fresh turmeric grated into stir fry.
• Fresh turmeric grated into homemade salad dressings with oil and vinegar.
• Fresh turmeric in marinades for chicken and fish, just as you would use ginger.

Turmeric Supplements

The amount of curcumin that you find in the turmeric as a dried spice or fresh food is low compared to the amount in purified supplements. According to the Linus Pauling Institute, dried turmeric powder that you would use for cooking has a curcuminoid content of 2-9%, while curcumin supplements can have a concentration of 95%.^(xvii)

Furthermore, the bioavailability, or amount your body can use and absorb, of curcumin is low in the spice form. The result is that you need to take a relatively high amount to get the health benefits, which is why highly concentrated supplements can be beneficial.

You can find topical turmeric cream if you are using your supplement for skin conditions. For other uses, you can try turmeric-containing capsules. Topical patches that contain curcumin are also available; they allow your body to absorb the curcumin into your system through your skin.

How Much Turmeric to Take

It appears that you may need at least 3.6 grams of curcumin per day for there to even be detectable levels of it in your bloodstream, at least according to research published in “Clinical Cancer Research.”^(xviii)

This implies that a daily dose of at least 3.6 grams per day may be necessary to see health benefits, although this amount could vary depending on individual factors such as your weight. You should check with your doctor about dosing when choosing a supplement.

Improving Absorption of Turmeric Supplements

When choosing a supplement, you might notice that many of them contain an ingredient called piperine. Piperine is a compound naturally found in black pepper and extracted as a dietary supplement. It is often added to curcumin supplements because it is known to increase the bioavailability of curcumin so your body can better absorb a greater proportion of it.^(xix) You may see piperine listed as “bioperine” in the ingredients or supplement facts, since Bioperine is a brand name.

According to research published in “Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology,” piperine may have a synergistic effect with curcumin. That is, the two compounds together may be more effective than taking either of them separately.^(xx)

Some people have a reaction to black pepper, but there is another option for improving absorption. Phytosome is a new technology which is coupled with curcumin extracts to provide a curcumin bioavailability of 80 -85%. In this approach, the curcumin is bound to phospholipids, which are compounds that you get from your diet and are used to compose your cell membranes. Your body is easily able to absorb phospholipids, so attaching curcumin to them increases your body’s ability to absorb it. In the case of curcumin, the phospholipids used come from sunflower oil.^(xxi)

Safety and Precautions

Dried and fresh turmeric, and curcumin supplement, appear to be low-risk. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration classifies them as generally recognized as safe, or GRAS (CITE). Some studies of tolerance of high doses have reported side effects such as headaches, diarrhea, and nausea, but these effects were in a minority of study participants.^(xxii)

Although curcumin itself is generally considered safe, it can interact with medications because of the way it works in the body. These are some medications to watch out for:

• Anticoagulants and antiplatelet medications, such as Plavix, heparin, and aspirin, because curcumin also inhibits platelet aggregation, or blood clotting.
• Certain cancer treatment medications, due to curcumin’s effects on normal cell growth.
  Biotransformation enzymes, which assist in metabolizing various drugs, including steroid hormones, and toxins.
• Anti-rheumatic drugs, particularly because of curcumin’s role in healthy joints and inflammatory response.

In addition, it is important to be aware of the possible drug interactions of piperine if you are taking a turmeric supplement that contains it. For example, piperine can interact with your body’s drug transporters and its metabolism.

The same precautions that you should take when purchasing or taking any dietary supplement apply to curcumin, too. Since the Food and Drug Administration does not inspect most supplements, you might want to choose a supplement from a brand you trust. Look for a “USP-verified” mark on the label of the product you select to be confident that the contents are pure. That increases your safety by protecting you from contaminants.

In addition, it is sensible to contact your doctor before taking curcumin supplements, just as you should before taking any dietary supplement. Discuss any medications that you take to avoid any potential interactions with curcumin. As with other supplements, pregnant and breastfeeding women should be especially careful to speak with their doctors before taking turmeric.

References
[i] National Center for Complementary and Alternative Health. Turmeric. (September 2016).  Accessed December 10, 2017
[ii] National Center for Complementary and Alternative Health. Traditional Chinese Medicine: In Depth. (October 2013).  Accessed December 10, 2017
[iii] Suttie E. The Healing Power of Turmeric. Chinese Medicine Living. March 22, 2017.  Accessed December 14, 2017
[iv] National Center for Complementary and Alternative Health. Ayurvedic Medicine: In Depth. (October 2013).  Accessed December 10, 2017
[v] Gupta SC, Patchva S, Koh W, Aggarwal BB. Discovery of Curcumin, a Component of the Golden Spice, and Its Miraculous Biological Activities. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 2012 March; 39(3): 283–299.
[vi] Ghosh S, Banerjee S, Sil PC. The beneficial role of curcumin on inflammation, diabetes and neurodegenerative disease: A recent update.  Food Chem Toxicol. 2015;83:111-124.
[vii] Sreejayan, Rao MN. Nitric oxide scavenging by curcuminoids. J Pharm Pharmacol. 1997;49(1):105-107.
[viii] Dickinson DA, Levonen AL, Moellering DR, et al. Human glutamate cysteine ligase gene regulation through the electrophile response element.
Free Radic Biol Med. 2004;37(8):1152-1159. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15451055
[ix] Zhuang W, Long L, Zheng B, Ji W, Yang N, Zhang Q, Liang Z. Curcumin promotes differentiation of glioma-initiating cells by inducing autophagy. 2012;103(4):684-690.
[x] https://www.mdanderson.org/newsroom/news-releases/2005/07-11-05-potent-spice-works-to-block-growth-of-melanoma-in-lab-test-news-release.html
[xi] Gomez-Bougie P et al. Curcumin induces cell death of the main molecular myeloma subtypes, particularly the poor prognosis subgroups. https://doi.org/10.4161/15384047.2014.986997
[xii] Weijan S, et al. Curcumin Prevents High Fat Diet Induced Insulin Resistance and Obesity via Attenuating Lipogenesis in Liver and Inflammatory Pathway in Adipocytes.
PLoS One. 2012; 7(1): e28784.
[xiii] Yang F, Lim GP, Begum AN, et al. Curcumin inhibits formation of amyloid β oligomers and fibrils, binds plaques, and reduces amyloid in vivo. J Biol Chem. 2005;280(7):5892-5901. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15590663
[xiv] Linus Pauling Institute. Curcumin. Accessed December 10, 2017 at http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/dietary-factors/phytochemicals/curcumin.
[xv] Lang A, Salomon N, Wu JC, et al. Curcumin in combination with mesalamine induces remission in patients with mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis in a randomized controlled trial. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2015;13(8):1444-1449 e1441
[xvi] Vaughn AR, Branum A, Sivamani RK. Effects of Turmeric (Curcuma longa) on Skin Health: A Systematic Review of the Clinical Evidence. Phytother Res. 2016 Aug;30(8):1243-64. doi: 10.1002/ptr.5640. Epub 2016 May 23.
[xvii] Linus Pauling Institute. Curcumin. Accessed December 10, 2017
[xviii] Sharma RA, Euden SA, Platton SL, et al. Phase I clinical trial of oral curcumin: biomarkers of systemic activity and compliance. Clin Cancer Res. 2004;10(20):6847-6854
[xix] Bano G, Raina RK, Zutshi U, Bedi KL, Johri RK, Sharma SC. Effect of piperine on bioavailability and pharmacokinetics of propranolol and theophylline in healthy volunteers.
[xx] Patial VS M, Sharma S, Pratap K, Singh D, Padwad YS. Synergistic effect of curcumin and piperine in suppression of DENA-induced hepatocellular carcinoma in rats. Environ Toxicol Pharmacol. 2015 Sep;40(2):445-52. doi: 10.1016/j.etap.2015.07.012. Epub 2015 Jul 26.
[xxi] Meriva. Accessed December 14, 2017