Turmeric is a spice that serves as a source of curcumin, a polyphenol. Curcumin has several health benefits and has been used in skin care and skin conditions. Curcumin has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-cancer properties, and is also used in metabolic processes such as diabetes, PCOS, and cardiovascular disease. Curcumin can be taken as turmeric in the form of a spice or as curcumin extracts or supplements. Read more...
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Which health conditions have been studied for the benefits of curcumin?
Are there any vitamins and herbal supplements that should not be taken with turmeric?
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What is turmeric?
Turmeric is a spice that serves as a source of curcumin, a polyphenol. Curcumin has several health benefits. Curcumin has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-cancer properties, and is also used in metabolic processes such as diabetes, PCOS, and cardiovascular disease. Curcumin can be taken as turmeric in the form of a spice or as curcumin extracts or supplements.
How is turmeric normally used?
As a spice, turmeric is used in many dishes for flavor, color, and aroma. About 2% of turmeric is made up of curcumin. South Asian food is known for its use of turmeric in many dishes, however, the average Indian diet has been found to provide about 2000 to 2500 mg of turmeric which is at most 100mg of curcumin. Curcumin can be taken as turmeric or as curcumin extracts or supplements.
How much curcumin is in one teaspoon of turmeric?
One teaspoon of turmeric has about 200 mg of curcumin.
How much curcumin is found in supplements?
Supplements tend to have 500 mg of curcumin (the equivalent of about 2.5 teaspoons of turmeric).
Nature Made contains 500 mg of Curcumin in the form of a capsule.
What are the health benefits of turmeric?
There are numerous health benefits of turmeric.
Antioxidant: Reduces oxidative stress on cells
Anti-inflammatory: Curcumin blocks a key regulator of the inflammatory pathway
Anticancer: colon, breast, and lung cancer
Antimicrobial: Antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal activity
Neuroprotective: Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Huntington's disease, Prions disease, stroke, Down's syndrome, autism, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, anxiety, depression, and aging
Cardioprotective : antiplatelet and anticoagulant
Metabolic: Antidiabetic effects
Which health conditions have been studied for the benefits of curcumin?
The bioavailability of curcumin is generally low to have a clear impact on several health conditions, however, some analogs and formulations of curcumin may show benefits. Tumeric has a place in the anti-inflammatory diet that overall has demonstrable health benefits.
For cancers, there are numerous trials underway with varying doses of curcumin with and without adjuvant therapeutics. Most of these studies have demonstrated little direct benefit with oral supplementation other than possible chemopreventive potential. However, the potential for benefit with analogs that may be formulated in the future is possible. Cancers evaluated in studies include and not limited to colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, multiple myeloma, lung cancer, and oral cancer.
Gastrointestinal diseases studied include inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, peptic ulcer disease, and H. pylori. Cardiac conditions studies include atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease. Arthritis, uveitis, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, lupus nephritis, and AIDS have also been studied with turmeric or curcumin.
Skin conditions studied with curcumin include vitiligo and psoriasis.
It's clear that there is significant interest in curcumin in the world of medicine!
How is turmeric used in skincare?
There are skincare products that may make use of turmeric as an herbal ingredient given its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties. Studies have demonstrated the benefits that turmeric has in managing acne.
Which medications should not be taken with turmeric?
Turmeric has the potential to interact with several commonly used medications.
Turmeric can potentially enhance the effect of blood thinners such as aspirin, NSAIDs, and other blood thinners.
Turmeric can also enhance the effects of antidiabetic medications placing patients at risk for hypoglycemia.
And, turmeric can block the effects of antacids.
Are there any vitamins and herbal supplements that should not be taken with turmeric?
The main concern with combining turmeric with other supplements is the risk of increasing the effect of blood thinners. Herbal supplements known to thin the blood include ginkgo, garlic, ginger, feverfew, ginseng, chamomile, horse chestnut, fenugreek, and red clover. Taking these can increase the risk of bleeding when combined with turmeric.
I come across a lot of turmeric supplements that are combined with ginger. Ask your doctor before considering this combination, especially if you are taking other medications, to reduce the risk of side effects.
You may come across various turmeric or curcumin supplements that contain Bioperine. Bioperine is a black pepper extract that is thought to increase the absorption of curcumin. Remember, if you are taking other medications that can interact with curcumin, especially blood thinners, be mindful of the higher risk of bruising or bleeding.
Who should not take turmeric?
Turmeric is thought to be safe during pregnancy bearing in mind to avoid taking excess amounts given the risk of blood thinning.
Are there common side effects of turmeric?
The most common side effects associated with turmeric consumption would be gastrointestinal. However, it is overall well tolerated.
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