Used as a spice and medicine for thousands of years, what can turmeric actually do for your health?
A study concluded that it could be effective at alleviating stomach discomfort. But a lot is unknown. Turmeric, a spice and medicine used thousands of years, has become popular as a dietary supplement, often sold as curcumin. The chemical compound found in dried turmeric is also used in Thailand to reduce joint pain, reduce inflammation, and improve mobility. However, only a few small studies have found such benefits. In a recent study, researchers from Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok found that curcum supplements could help patients with functional dyspepsia, a common gastrointestinal condition that causes stomach pain and nausea. The study also found that all three groups reported similar reductions in symptoms such as pain, belching, heartburn and bloating.
Published : 2 years ago by CNA Lifestyle in Health
Turmeric has been used as a spice and medicine for thousands of years. And in recent decades, it’s become popular as a dietary supplement, often sold as curcumin – a chemical compound found in dried turmeric – with claims that it can soothe joint pain, reduce inflammation and improve mobility.
In Thailand, turmeric is also often consumed in its spice or supplement form to quell gastrointestinal symptoms like bloating and indigestion, said Dr Krit Pongpirul, an associate professor of preventive and social medicine at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. But only a few small studies have evaluated such benefits.
In a trial published in September in the journal BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine, Dr Pongpirul and his colleagues tested whether curcumin supplements could help patients with functional dyspepsia, a common gastrointestinal condition that causes stomach pain and feelings of fullness, nausea and bloating after meals.
For the eight-week trial, the researchers split 206 people with functional dyspepsia into three randomly assigned groups: One that took 20 milligrammes of omeprazole (a medication that reduces stomach acid) once a day; another that took two 250-milligramme capsules of curcumin four times a day; and a third that took both omeprazole and curcumin in the above doses each day.
There were 151 patients who completed the study, and at four and eight weeks, all three groups reported similar reductions in symptoms such as pain, belching, heartburn and bloating.