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Turmeric
Turmeric
to a new study.
The study, published Monday in the medical journal BMJ, compared how more than
150 people with dyspepsia, or indigestion, responded to either the drug omeprazole,
turmeric — which contains the compound curcumin — or a combination of the two.
At days 28 and 56 of treatment, the people in the study were evaluated for their
symptoms — which can include stomach pain, bloating, nausea or an early feeling of
fullness – using the Severity of Dyspepsia Assessment, a questionnaire that rates the
severity of indigestion.
Researchers found no significant differences in the symptoms of the groups taking the
drug, turmeric or the combination of the two, according to the study.
Turmeric has been used by people in Southeast Asia to treat stomach discomfort and
other inflammatory conditions, Pongpirul said. Its medicinal use dates back hundreds
of years, according to a 2017 study.
In the United States, its primary medicinal use has been as an anti-inflammatory and
antioxidant dietary supplement to relieve osteoarthritis and irritable bowel syndrome,
he added.
But this is the first clinical trial that directly compares curcumin/turmeric to omeprazole
in treating dyspepsia, Pongpirul said.
Some studies have shown that curcumin was helpful in conjunction with other
medications, she added.
But there were some questions Luo had about the new study.
The scale that the researchers used to measure symptoms is not the most common
one used for assessing improvement of indigestion, she said.
Luo would also like to see what the results would be if symptoms were measured more
frequently.
“I don’t think this one study alone is enough for me to say, ‘I recommend this,’” she
said. “Proceed with caution.”
But because there’s a lot of ongoing research investigating the compound’s impact on
different inflammatory conditions, more insights could be close at hand, Luo added.
There have been a few case studies of curcumin and liver injury, and it is important to
make sure turmeric doesn’t interact poorly with any of the other medications you are
on, she added.
“Consumers should be aware of side effects of curcumin extracts such as allergy and
bleeding risk, especially for those who take anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications,”
Pongpirul said.
That said, curcumin and turmeric is “generally considered safe when consumed in the
amounts typically found in food,” he added.
The dose of 2 grams given in this study is relatively low compared to extracts
commonly found in curcumin supplements, Pongpirul said.
It may not be necessary to take both turmeric and omeprazole together if just taking
one or the other works similarly to reduce risk of side effects, he said.
Although she needs to see more studies before she starts recommending turmeric as a
treatment, Luo did say that she thinks it makes sense to talk with your doctor about if
you should try it in addition to your medications.
She does add a caveat, however: People trying these alternatives should give them
each two to four weeks to see what the full impact is.
“If it is helpful, that’s wonderful,” Luo added. “If not, that’s the tough part of treating
disorders … not all patients are the same and have the same response to medication.”