06-18-2004, 11:06 PM
Here is an article on Turmeric.....
Link: http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?...sess=1&id=45561
The yellow cure
Indian cooking without turmeric (haldi) is unthinkable. This is the spice (actually the stalk of a plant of the ginger family) that colours our food yellow, and flavours all kinds of desi favourites, from mild kormas to fiery vindaloos.
But curcuma longa, to give turmeric its botanical name, is more than a colouring, flavouring ingredient. Its medicinal uses are legion and legendary. In the Ayurvedic system of traditional healing, turmeric is believed to boost energy, relieve gas, dispel worms, improve digestion, dissolve gallstones, regulate menstruation, alleviate arthritis, among many other uses.
Does it really do all these things? Modern scientific interest in turmeric began only in 1971 when Indian researchers found evidence suggesting that turmeric may possess anti-inflammatory properties. Since then, several studies have been conducted into the possible healing benefits of turmeric, and intriguing leads have emerged. Apparently, turmeric has not only anti-inflammatory properties, but also an anti-oxidant effect -- that is, it scavenges and gets rid of the harmful by-products of oxidation in the body, substances that have been implicated in degenerative processes such as heart disease, cancer, even aging. (This anti-oxidant property is also what makes turmeric such a good food preservative.)
The crucial chemical in turmericâs healing power is believed to be curcumin, a compound found in the spice. The bulk of modern studies have used curcumin rather than turmeric itself in their investigations. Here are some of the more promising findings:
Dyspepsia. Turmeric has been tested as a treatment for dyspepsia, a catch-all term that includes a variety of digestive diseases such as stomach discomfort, gas, bloating, belching, appetite loss and nausea. According to one school of scientific thinking, dyspepsia is caused by inadequate bile flow from the gall bladder. While this is not proven, turmeric does appear to stimulate the gall bladder. One well-conducted study that used 500 mg of curcumin 4 times daily found that, after 7 days, the majority of dyspepsia sufferers put on this treatment obtained full or partial relief from their symptoms.
Cancer. Studies suggest turmeric might help prevent cancer (though conclusive proof will require much more research). The findings so far indicate curcumin could block or shrink tumours in the colon and stomach in rats, that it can inhibit the growth of human breast cancer cells, and that it can cause the regression of pre-cancerous lesions in the mouth in humans (a major risk for those who smoke cigarettes or bidis or consume paan or gutka.)
How does turmeric work its anti-tumour effects? In more than one way, it has been hypothesized. Curcumin may encourage what is known as the apoptosis of cancer cells, in other words cause them to disintegrate. Curcuminâs powerful anti-oxidant ability is also credited with mopping up harmful substances in the body that lead to cancer formation.
Heart Disease. A number of studies have shown that turmeric extract lowers levels of total cholesterol as well as LDL (âbadâ) cholesterol in the blood; they include a study done by the Life Sciences department of Mumbai University. A high level of blood cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease and heart attacks.
Alzheimerâs Disease. Recent research at the University of California in Los Angeles suggests that turmeric may play a role in slowing down the progression of neuro-degenerative diseases like Alzheimerâs. Alzheimerâs is linked to the build-up of knots in the brain called amyloid plaques. In the studies, turmeric reduced the number of these plaques by fully one half. Not only was there less evidence of plaque in curcumin-fed rats, but such rats also outperformed rats on a curcumin-free diet in carrying out maze-based memory tests (One of the chief features of Alzheimerâs is the progressive, irreversible loss of memory). Curcumin also appeared to reduce Alzheimerâs-related inflammation in brain tissue.
The findings may help explain why rates of Alzheimerâs are much lower among elderly persons in India than in their Western peers. Researchers are hopeful that drugs with similar properties to curcumin could potentially be used as a preventive treatment for Alzheimerâs disease.
AIDS. Research has found that turmeric inhibits a protein secreted by HIV-infected cells that promotes the onset of full-blown AIDS. In one study, HIV-positive patients who took 2000 mg of curcumin daily showed increased counts of immune cells. Many more studies are needed to confirm the potential benefits of curcumin in HIV-positive persons.
The effective dose. Youâd have to down a huge amount of turmeric to get the amount of curcumin considered an effective dose for the medicinal benefits described in the research, above. Supplements are a more practical way to get such high levels. These supplements are available in a form standardised to curcumin content; for medicinal purposes, they are taken at a dose that provides 400 to 600 mg of curcumin, 3 times daily. (This is the adult dose).
Although some studies, such as the one on AIDS sufferers cited above, have used much higher doses of curcumin, the long-term risks of such dosage strengths are not yet known. Some research indicates that turmeric extracts can damage the liver when taken in high doses or for an extended period. For this reason, turmeric extracts should probably be avoided by people with liver disease or those taking medicines that are hard on the liver. In addition, due to curcuminâs stimulating effects on the gall bladder, those with gall-bladder disease should use curcumin only on the advice of a physician. Because of turmericâs cholesterol-lowering effects, those taking cholesterol-lowering drugs should consult their doctor before taking turmeric extracts.
Their safety in those with severe kidney disease has also not been established. Turmeric extracts may stimulate contractions of the uterus and may alter menstrual periods. Turmeric cannot be recommended during pregnancy and breast-feeding in amounts greater than that found in foods.
In fact, until safety concerns over the use of turmeric extracts have been thoroughly addressed, it would be advisable for you to continue to get your disease-protection dose of turmeric from your daily diet rather than from supplements.
Nirmala Ferrao
Link: http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?...sess=1&id=45561
The yellow cure
Indian cooking without turmeric (haldi) is unthinkable. This is the spice (actually the stalk of a plant of the ginger family) that colours our food yellow, and flavours all kinds of desi favourites, from mild kormas to fiery vindaloos.
But curcuma longa, to give turmeric its botanical name, is more than a colouring, flavouring ingredient. Its medicinal uses are legion and legendary. In the Ayurvedic system of traditional healing, turmeric is believed to boost energy, relieve gas, dispel worms, improve digestion, dissolve gallstones, regulate menstruation, alleviate arthritis, among many other uses.
Does it really do all these things? Modern scientific interest in turmeric began only in 1971 when Indian researchers found evidence suggesting that turmeric may possess anti-inflammatory properties. Since then, several studies have been conducted into the possible healing benefits of turmeric, and intriguing leads have emerged. Apparently, turmeric has not only anti-inflammatory properties, but also an anti-oxidant effect -- that is, it scavenges and gets rid of the harmful by-products of oxidation in the body, substances that have been implicated in degenerative processes such as heart disease, cancer, even aging. (This anti-oxidant property is also what makes turmeric such a good food preservative.)
The crucial chemical in turmericâs healing power is believed to be curcumin, a compound found in the spice. The bulk of modern studies have used curcumin rather than turmeric itself in their investigations. Here are some of the more promising findings:
Dyspepsia. Turmeric has been tested as a treatment for dyspepsia, a catch-all term that includes a variety of digestive diseases such as stomach discomfort, gas, bloating, belching, appetite loss and nausea. According to one school of scientific thinking, dyspepsia is caused by inadequate bile flow from the gall bladder. While this is not proven, turmeric does appear to stimulate the gall bladder. One well-conducted study that used 500 mg of curcumin 4 times daily found that, after 7 days, the majority of dyspepsia sufferers put on this treatment obtained full or partial relief from their symptoms.
Cancer. Studies suggest turmeric might help prevent cancer (though conclusive proof will require much more research). The findings so far indicate curcumin could block or shrink tumours in the colon and stomach in rats, that it can inhibit the growth of human breast cancer cells, and that it can cause the regression of pre-cancerous lesions in the mouth in humans (a major risk for those who smoke cigarettes or bidis or consume paan or gutka.)
How does turmeric work its anti-tumour effects? In more than one way, it has been hypothesized. Curcumin may encourage what is known as the apoptosis of cancer cells, in other words cause them to disintegrate. Curcuminâs powerful anti-oxidant ability is also credited with mopping up harmful substances in the body that lead to cancer formation.
Heart Disease. A number of studies have shown that turmeric extract lowers levels of total cholesterol as well as LDL (âbadâ) cholesterol in the blood; they include a study done by the Life Sciences department of Mumbai University. A high level of blood cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease and heart attacks.
Alzheimerâs Disease. Recent research at the University of California in Los Angeles suggests that turmeric may play a role in slowing down the progression of neuro-degenerative diseases like Alzheimerâs. Alzheimerâs is linked to the build-up of knots in the brain called amyloid plaques. In the studies, turmeric reduced the number of these plaques by fully one half. Not only was there less evidence of plaque in curcumin-fed rats, but such rats also outperformed rats on a curcumin-free diet in carrying out maze-based memory tests (One of the chief features of Alzheimerâs is the progressive, irreversible loss of memory). Curcumin also appeared to reduce Alzheimerâs-related inflammation in brain tissue.
The findings may help explain why rates of Alzheimerâs are much lower among elderly persons in India than in their Western peers. Researchers are hopeful that drugs with similar properties to curcumin could potentially be used as a preventive treatment for Alzheimerâs disease.
AIDS. Research has found that turmeric inhibits a protein secreted by HIV-infected cells that promotes the onset of full-blown AIDS. In one study, HIV-positive patients who took 2000 mg of curcumin daily showed increased counts of immune cells. Many more studies are needed to confirm the potential benefits of curcumin in HIV-positive persons.
The effective dose. Youâd have to down a huge amount of turmeric to get the amount of curcumin considered an effective dose for the medicinal benefits described in the research, above. Supplements are a more practical way to get such high levels. These supplements are available in a form standardised to curcumin content; for medicinal purposes, they are taken at a dose that provides 400 to 600 mg of curcumin, 3 times daily. (This is the adult dose).
Although some studies, such as the one on AIDS sufferers cited above, have used much higher doses of curcumin, the long-term risks of such dosage strengths are not yet known. Some research indicates that turmeric extracts can damage the liver when taken in high doses or for an extended period. For this reason, turmeric extracts should probably be avoided by people with liver disease or those taking medicines that are hard on the liver. In addition, due to curcuminâs stimulating effects on the gall bladder, those with gall-bladder disease should use curcumin only on the advice of a physician. Because of turmericâs cholesterol-lowering effects, those taking cholesterol-lowering drugs should consult their doctor before taking turmeric extracts.
Their safety in those with severe kidney disease has also not been established. Turmeric extracts may stimulate contractions of the uterus and may alter menstrual periods. Turmeric cannot be recommended during pregnancy and breast-feeding in amounts greater than that found in foods.
In fact, until safety concerns over the use of turmeric extracts have been thoroughly addressed, it would be advisable for you to continue to get your disease-protection dose of turmeric from your daily diet rather than from supplements.
Nirmala Ferrao