Turmeric / curcumin real or fake

I'm a diabetic, and I've tried using normal turmeric, not extracts, since some research indicates it helps with insulin sensitivity. It requires oil to be absorbed properly, and the addition of a compound found in black pepper increases bioavailability, so I added 1/2 tbsp to salad dressing daily for about a month. It certainly didn't hurt me in any way, and my glucose levels were fine while taking it, but I didn't notice a huge difference. I got bored with it and stopped and haven't noticed a big difference either way.

Conclusions of the clinical review link posted above. There is a great deal of specific peer reviewed clinical research data in the body of the paper if you care to read the whole thing.

CONCLUSIONS
Subsequent to the first seminal paper published in 1949 in Nature, numerous preclinical studies have provided a solid basis for examining curcumin’s efficacy against human diseases. As discussed in this review, curcumin has shown therapeutic potential against a number of human diseases. Common to all of these studies have been the safety, tolerability, and non-toxicity of this polyphenol, even at doses up to 8 g per day. The underlying mechanism for curcumin’s clinical efficacy seems to be modulation of numerous signaling molecules. However, because of the complex nature of the diseases, the underlying mechanism in many cases remains unclear.

From the findings of the completed clinical trials, it may seem that curcumin’s clinical efficacy is too good to be true. However, this polyphenol has not yet been approved for human use. Poor bioavailability and limited adverse effects reported by some investigators are a major limitation to the therapeutic utility of curcumin. We hope that the results from ongoing clinical trials will provide a deeper understanding of curcumin’s therapeutic potential and will help to place this fascinating molecule at the fore front of novel therapeutics.

I tried it, didn't see any benefit from it.

I'd use it as was traditionally intended; i.e. as a spice, in conjunction/balance with other spices, to make food tastier. I doubt it's got any benefit in higher concentrations than that.

Been taking tablets ever day for 3 weeks would recommend it my ankle is a lot better pain not completely gone but so much better I will keep on taking

My wife has arthritis and gets much relief from turmeric based tablets. I take the tablets and they help, but I had to cut back from the recommended dosage because I was getting heart palpitations at night that I believe were related to the turmeric (note palpitations ceased when I cut dose by 2/3).

There are a studies that show it is effective, but not in normal everyday sprinkle it on your food dosage...you have to take supplements that are extracts and condensed. Also look into collagen supplements or chaga mushroom extract for helping with inflammation.

You may also want to check out Black Seed oil- I get the brand "Amazing Herbs" - it's great for inflammation as well as lots of other things- but please note, this stuff tastes REALLY disgusting! I started with the straight oil and had to switch to capsules because the taste was so gross-

The research on turmeric is only so-so. One of the big ones, mentioned above, is a study looking at curcumin in Turmeric that has noted it's lack of bioavailability in water, and also low levels of absorption in the human body.

But that runs into a pretty common problem when modern researchers look at plant based remedies - they prefer to extract certain components rather than look at the plant as a whole (or whatever part of the plant is traditionally used for a remedy - in the case of turmeric, it's actually the entire plant, not just the root, in areas of the world where it grows). And in the past, more than once it has been found that a medicinal compound utilized NOT extracted was more effective than the chemical alone extracted from the plant. And many times, researchers still haven't figured out why.

Or basically, to boil it down - we don't have complete research on turmeric yet.

However, I do know it doesn't HURT most people to add more turmeric to your diet.

And that it, like pretty much all herbs and spices and aromatics, has bioflavonoids.

And just for speculation purposes, another few facts are kind of interesting. Many bioflavonoids are anti-inflammatory because they are mast cell stabilizing (they make mast cells are less likely to release their contents), and mast cells are the cells that release inflammatory mediators.

I don't know WHAT bioflavonoids, aside from curcumin, you would get from the entire plant, because here in the west they have only studied the root, from what I can see. It does seem to contain at least traces of quercetin and luteolin, which are known mast cell stabilizing bioflavonoids.

However, even though I have seen no research on the leaves/stalk of turmeric, some other root-based aromatics, like onion, have much higher levels of bioflavonoids in the leaves/stalk than in the root itself. So even without known research, you could conclude that it might at least be POSSIBLE that the whole turmeric plant could provide anti-inflammatory benefits.

On a personal note, it has been very helpful for my daughter, who has an inflammatory condition as well. I react to turmeric now so I couldn't tell you for myself. But if you are looking for anti-inflammatory ideas, I'd recommend checking out foods high in mast cell stabilizing bioflavonoids. Quercetin, luteolin, and rutin are three I know of.

Olive leaf tea (or extract), capers, and thyme are a few I know of from that category. :-)

lizery wrote: »

Conclusions of the clinical review link posted above. There is a great deal of specific peer reviewed clinical research data in the body of the paper if you care to read the whole thing.

CONCLUSIONS
Subsequent to the first seminal paper published in 1949 in Nature, numerous preclinical studies have provided a solid basis for examining curcumin’s efficacy against human diseases. As discussed in this review, curcumin has shown therapeutic potential against a number of human diseases. Common to all of these studies have been the safety, tolerability, and non-toxicity of this polyphenol, even at doses up to 8 g per day. The underlying mechanism for curcumin’s clinical efficacy seems to be modulation of numerous signaling molecules. However, because of the complex nature of the diseases, the underlying mechanism in many cases remains unclear.

From the findings of the completed clinical trials, it may seem that curcumin’s clinical efficacy is too good to be true. However, this polyphenol has not yet been approved for human use. Poor bioavailability and limited adverse effects reported by some investigators are a major limitation to the therapeutic utility of curcumin. We hope that the results from ongoing clinical trials will provide a deeper understanding of curcumin’s therapeutic potential and will help to place this fascinating molecule at the fore front of novel therapeutics.

Curcumin is insoluble in water. It tends to form a suspension. There are other anti inflammatory chemicals in turmeric that make it good for you

I have done a lot of damage to my left leg/ankle in the past & supplement with Curcumin // Turmeric and it helps take the edge off. You need to eat it with black pepper & fat for good uptake - Eastcoast Jim

I eat turmeric many times a week, along with pepper, all preventive with also Amla (from Indian Gooseberries)& cocoa powder in my oat pancakes. It is also known to help to keep the teeth whiter - which at least seems to work.

Finally to keep inflammation down, I take a baby aspirin a day.

I wonder if I can ask for some kind of test about inflammation markers in my regular medical exam? Maybe there is something already in it that I don't know...