yay for Turmeric!

lilyalic

The Living Force
FOTCM Member
Found an interesting blog on Tumeric.

"Turmeric is one the most thoroughly researched plants in existence today. Its medicinal properties and components (primarily curcumin) have been the subject of over 5600 peer-reviewed and published biomedical studies. In fact, our five-year long research project on this sacred plant has revealed over 600 potential preventive and therapeutic applications, as well as 175 distinct beneficial physiological effects. This entire database of 1,585 ncbi-hyperlinked turmeric abstracts can be downloaded as a PDF at our Downloadable Turmeric Document page, and acquired either as a retail item or with 200 GMI-tokens, for those of you who are already are members and receive them automatically each month.

Given the sheer density of research performed on this remarkable spice, it is no wonder that a growing number of studies have concluded that it compares favorably to a variety of conventional medications, including:


Lipitor/Atorvastatin(cholesterol medication): A 2008 study published in the journal Drugs in R & D found that a standardized preparation of curcuminoids from Turmeric compared favorably to the drug atorvastatin (trade name Lipitor) on endothelial dysfunction, the underlying pathology of the blood vessels that drives atherosclerosis, in association with reductions in inflammation and oxidative stress in type 2 diabetic patients. [For addition curcumin and 'high cholesterol' research – 8 abstracts]

Corticosteroids (steroid medications): A 1999 study published in the journal Phytotherapy Research found that the primary polyphenol in turmeric, the saffron colored pigment known as curcumin, compared favorably to steroids in the management of chronic anterior uveitis, an inflammatory eye disease.[ii] A 2008 study published in Critical Care Medicine found that curcumin compared favorably to the corticosteroid drug dexamethasone in the animal model as an alternative therapy for protecting lung transplantation-associated injury by down-regulating inflammatory genes.[iii] An earlier 2003 study published in Cancer Letters found the same drug also compared favorably to dexamethasone in a lung ischaemia-repurfusion injury model.[iv] [for additional curcumin and inflammation research – 52 abstracts]

Prozac/Fluoxetine & Imipramine (antidepressants): A 2011 study published in the journal Acta Poloniae Pharmaceutica found that curcumin compared favorably to both drugs in reducing depressive behavior in an animal model.[v] [for additional curcumin and depression research – 5 abstracts]

Aspirin (blood thinner): A 1986 in vitro and ex vivo study published in the journal Arzneimittelforschung found that curcumin has anti-platelet and prostacyclin modulating effects compared to aspirin, indicating it may have value in patients prone to vascular thrombosis and requiring anti-arthritis therapy.[vi] [for additional curcumin and anti-platelet research]
Anti-inflammatory Drugs: A 2004 study published in the journal Oncogene found that curcumin (as well as resveratrol) were effective alternatives to the drugs aspirin, ibuprofen, sulindac, phenylbutazone, naproxen, indomethacin, diclofenac, dexamethasone, celecoxib, and tamoxifen in exerting anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative activity against tumor cells.[vii] [for additional curcumin and anti-proliferative research – 15 abstracts]

Oxaliplatin (chemotherapy drug): A 2007 study published in the International Journal of Cancer found that curcumin compares favorably with oxaliplatin as an antiproliferative agenet in colorectal cell lines.[viii] [for additional curcumin and colorectal cancer research – 52 abstracts]

Metformin (diabetes drug): A 2009 study published in the journal Biochemitry and Biophysical Research Community explored how curcumin might be valuable in treating diabetes, finding that it activates AMPK (which increases glucose uptake) and suppresses gluconeogenic gene expression (which suppresses glucose production in the liver) in hepatoma cells. Interestingly, they found curcumin to be 500 times to 100,000 times (in the form known as tetrahydrocurcuminoids(THC)) more potent than metformin in activating AMPK and its downstream target acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC). [ix]
 
Yes, GreenMedInfo (GMI - Sayer Ji) has been singing the praises of Turmeric for years, and I imagine there is something to say for including it on one's diet. (It would be nice if you cited your blog source.)

I have been taking a "turmeric break" lately, because of concern over the oxalate content. I have never had kidney stones, but I have some genetic risk and some probable kidney damage from past medical treatments. Like most things, turmeric can be good for some people and bad for others. You can't just follow a formula.
 
There are great benefits to Turmeric, such as medicinal uses where Turmeric is used for arthritis, heartburn (dyspepsia), stomach pain, diarrhea, intestinal gas, stomachbloating, loss of appetite, jaundice, liver problems and gallbladder disorders.

It is also used for headaches, bronchitis, colds, lung infections, fibromyalgia, leprosy, fever, menstrual problems, and cancer. Other uses include depression, Alzheimer’s disease, water retention, worms, and kidney problems.


Turmeric is LIKELY SAFE when used appropriately by adults and it usually does not cause significant side effects; however, some people can experience stomach upset, nausea, dizziness, or diarrhea.

Special Precautions & Warnings:
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Taking turmeric by mouth in medicinal amounts is LIKELY UNSAFE in pregnancy. It might promote a menstrual period or stimulate the uterus, putting the pregnancy at risk. Don’t take turmeric if you are pregnant.

There isn’t enough information to rate the safety of turmeric during breast-feeding. It’s best not to use it.

Gallbladder problems: Turmeric can make gallbladder problems worse. Don’t use turmeric if you have gallstones or a bile duct obstruction.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): Turmeric can cause stomach upset in some people. It might make stomach problems such as GERD worse. Don’t take turmeric if it worsens symptoms of GERD.

Surgery: Turmeric might slow blood clotting. It might cause extra bleeding during and after surgery. Stop using turmeric at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.
 
CelticWarrior said:
It is also used for headaches, bronchitis, colds, lung infections, fibromyalgia, leprosy, fever, menstrual problems, and cancer. Other uses include depression, Alzheimer’s disease, water retention, worms, and kidney problems.

Surgery: Turmeric might slow blood clotting. It might cause extra bleeding during and after surgery. Stop using turmeric at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.

It's interesting that it helps out with menstrual problems!
Thank you for the extra information!

Megan said:
Yes, GreenMedInfo (GMI - Sayer Ji) has been singing the praises of Turmeric for years, and I imagine there is something to say for including it on one's diet. (It would be nice if you cited your blog source.)

I have been taking a "turmeric break" lately, because of concern over the oxalate content. I have never had kidney stones, but I have some genetic risk and some probable kidney damage from past medical treatments. Like most things, turmeric can be good for some people and bad for others. You can't just follow a formula.

Sorry I thought I had! I keep mistaking my 'Fn' button for the 'Ctrl' button!
Here it is:
http://expanded--consciousness.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/science-confirms-turmeric-as-effective.html

I never imagined Turmeric would be bad for some people actually! I'll look into that :)

I used it to draw out spots and even an ingrowing hair! it works wonders for infections, atleast for my body :)
 
Double yay for me, I find turmeric is just amazing at curbing inflammation, cramps (menstrual in particular), muscle or joint pain...but as Megan is getting at, a little goes a long way--using too much in cooking wrecks the flavor of the dish with a claylike chalky flavor, which makes me think that as in cooking, a little goes a long way as far as health benefits are concerned too. And beware the fresh root will stain your knives and cutting boards, learned that the hard way :(, though fresh doesn't seem as strong as the dried stuff, it's very similar to ginger root but milder.

Rishi makes a great turmeric ginger tea (loose tea, I think steeping loose gives the best flavor, you have to steep it for a while) that hits the spot, without going overboard. It wouldn't be something I'd have every day, just when needed.
 
Turmeric golden paste recipe and some important tips

I have been following veterinary turmeric forum for some time. Initially I was very skeptical because people report great results for whole range of conditions from tumors to Alzheimer. Then I introduced it to few of my dermatological cases who initially responded well to homeopathy but then stopped responding. The results were nothing short of a miracle. Recently I introduced it to one hemangiosarcoma case and will report the result.
In the meantime I suggested it to a family member who suffers from arthritis and again the result was great. In this case it also seemed to have beneficial affect on cognitive functions and mood swings.
So definitely thumbs up for turmeric both for humans and animals.

Having said this there are few important tips that have to be mentioned:


-Turmeric is not water soluble and in order to be utilized by the body needs to be mixed with good fat. Otherwise it will just pass through the body and upset the intestines. In addition it needs to be supplemented with piperine ( from peppercorns) in order to increase its bioavailabilty and prolong its stay in the body.

- People who have gallstones should exercise extreme caution as turmeric seems to stimulate peristalsis of bile ducts which means that it can trigger gallstone attack once they start moving, otherwise this is great news for people who eat lots of fat and need bile production to function to its optimum.
-It seems turmeric has to be taken permanently in serious conditions as the effect stops as soon as intake of turmeric is stopped.
- it is very important to source organic and genuine turmeric powder, there is a lot of turmeric on the market which is basically depleted of curcumin ( to be used for curcumin capsules) and spiekd with wheat flower and artificial colors. The powder can be tested by mixing one spoon in the glas of water, if the water remains clear ( orange but clear) the powder is ok in contrast to bad turmeric with added flower in which case water will be cloudy and mucky.

Here is the recipe for turmeric golden paste along with some tips:

1/2 cup turmeric powder (125 mls)

1 cup water (250 mls), and 1 cup in reserve if needed

1/3 cup (70 mls) cold pressed Olive or Coconut oil

Place turmeric and water in pan, stirring over gentle heat until you have a thick paste. This should take about 7 - 10 minutes and you will need to add additional water along the way. Add the pepper and oil at the end of cooking. Stir well (a whisk is ideal) and allow to cool. Store in sterilised glass jar and refrigerate. Will keep for up to four weeks, refrigerated - best used within two. You can add it to your bullet proof tea or add to your dinner plate as a condiment. (on its own it tastes awful and it is difficult to swallow without gagging) (
Same recipe may also be used for animals but it has to be mixed with their food)

It's a good idea to start gently - 1/4 teaspoon of golden paste or powder, 2 times a day, perhaps. After a week increase to 1/2 teaspoon 2 times a day, until you build up to one full teaspoon 3 times a day. Cases with severe conditions require up to full table spoon 3 times a day.


In this recipe they add pepper immediately into the whole batch of paste, but for best result grind pepper ( few turns of the grinder, increasing as you increase the paste quantity ) with each serving of the paste.
BLACK PEPPER - peppercorns contain a substance called Piperine which goes to work in two ways -it increases intestinal absorption and in the liver it slows up the excretion of the curcumin. This allows time for the curcumin to be taken up into the blood stream. Utilisation of turmeric can be increased by up to 20 times, by Piperine.
Fresh ground black peppercorns are recommended because you can control the freshness of the Piperine. Other peppercorns will also contain Piperine but the black peppercorns are the best source, also easiest to find.
Freshly ground black pepper is best, but if you can't manage to add the pepper at the last minute, that's OK. Add a couple of extra grinds and try to keep your pepper coarse (chunky). Do not use finely pre-ground black pepper (as for pepper shakers) - it will have no value.

CAYENNE PEPPER is not suitable as a substitute - it is from the capsicum family which not only doesn't contain Piperine but it is inflammatory.
 
I found turmeric in root, so I just scrub it on my omelette or on my bone soup. At the beginning I didn't like the taste but the more you take it the more you like it. In fact the taste is not bad at all.
 
If you don't care for the taste of turmeric, you can buy organic turmeric root powder by the pound and gelatin capsules to make your own. Our household has been doing this for around 3 years now. We're able to find the powder and capsules locally, but for those of you who might be interested and are having trouble finding it,

check out _http://www.amazon.com/Starwest-Botanicals-Turmeric-Powder-Organic/dp/B001A1PYHW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423004761&sr=8-1&keywords=organic+turmeric+powder

and this link _http://www.amazon.com/Capsule-Connection-wholesale-Gelatin-Capsules/dp/B00428B6X6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423005620&sr=8-1&keywords=gelatin+capsules+00

Starwest Botanicals is the brand we are currently using. With a pound we're able to make enough capsules for 3 people to take one a day for about 2-3 months. So between 180-270 capsules worth. The amount will also vary according to what size capsule you purchase.
 
Hello all and Good evening from NJ :) Turmeric; a great addition for better health when used properly. I was doing fine on it for a bit, and after a while it caused mood swings, breast pain, and other issues I'd like to not mention. My hair and nails grew like crazy but it was like I was pms-ing regularly. Went searching for a reason and Turmeric inhibits estrogen by blocking the enzyme aromatase (which converts the male hormones such as testosterone into female estrogen). The change in hormone levels caused drastically unwanted side-effects...you know what I will mention them because this may help someone who reacted as I did and are wondering why: aside from the breast pain and moon swings came terrible dyspareunia, constant build up of bad bacteria (YI) due to the change in hormone levels which in turn ruined the ph level of vagina. :-[ Itching, burning...and none of it stopped until I discontinued use of the turmeric. Well bright idea I had consuming way too much and doing who knows what to my female hormone levels...all in all I use golden seal, it works better for my body in the long run. As for the dosage I was taking 2 capsules a day 500mg each and I suppose it was way too much and gave me the above reactions eating avocado with it for better absorption. Breast cancer also runs in my family so I think I will be staying away from this supplement. I hope it's working well for you all and none of you (women idk about how turmeric would act in males) have the same reaction I did:) Thanks for the thread, just sharing thoughts :) also I was taking turmeric for about 6 months, and the issues came up month 5/6. So I'm guessing even if I did take turmeric and lower the dose, eventually there would be a build up leading me back where I was at month 5...symptoms cleared within a weak of stopping.
 
I `m taking the turmeric powder for a few months. I usually put it in meals and in bone broth. I like the taste. I haven't notice any side effects on my yet. I have notice just that it helps with inflammation. It reduces it.
Until now i didn't know that it can make hormonal disturbances. I`ll try to watch more carefully in the next period to see any noticeable changes.
Thank you all for informations
 
AFAIK too much estrogen leads to breast cancer.
It is said that all modern humans be it men or women suffer from too much estrogen.

Our enviroment is filled with estrogen mimicking chemicals known as xenoestrogens which pollute the foods we eat and the water we drink.

By ingesting these chemicals, we are boosting the process of aromatization, thereby stimulating aromatase enzyme.

While you may think that this is a good news for women and bad for men, you are wrong. It is bad for both sexes. However, estrogen blockers, aromatase inhibitors and estrogen detoxifiers are natural solutions for these problems.

High estrogen increases the risk of prostate problems, low libido, male breast cancer, short stature and gynecomastia, in men.
 
celenajohnson23 said:
As for the dosage I was taking 2 capsules a day 500mg each and I suppose it was way too much and gave me the above reactions eating avocado with it for better absorption. Breast cancer also runs in my family so I think I will be staying away from this supplement.

Taking curcumin capsules is NOT recommended long term for humans, and not recommended at all for animals. Normal turmeric has 3-5% curcumin, capsules contain on average 95% curcumin.
 
I`m using curcumin powder. As i understand curcumin inhibits estrogen by blocking the enzyme aromatase .( from the post by celenajohnson23)
So, the main health characteristics of curcumin are coming from this characteristics to lower the estrogen levels.( i guess) :umm:
z said:
Our environment is filled with estrogen mimicking chemicals known as xenoestrogens which pollute the foods we eat and the water we drink.

By ingesting these chemicals, we are boosting the process of aromatization, thereby stimulating aromatase enzyme.

While you may think that this is a good news for women and bad for men, you are wrong. It is bad for both sexes. However, estrogen blockers, aromatase inhibitors and estrogen detoxifiers are natural solutions for these problems.

High estrogen increases the risk of prostate problems, low libido, male breast cancer, short stature and gynecomastia, in men.

By decreasing estrogen levels curcumin is able to inhibit growth of some types of tumors and cancers.
_http://www.naturalnews.com/040798_aromatization_estrogen_testosterone.html# said:
Turmeric has a potent ability to destroy estrogen receptor positive cancer cells which are the most commonly found cells in breast, uterine, ovarian and prostate cancer.
.

other hen all this curcumin probably have more hormonal interferences. In this article they say that curcumin have the characteristics of an contraception pill . In both male and females.

_http://www.macleans.ca/society/life/mellow-yellow/

So after all curcumin is not so great. Like any other herb it must be used with knowledge and with precaution

I can not understand how in the same time curcumin decreases estrogen by inhibiting aromatase ( increases testosterone / estrogen ratio) and in the same time can be used as contraceptive in males by reducing the spermatosoide mobility, as stated in the last article from this post
 
Taking curcumin capsules is NOT recommended long term for humans, and not recommended at all for animals. Normal turmeric has 3-5% curcumin, capsules contain on average 95% curcumin

Not recommended by who? Curcumin is universally recommended by alternative physicians AFAIK. Of course mainstream medicine does not recommend taking any natural supplement but would have you take Warfarin or Aspirin instead, both of which have long since been shown to be dangerous and ineffective.

I have been taking Curcumin extract fairly regularly for years for it's anti-inflammatory and blood thinning properties. It is indigestible unless bound to fat as noted in earlier posts. I take either formulas that are bound to fat (Meriva) or mix it with some olive or coconut oil as per Dr. Blaylock. I made a batch of lipoic curcumin, but since it stains everything it touches it made a horrible mess and I won't be doing it again.

The recommended dose is 500mg once or twice a day. In order to reach that therapeutic dose you would have to consume 2 - 4 ounces of turmeric so using it in recipes or teas, while certainly a good thing to do, should not be confused with the amount used in the many studies that have shown it's effectiveness.
 
I ' d be very careful taking such high doses. After all there is nothing natural about extracting curcumin from turmeric powder.

Using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunocytochemistry staining of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine, we demonstrated that curcumin induced dose-dependent damage in both the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes and that the mitochondrial damage was more extensive. Nuclear DNA fragments were also evident in comet assays. The mechanism underlies the elevated level of reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation generated by curcumin. The lack of DNA damage at low doses suggested that low levels of curcumin does not induce DNA damage and may play an antioxidant role in carcinogenesis. But at high doses, we found that curcumin imposed oxidative stress and damaged DNA. These data reinforce the hypothesis that curcumin plays a conflicting dual role in carcinogenesis. Also, the extensive mitochondrial DNA damage might be an initial event triggering curcumin-induced cell death.

more here _http://toxsci.oxfordjournals.org/content/91/2/476.full
 
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