When I first began studying herbs in 1970, pretty much the entire herbal category was spurned, ridiculed and marginalized by medical experts and the media. People who favored natural healing were “fruits,” “nuts” and “flakes.” Real medicines, or pharmaceuticals, were credible and tested, whereas herbs were anachronistic and untested —possibly even unsafe. We have come a very long way since then. Today, studies on herbs show up in medical and scientific journals every day, and the media can’t get enough herbal tips for various health disorders. We know now over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription drugs kill approximately 300,000 American every year, and, most years, nobody dies from the use of herbs. Many human clinical studies show both efficacy and safety of herbs, and both medical doctors and pharmacists are scrambling to learn about this category of healing. Worldwide, herbs are used by more people than drugs. So, it only makes sense that health practitioners would finally wish to know more about the world’s number one category of medicines.
Among the many medicinal plants that have been well studied is turmeric root. Turmeric, or Curcuma longa, is a spice originating from Southeast Asia. Widely used in foods and for cosmetic, and medicinal purposes, turmeric imparts a rich yellow color to curry, and is used by food industry to color cheese, butter and other foods. Turmeric is highly revered in India’s 5,000-year-old system of Ayurvedic medicine, with a history of use for treating respiratory conditions including asthma, allergy, coughs and sinusitis; for liver disorders; for rheumatism; and to heal diabetic wounds.
Compounds in turmeric most responsible for its broad uses are the bright, yellow curcuminoids, notably curcumin, which makes up about 3 percent of the weight of dry turmeric root. Curcumin is a superstar plant compound with especially powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This makes turmeric root and the compound curcumin highly valuable. We know now every degenerative and chronic health disorder involves both oxidation and inflammation. Cardiovascular disease (CVD), kidney disease, arthritis, diabetes, cancer and many other conditions fall into this category. If oxidation and inflammation can be reduced, then both the risk and the symptoms of various degenerative disorders can be greatly reduced or even eliminated.
According to various published studies, curcumin shows anti-carcinogenic, antimicrobial, liver-protective, heart-protective and anti-arthritic activity. Recent studies also suggest curcumin may possess cognitive-enhancing and anti-depressant activity, due to curcumin’s capacity to promote the activity of neuroprotective factors in the brain, and to regulate certain neurotransmitters. And, while out-of-touch critics of herbs fret over safety, turmeric root and concentrated curcumin extract demonstrate great safety. No studies in animals or humans have shown toxicity associated with the use of either, even at very high doses. This makes sense, since turmeric root is consumed in very large quantities daily in various parts of Asia and Southeast Asia.
Curcumin is not the only worthwhile compound in turmeric root, and I am loath to fall into the “magic molecule” theory of medicine. Turmeric root also contains other proven anti-inflammatory compounds including cineol, alpha-pinene, borneol, caffeic acid, caryophyllene, eugenol, limonene and vanillic acid. Even without curcumin, these compounds impart significant health benefits.