TURMERIC CURCUMA LONGA

TURMERIC (Curcuma longa L.) +++

Synonym :
C. domestica Valeton.

Activities (Turmeric) :
Alterative (f; DAD; SUW); Amebicide (1; MPI); Analgesic (1; BIB; COX); Antacid (f; BIB; DAD); Antiaggregant (1; AKT; MAB; SKY); Antiangiogenic (1; MAB); Antiarthritic (1; APA; PED; WHO); Antibacterial (1; APA; MAB; MPI); Anticholeretic (1; DAD); Antidote, arsenic (f; DAD); Antiedemic (1; WHO); Antifertility (1; PH2; PNC); Antihistaminic (1; MAB; MPI; SKY); Anti-HIV (1; MAB); Antiinflammatory (2; APA; KOM; PH2; TRA; WAM); Antiintegrase (1; MAB; WHO); Antileukemic (1; AKT); Antileukotriene (1; BGB); Antilymphomic (1; APA; JAD; MAB); Antimutagenic (1; BGB; MAB); Antioxidant (1; PHR; PH2; WAM; WHO); Antiprostaglandin (1; PH2); Antipsoriatic (1; FNF); Antipyretic (1; BIB; COX); Antiseptic (1; MAB; PH2; PNC); Antispasmodic (1; BIB; SHT); Antithromboxane (1; MAB); Antitumor (1; APA; MAB; PH2; TRA); Antiulcer (1; TRA; WHO); Aperitif (2; BIB; PHR); Astringent (f; BIB); Bitter (1; AKT); Cardioprotective (1; MAB); Carminative (1; APA; MAB; SUW; WHO); Chemopreventive (1; MAB); Cholagogue (1; BGB; SHT; TRA); Choleretic (2; KOM; SHT; TRA; WHO); Cholecystokinetic (2; KOM; SHT; WHO); Cyclooxygenase Inhibitor (1; MAB; PNC); Cytotoxic (1; MAB); Decongestant (f; BIB); Depurative (f; MAB; SUW); Digestive (1; MAB); Diuretic (f; APA; BIB); Dusgeusia (f; KAB); Emmenagogue (1; AHP; DAD); Expectorant (f; BIB); Fibrinolytic (1; MAB); Fungicide (1; MAB); Gastroprotective (1; WHO); Hemostat (f; DAD); Hepatoprotective (2; AKT; APA; DAD; PH2; PNC; TRA); Hepatotoxic (1; MAB); Hypocholesterolemic (1; APA; MAB; TRA; WAM); Hypolipidemic (2; MAB; PHR); Hypotriglyceridemic (1; TRA); Immunostimulant (1; BGB; TRA); Insectifuge (1; PHR); Laxative (f; BIB); Lice (f; HAD); Lipolytic (f; PH2); Litholytic (1; HHB; MAB); Mucogenic (1; WHO); Mucolytic (f; AKT); Myorelaxant (1; WHO); Nematicide (1; MAB); NO Scavenger (1; MAB); ODC Inhibitor (1; MAB); Parasiticide (f; DAD; SUW); Phagocytotic (1; BGB; WHO); Protisticide (1; APA; MPI; PNC); Secretagogue (1; TRA); Secretolytic (1; TRA); Stimulant (f; BIB; SUW); Stomachic (f; BIB); TNF Inhibitor (1; MAB); Tonic (1; SUW); Ulcerogenic (1; APA; MAB; WHO); Uterotonic (1; AHP); Vermifuge (f; KAB; SUW); Vulnerary (1; AKT; KAB).

Indications (Turmeric) :
Abscess (1; FNF; TRA); Adenopathy (f; DAD; JLH); Allergy (1; WAM); Alzheimer’s (1; COX; FNF); Ameba (1; MPI); Amenorrhea (1; BGB; PH2; WHO); Anorexia (2; BGB; BIB; BRU; PHR; PH2); Arthrosis (1; APA; KAP; MAB; PED; WAM; WHO); Asthma (1; MAB; WHO); Atherosclerosis (1; MAB; SKY); Athlete’s Foot (1; FNF); Bacteria (1; APA; MAB; MPI); Bite (f; BIB; PH2); Bleeding (f; DAD; PED; PH2); Boil (1; DAD; WHO); Bronchosis (f; BIB; PH2); Bruise (f; DAV; PED; PH2; WHO); Bursitis (1; SKY); Cancer (1; APA; BGB; MAB; PH2; TRA); Cancer, abdomen (1; COX; FNF; JLH); Cancer, breast (1; COX; FNF; MAB); Cancer, colon (1; COX; FNF; JLH; JNU); Cancer, joint (1; JLH; MAB); Cancer, mouth (1; COX; FNF; JLH); Cancer, nose (1; COX; FNF; JLH); Cancer, sinew (1; COX; FNF; JLH); Cardiopathy (1; AKT; MAB); Cataract (1; MAB); Catarrh (f; UPW); Chest Ache (f; PH2); Childbirth (f; DAD); Cholecystosis (2; APA; PHR); Cold (f; KAP; PH2); Colic (f; APA; PED; PH2); Coma (f; DAD); Congestion (f; APA; BIB); Conjunctivosis (f; KAB; MAB; PH2; SUW); Constipation (f; BIB; PH2); Coryza (f; KAB); Cramp (1; AKT; BIB; DAD; SHT); Cystosis (f; PH2); Dermatosis (1; AKT; MAB; PH2; SUW; WHO; WOI); Diarrhea (1; APA; WHO); Dropsy (f; DAD); Dusgeusia (f; KAB); Dysmenorrhea (1; AKT; APA; PED; WHO); Dyspepsia (2; KOM; MAB; PH2; WHO); Dysuria (f; DAD); Eczema (1; BGB; KAP; MAB); Edema (1; KAP; PH2; WHO); Elephantiasis (f; DAD); Enterosis (1; AKT; DAD; PH2; WHO); Epilepsy (f; WHO); Epistaxis (f; DAD; PH2); Fever (1; APA; BIB; COX); Fibrosis (1; BGB; MAB); Fungus (1; BIB; MAB; PH2); Gallstone (1; APA; MAB); Gas (1; APA; MAB; PH2; SUW; WHO); Gastrosis (f; PH2); Gonorrhea (f; BIB; KAB); Gray Hair (f; HAD); Headache (f; PH2); Hematemesis (f; DAD; PH2); Hematuria (f; DAD); Hemorrhoid (f; MAB); Hepatosis (2; AKT; APA; DAD; MAB; PED; PHR; PH2; PNC; TRA); High Blood Pressure (1; KAP); High Cholesterol (1; AKT; APA; MAB; TRA; WAM); High Triglycerides (1; MAB; TRA); HIV (1; MAB); Hyperlipidemia (1; MAB); Hysteria (f; DAD); IBS (1; PED); Immunodepression (1; BGB; TRA); Infection (2; MAB; MPI; PH2); Inflammation (2; APA; KOM; PHR; PH2; TRA; WAM; WHO); Itch (f; APA; KAP; PH2); Jaundice (1; MAB; TRA); Laryngosis (1; BIB; COX); Leprosy (f; PH2); Leukemia (1; AKT); Leukoderma (f; DAD); Lymphoma (1; BIB; COX; FNF); Malaria (f; KAP; PH2); Mania (f; DAD); Morning Sickness (1; MAB); Mucososis (f; PH2); Mycosis (1; MAB; PH2); Nephrosis (1; AKT; PH2); Obesity (2; MAB; PHR); Ophthalmia (1; AKT; DAD; PH2); Osteoarthrosis (1; MAB); Ozena (f; KAB); Pain (1; BIB; COX; WHO); Parasite (f; BIB; DAD; KAP; SUW); Polyp (1; COX; JLH; JNU); Psoriasis (1; FNF; MAB); Puerperium (f; MAB); Radiation (1; AKT); Restenosis (1; MAB); Rheumatism (1; BIB; COX; SKY); Rhinosis (1; COX; JLH); Ringworm (f; APA; BIB; KAP; PH2); Scabies (2; BGB); Smallpox (f; DAD); Sore (f; PH2); Sore Throat (f; PH2); Sprain (1; MAB; SUW); Staphylococcus (1; MPI; UPW); Stone (1; HHB; MAB); Stroke (f; PH2); Swelling (1; AKT; COX; PH2; WHO); Syphilis (f; DAD); Trauma (f; AKT); Tumor (1; APA; MAB; PH2; TRA); Ulcer (1; BIB; COX; PED; TRA; WHO); Uveosis (2; AKT); VD (f; BIB; DAD); Vertigo (f; BIB; DAD); Vomiting (f; PH2); Wart (f; JLH); Water Retention (f; APA; BIB); Whitlow (f; JLH); Worm (f; KAB; SUW); Wound (1; APA; BGB; PH2; SUW; WAM); Yeast (1; PED).

Dosages (Turmeric) :
4 g turmeric powder in water 1–2 ×/day (MAB); 3–9 g crude turmeric/day (WHO); 4.5–9 g rhizome/day as tea (AHP); 0.1 g rhizome up to 20 g/day (HHB); 1.5–3 g rhizome (KOM); 0.5–1 g rhizome several ×/day between meals, or 1.5–3 g day, often with warm milk (APA); 1 tsp rhizome/cup warm milk (APA); 0.5–1 g oral rhizome infusion 3 ×/day (WHO); 5–14 ml fluid rhizome extract (1:1) divided in 4–5 doses (MAB); 3–5 g fresh herb (PED); 0.3–0.5 g dry herb (PED); 0.4 g dry herb:2 ml alcohol/2 ml water (PED); 1.5–3 g crude drug/day (SHT); 400 mg curcumin 3 ×/day (SKY); 1200 mg curcumin (APA); 1 (445 mg) StX capsule 2–3 ×/day (JAD); 300 mg capsules to 3 ×/day (APA).

Contraindications, Interactions, and Side Effects (Turmeric) :
Class 2b. Emmenagogue and uterotonic. Contraindicated in patients with bile duct obstruction, gallstones, hyperacidity, and stomach ulcers (AHP; AEH). While in moderate doses, turmeric is said to inhibit cancers, lymphomas and ulcers, overdoses of curcuminoids may possibly be cytotoxic and ulcerogenic, and may lead to diminution of red and white corpuscles. Still, Commission E approves 1.5–3 g/day, not nearly enough to provide 1200 mg curcumin. Commission E also reports contraindications: biliary obstruction; adverse effects: GI irritation from continued use; consult physicians before using if a patient has gallstones (BIS; KOM). At 10% of diet, turmeric caused some loss of hair in rats (MAB). Care should be taken in women who wish to conceive or patients complaining of alopecia (MAB). Rather frightening what one reads in UPW (2000): Laboratory animals treated with it are reported to have been rendered entirely infertile. Women who are pregnant, or children (not yet widely in children) with gallbladder or liver disease or ulcers, should avoid turmeric (WAM). Limit internal use to 10 days (WAM).

Extracts (Turmeric) :
Fond as I am of synergy and food farmacy, I like the following comments: Curcumin and genistein can inhibit estrogen-positive human breast cells induced by estradiol or pesticides individually or mixed. Curcumin and genistein were synergistic, totally inhibiting induction in vitro. Curcuminoids inhibit cancer at initiation, promotion and progression in vitro and in vivo (MAB). Viva curried bean soup, like I am having for lunch. Reportedly as effective as hydrocortisone acetate or indomethacin in experimental inflammation (WHO). Both natural antiinflammatory curcumin (1200 mg/day) and unnatural phenylbutazone (30 mg/day) improved joint swelling, morning stiffness, and walking time in people with rheumatoid arthritis, both better than placebo (WHO). Bruneton notes that the antiinflammatory ED50 of curcumin orally in rats is 48 mg/kg ( = 4.8 g in me) and is apparently devoid of side effects (BRU), while the ipr ED50 is only 2.1 mg/kg, suggesting that the ipr route is 20 times more effective. But I am not into injecting herbs. Enjoy your curried beans, counting on those synergies. Duke suggests curcumin needs to be compared with Celebrex and Vioxx as a COX-2 inhibitor. EO showed significant antihistaminic and antiinflammatory activity, the latter at 0.1 ml/kg, which translates to 10 ml for me, a rather dangerous dose. At a dose of 1.5 g/day/30 days, turmeric reduced urinary excretion of mutagens in an uncontrolled trial of 16 chronic smokers. In six nonsmoking controls there was no change in urinary secretion. Turmeric had no effect on serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate amino transferase, blood glucose, creatinine, and lipid profile (MAB). Turmeric extract (~20 mg curcumin/ day) for 45 days dramatically decreased blood lipid peroxide levels in 18 male subjects (MAB). Curcumin is poorly absorbed (some 15–35% max in rats) orally but if administered with piperine (from black and long pepper), absorption is improved more than 150% in rats. But in human volunteers, 20 mg piperine increases bioavailability of curcumin 20-fold (MAB). One study indicated curcumin and sodium curcuminate were more potent than phenylbutazone in acute and chronic arthritic models, while another found it only 1/10th as effective as ibuprofen. While ulcerogenic in large doses, curcumin is only about one-third as ulcerogenic as the phenylbutazone. In low doses, curcumin had antiulcer activity, protecting against the ulcerogenic activity of phenylbutazone (MAB). 1-Phenylhydroxy-N-pentane stimulates the secretion of secretin, gastrin and bicarbonate, helping maintain the gastric pH in dogs and humans (TRA). LD50 ether extracts 12,200 mg/kg orl rat (MAB), LDlo curcumin >2000 mg/kg orl mus (MAB), LDlo curcumin >5000 mg/kg orl rat (MAB).