If you eat Indian or Thai food, you might already be familiar with a richly colored spice called turmeric. This deep orange powder adds a bold flavor to an abundance of ethnic dishes. Plus, turmeric has been used medicinally for more than 4,000 years. In Southeast Asia, it’s even used in religious ceremonies. More recently, it has become popular as a supplement. The active ingredient in turmeric is called curcumin and preliminary research suggests that natural compound has anti-inflammatory benefits.
Curcumin: One Active Ingredient in Turmeric
What IS curcumin anyway? It’s a yellow-orange pigment that you find it in lesser quantities in ginger, another spice with anti-inflammatory properties. Studies suggest that curcumin, in a laboratory setting, blocks the activity of NF-kB, a factor that turns on a cell’s inflammatory response. So, if curcumin is adequately absorbed and behaves in the body as it does in a controlled, lab setting, it may help subdue inflammation, a driving force for many chronic diseases.
Could curcumin have other health benefits as well? The same NF-kB factor that turmeric blocks also plays a role in how cells divide and proliferate. Some experts point out that blocking the activity of this factor could suppress the growth of some tumors. There are also claims that curcumin has the potential aid other conditions, including depression and even dementia.
Despite these potential benefits, studies looking at curcumin’s potential, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies, the highest quality type of study, have been disappointing. Some of the more recent studies looked at the impact on Alzheimer’s disease and various forms of cancer have found no benefit.
Why might this be? Research published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry shows that curcumin and other active ingredients in turmeric are pan-assay interference compounds. This means that in studies, these compounds appear to have positive effects based on readouts but, in reality, miss their target! So, curcumin and other active ingredients may LOOK like they’re doing something beneficial when you test them but are actually having little effect. They’re simply good at “tricking” the assays used to measure their activity.
That’s only one of the potential problems with turmeric. Assuming it has anti-inflammatory activity once it reaches human cells, getting the active ingredients TO the cells may be an issue. That’s because turmeric is poorly absorbed. Unless you absorb curcumin and the other active ingredients in turmeric, you can’t expect to get benefits. Studies show that only a small percentage of turmeric is absorbed and made available to the body.
Even if turmeric has anti-inflammatory benefits, you may not be absorbing enough of it to make a difference. However, there are ways to boost absorption as confirmed by studies. One is to add black pepper. Why black pepper? An ingredient in black pepper, piperine, enhances absorption of the active ingredients in turmeric and you don’t need a lot. Around ½ a teaspoon of black pepper is enough to do the trick. If you use a turmeric supplement, you might see the word bioperine on the label. This is a proprietary form of piperine added to aid in absorption.
Another reason the active ingredients in turmeric aren’t easily absorbed is that they’re fat-soluble, It’s difficult for your body to absorb any fat-soluble components in the absence of fat since fat and the water-based environment in the intestinal tract aren’t compatible. You’ll absorb more curcumin and other ingredients from turmeric if you consume it with a meal that contains a source of fat. Supplement manufacturers sometimes encase the ingredients in a fatty membrane called a phytosome to boost absorption supplemental turmeric. If you take a supplement, look for one with the word phytosome on the label or one with piperine or bioperine. Otherwise, you’ll likely not absorb the active ingredients, much less get health benefits.
Should You Even Bother with Turmeric?
Despite recent studies showing it’s not the miracle spice everyone makes it out to be, there are still studies that show it has promise. Researchers haven’t given up yet! For example, there’s some evidence that turmeric may improve the pain and stiffness associated with arthritis, although we need larger, more robust studies to confirm this. As of now, there’s no strong evidence that turmeric can prevent or treat any particular disease.
Are There Risks to Taking It as a Supplement?
Plus, a study in rats found that at high doses, higher than most people would take as a supplement can trigger oxidative stress, inflammation, and liver damage. There have been rare reports of liver damage in people taking turmeric in supplemental form. Still, for most people consuming turmeric as a spice or even as a supplement at a reasonable dose is not harmful. The exception would be people taking a blood thinner.
A better approach would be to enjoy turmeric as a spice, preferably in the form of curry, since curry contains black pepper to boost absorption – and be sure to add a source of fat. By adding turmeric to foods, you can enjoy the potential anti-inflammatory benefits in the context of real food, which is safer than taking a supplement, especially since the supplement industry isn’t regulated. If you have an inflammatory condition, like arthritis, turmeric as a supplement might be worth a try – but talk to your physician first.
The Bottom Line
Turmeric is a tasty spice, but whether it has the health benefits ascribed to it is still unproven and there’s some evidence that it may be harmful if you take mega-doses. So, enjoy its unique flavor in your favorite recipes rather than supplements.
References:
Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects. 2nd edition. Benzie IFF, Wachtel-Galor S, editors. Boca Raton (FL): CRC Press/Taylor & Francis; 2011.
J. Med. Chem., 2017, 60 (5), pp 1620–1637.
J Med Food. 2016 Aug;19(8):717-29. doi: 10.1089/jmf.2016.3705.
WebMD. “Tumeric”
Ethan’s Literature Review. “Black Pepper and Curcumin Absorption”
Qiu P, et al. Overdose Intake of Curcumin Initiates the Unbalanced State of Bodies. J Agric Food Chem. (2016)
Examine.com “Curcumin”
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