Turmeric & Black Pepper (Kalawag & Pamienta)

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) has been used for over 4,000 years to treat a variety of ailments. Turmeric is widely used as a food coloring and gives Indian curry its distinctive flavor and yellow color. It is also used in mustard and to color butter and cheese. Turmeric has been used in both Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine as an anti-inflammatory, to treat digestive and liver problems, skin diseases, and wounds. Curcumin, its active ingredient, is also a powerful antioxidant; antioxidants scavenge particles in the body known as free radicals, which damage cell membranes, tamper with DNA, and even cause cell death. Antioxidants can neutralize free radicals and may reduce or even help prevent some of the damage they cause. In addition, curcumin reduces inflammation by lowering levels of two inflammatory enzymes (called COX-2 and LOX) in the body and stops platelets from clumping together to form blood clots. . Turmeric is considered to have promising results for fighting infections and some cancers, reducing inflammation, and treating digestive problems.

In Ayurvedic practices, turmeric has many medicinal properties and many in South Asia use it as a readily available antiseptic for cuts, burns and bruises. It is also used as an antibacterial agent. It is taken in some Asian countries as a dietary supplement, which allegedly helps with stomach problems and other ailments. It is popularly taken as a tea in Okinawa, Japan. Pakistanis also use it as an anti-inflammatory agent, and remedy for gastrointestinal discomfort associated with irritable bowel syndrome. In Afghanistan and northwest Pakistan, turmeric is applied to a piece of burnt cloth, and placed over a wound to cleanse and stimulate recovery. Indians, in addition to its Ayurvedic properties, use turmeric in a wide variety of creams for all sorts of skin diseases

Research suggests that turmeric may be helpful for the following conditions:

Indigestion or Dyspepsia

Curcumin stimulates the gallbladder to produce bile, which some people think may help improve digestion. In Germany, the German Commission E, an authoritative body that determines which herbs can be safely prescribed in that country, has approved turmeric for a variety of digestive disorders. And at least one double-blind, placebo-controlled study showed that turmeric reduced symptoms of bloating and gas in people suffering from indigestion.

Ulcerative colitis

Turmeric may help maintain remission in people with ulcerative colitis. In one double-blind, placebo-controlled study, people whose ulcerative colitis was in remission received either curcumin or placebo, along with conventional medical treatment, for 6 months. Those who took curcumin had a relapse rate that was much lower than those who took placebo.

Osteoarthritis

Because of its ability to reduce inflammation, turmeric may help relieve the symptoms of osteoarthritis. A study of people using an Ayurvedic formula of herbs and minerals containing turmeric, as well as Withinia somnifera (winter cherry), Boswellia serrata (Boswellia), and zinc, significantly reduced pain and disability. While encouraging for the value of this Ayurvedic combination therapy to help with osteoarthritis, it is difficult to know how much of this success is from turmeric alone, one of the other individual herbs, or the combination of herbs working in tandem.

Atherosclerosis

Early studies suggest that turmeric may help prevent atherosclerosis (the buildup of plaque that can block arteries and lead to heart attack or stroke) in one of two ways. First, in animal studies an extract of turmeric lowered cholesterol levels and kept LDL or “bad” cholesterol from building up in blood vessels, a process that helps form plaque. Because it stops platelets from clumping together, turmeric may also prevent blood clots from building up along the walls of arteries. However, it isn’t yet known whether turmeric would have this effect in humans, or how much you would have to take to see any benefit.

Cancer

There has been a great deal of research on turmeric’s anti-cancer potential, but results are still very early. Evidence from test tube and animal studies suggests that curcumin may help prevent, control, or kill several types of cancers, including prostate, breast, skin, and colon. Curcumin’s effects may be due to its ability to stop the blood vessels that supply cancerous tumors from growing, and its preventive effects may come from its strength as an antioxidant, protecting cells from damage. More research is needed. Cancer should be treated with conventional medications; never rely on alternative therapies alone to treat cancer.