Welcome to brain Stuff production of iHeart Radio. Hey brain Stuff lauringvogal bomb here. Turmeric, a particular staple of Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine, has gone totally mainstream in recent years. You can find recipes including it and everything from curries and soups to tea and smoothies. Turmeric gives curry powder it's bright yellow color, but in addition to flavoring dishes. This spice has been used medicinally and in religious ceremonies
for more than four thousand years. The plant is a relative of ginger and has grown predominantly in India, though it's also farmed in other parts of Asia and Central America. Of the world's crop is consumed in India, where it's part of the standard daily diet. Some people are skeptical
of turmeric's glowing reputation. However, after all, we've gotten hyped up about things like fish oil supplements and coconut oil before, only to have our hopes completely dashed or at least tamped down quite a bit when scientists have studied them. So what about turmeric? Is it more than just a
food fat? Turmeric has been part of ayur Veda, a branch of alternative medicine that treats mind, body, and spirit together four thousands of years, it's thought to improve the overall energy of the body, much like modern day prescription drugs.
Turmeric has an active ingredient called Kirkaman. Kirkoman is the reason to umeric is claimed to help with a litany of health issues like digest and regulation, hay fever, skin issues, breathing problems, gas relief, PMS, back pain, and even Alzheimer's. Turmeric has been hailed for its anti inflammatory properties, much like ginger. Turmeric seems to block inflammatory cytokinds and enzymes within cells in your body, but does science back this up.
One small randomized study of forty five patients with rhematoid arthritis gave five milligrams of Kirkhoman to one group of patients, while a second group of patients was given fifty milligrams of diclofenic sodium and anti inflammatory drug. A third group got both treatments. While all three groups experienced to reduction in swelling and tenderness of their joints, the group that
got only Kirkoman had the most improvement. Another randomized study from of a hundred and seven patients with osteo arthritis in the knee compared a group of patients who were given a thousand milligrams of Kirkhoman with patients who were given eight hundred milligrams of iboprofin. The scientists found that there was a similar rate of reduction in pain when
walking for both groups. Nevertheless, the National Institutes of Health says that claims of the anti inflammatory properties of turmeric and kirkoman have yet to be validated by strong studies. That's not to say that turmeric doesn't relieve inflammation, just that science hasn't yet definitively determined whether it does or not. Indeed, turmeric is still being looked at for this and the
number of other benefits. The NIH also notes the preliminary studies show that kirkuminoids could lower the number of post surgery heart attacks and bypass patients, and also reduced the skin irritation that often occurs after radiation treatments for breast cancer. Another promising used for turmeric maybe depression. We spoke via email with Melissa Majumdar, a registered dietitian spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and nutrition coordinator at Berghaman
Women's Hospital in Boston. She said turmeric and depression has not been studied on a long term basis, but in six to eight week trials, participants demonstrated improved symptoms when taking turmeric alongside their antidepressant. One six week study showed Kirkman was almost as effective as the drug flu oxytine or prozac and relieving depression and didn't cause that drug
side effects like thoughts of suicide. Even if the medical establishment is not giving turmeric, it's full endorsement, yet there's not much to lose by trying the spice for medicinal purposes. The NIH has declared its active ingredients to be generally considered safe. However, it warns that high doses or long term use may cause guest or intestinal problems. So how much might you take? Since one teaspoon of turmeric has two milligrams of Kirkman, you need to add about three
teaspoons to your food each day. You can also buy the active ingredient Kirkman as a supplement in health food stores.
A dose of five hundred to one thousand milligrams each day can help you fight body inflammation, but be sure to let your doctor know if you're going to be taking Kirkman because Kirkuman supplements often have an ingredient called piperine, which increases kirkumen absorption in your body, but may also slow down the elimination of some prescription drugs that you might be taking for conditions like seizures and high blood pressure. This low metabolism in your body can make those drugs toxic.
Today's episode was written by Ali A Hoyt and produced by Tyler Clang. The brain Stuff is a production of I Heart Radio's How Stuff Works. For more in this and lots of other topics, visit our home planet, how stuff Works dot com. And for more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.