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Turmeric is recognised as having significant health benefits but one I wasn't aware of is that it is an effective anti-inflammatory and painkiller. Research has shown it to be more effective than some NSAIDs such as indomethacin but unlike this class of medicines, there is no reason why it can't be taken long term.
I've included a URL to an article with details and links to the academic research papers. Its certainly worth a read if you have ever overdone the practising and suffered for it the next day.
Curcumin - Scientific Review on Usage, Dosage, Side Effects | Examine.com
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02-09-2015 03:26 PM
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Yes, it seems to be very promising. But...
Studies also indicate that it can also be very beneficial in controlling psoriasis as well as the psoriatic arthritis that sometimes accompanies the psoriasis. The potential problems I see is that there is no form of regulation over the production of turmeric or turmeric-based products. Therefore, one can never be completely sure what they are consuming in terms of quality and potency. Also, how much is recommended to be effective? Is there a level in which it is considered not safe? Are there any medications in which it may have a negative reaction? Just a few questions that come to mind, particularly given the recent issues with herbs that are not regulated and wound up containing nuts and other allergens, yet made no mention of them in the list of ingredients or anywhere on the packaging.
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I've been taking turmeric for quite awhile it has many benefits. People have been consuming turmeric of ages being as a spice in cooking.
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Originally Posted by snoskier63
excellent points. supplements are not regulated by the FDA like drugs are. in other words, we have NO idea what we're getting, and NO guarantee/recourse. the supplement business is a profit business like drugs, but with virtually no accountability. that doesn't mean that supplements are crap, it just means that we don't know as much as the peddlers would like us to believe.
and no disrespect to Doc, but who is making those claims that you posted? who is standing behind them and what accountability do they have to the claims and risks are they taking by making them, etc.?
where are the double blind studies to back up claim 1? - that's the real kicker my friends.
full disclosure, i have some turmeric in my house, bought it at Whole Foods. a friend recommended it. what can i tell ya?
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I cook with it a lot. Adds great color and a subtle, earthy, almost mustardy/anise like flavor.
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A very quick web search shows that the claims for tumeric may be overblown. See here.
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Would you really call it a supplement? It's not something worked up in a lab. It's just the root of a plant.
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It is available as a supplement, as is just about everything these days. It is also available as a food source. My reference to concerns of regulation relate to supplementation. My reference to determining the proper dose and potential drug interactions can pertain to both supplementation and the food source. Just look at statin meds as an example. The consumption of grapefruit while taking statins can affect the rate at which those statins are absorbed into the blood stream which is why those taking statins should not eat grapefruit. I am a healthcare practitioner, and as such it is just my habit to avoid generalizations when it comes to foods or supplements as everyone is different, and the interactions between foods/supplements and medications can be complicated. I think turmeric could very well be beneficial to many people, as well as garlic, ginger, and many other foods. I just think taking anything for the purpose of affecting a medical condition such as arthritis should be discussed with one's physician or pharmacist first to be safe. Originally Posted by Flat
Would you really call it a supplement? It's not something worked up in a lab. It's just the root of a plant.
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it's a spice, correct? an Indian spice at that?
i saw a Rheumatologist who happens to be Indian. i asked him about it and he just shrugged and said "it's a spice". he did not recommend it in any way for my hands.
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I would never go with cheapo anything with re. to supplements. Some common sense, physician's council, consideration for what other things your taking etc are all in order. But you should do all of that anyway. An FDA stamp doesn't automatically make something safe. Originally Posted by snoskier63
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You can find just about any defense or claim for either position with web searches! LOL
I'm jumping in here because I recently heard some researchers interviewed about curcumin. One researcher has been studying how curcumin breaks down plaque in the brain. Another cited low rates of alzheimer's, reportedly some of the lowest incidents rates in the world, in communities where Tumeric is consumed as a part of daily cuisine.
One of the main things I took away from the interviews and my subsequent reading is that curcumin is metabolized extremely quickly by the body and, therefore, makes delivery of it (to tissues and the blood) very difficult. One way to extend the availability of curcumin in the body is to first mix it with a little warm oil or fat (whole milk would work well, I've been using coconut oil). Side note: ground spices are oil soluble, not water soluble. An important fact to know, if you're into cooking.
The other aspect of making curcumin available to the body is to consume black pepper mixed with the tumeric. Something in the black pepper changes how curcumin is metabolized, or slows down the process anyway, making it available to act longer.
Finally, the researches recognized that in addition to the problems of delivering curcumin to the body (keeping it from metabolizing so quickly) it is apparently a very slow acting compound and measurable results can take a long time to achieve.
All that to say, curcumin is a promising compound and worthy of much more study that it is currently given. But as yet, it has not yielded a miracle treatment for any number of disorders due to its difficulty of delivery.
As to supplements and industry. Good grief. I won't go down that road. Anyone read the article in the NY Times a few days ago? All I'll say is that NY State gave a cease and desist order to GNC and other purveyors of nutritional supplements for reasons you can read about yourself.
Best of luck. BTW, a pinch of turmeric warmed in coconut oil with a grind of fresh black pepper and sweetened with local honey is tastes great and won't kill you.
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Amazing how people don't think about that. I especially like when someone says "scientific" or "scientists" prove. Scientists are like statisticians or others and will find proof for whatever point someone is paying them to prove. Also anyone can call themselves a scientist it's just a title. Yes, most people called scientist work in fields that have license requirement from a state, or employer, but we could all get cards adding Pitch Scientist to our title and completely legal. I discovered this working the computer world and they kept trying to find titles to give people to feed egos or justify higher pay so started seeing Software Scientist and similar titles. Originally Posted by thrush40
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Turmeric is very low risk and cheap. Many of the studies are done with curcumin, the so called "active ingredient". One of the few "nutraceuticals" that make sense (others being Omega-3 fatty acids, olive oil, coffee, green tea, kale, vitamin D). Originally Posted by docbop
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You will never get an answer that doesn't involve an over-priced purchase from Big Pharma if a safer, cheaper, natural alternative is available. Originally Posted by snoskier63
Last edited by Flat; 02-10-2015 at 05:57 PM.
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Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation out there. Salmon is a pro-inflammatory food for some, and those people may experience adverse affects from taking omega-3 supplements. Other examples of misinformation include saturated fats being very bad. Decades ago this was proposed by doctors that were trying to explain explain why heart disease was so prevalent. There were no studies to support the claim, yet the general public and medical community latched onto it, and it became gospel until recent major medical studies found otherwise. Originally Posted by medblues
Also, the idea that the MMR vaccination can contribute to colitis and autism spectrum disorders which was proposed in a 1998 publication by Andrew Wakefield was subsequently discredited, and the author of that published report was found guilty by the General Medical Council of serious medical misconduct and was stricken from the medical register, meaning he could no longer practice medicine in the UK.
My point is that a lot of what we think of as fact is derived from anecdotal evidence or poorly constructed studies, and public perception that results can not only be wrong, but in some cases it can be harmful as is the case with the current measles outbreak that may never have happened had everyone recently at Disney Land received their MMR vaccination and booster as recommended.
I'm not saying curcumin or turmeric are bad, or that all of the proposed health benefits are inaccurate. I'm just saying that it's wise to exercise caution when taking anything in supplement form, or in excess of what would be considered typical when cooking or preparing meals. Afterall, even if the AM A says something is so does not guarantee that is correct, as was the case with saturated fats.Last edited by snoskier63; 02-10-2015 at 07:36 PM.
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why? aren't most doctors independent? they might buy pharma stocks, but so might we. Originally Posted by Flat
what they probably won't have at their disposal for supplements are extensive clinical trials. so it's not really safe for them to advise a lot of supplements to their patients other than a daily vitamin. we have a litigious society. provider's insurance is a big part of why health care costs are so high. maybe we should blame the trial lawyers and the politicians who won't pass tort reform instead of the doctors?
just a thought.
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The whole FDA thing is seriously messed up. Originally Posted by docbop
Since it's basically illegal for ANYONE ELSE to say anything non-vague about health benefits of food-based supplements, why isn't there an official FDA stance on them? "We're not offering information on supplements, and no one else can either" would seem to be the default stance. "By the way, non-FDA approved supplements can be dangerous, but we're not going to approve any dosage regime etc ourselves either". (No, that's not a direct quote....)This seems ridiculous in a 21st century democracy in which we pay for this through tax dollars.... wait..... no we don't.....
It would seem pretty simple for them to oversee 3rd-party certification for dosages, toxicity levels, health benefits or treatments etc for substances which are basically FOOD, since they're all about food and not just drugs...
The FDA doesn't own the scientific process.Last edited by matt.guitarteacher; 02-11-2015 at 01:57 PM.
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Because this type of behavior is rampant: Originally Posted by fumblefingers
$3 billion fraud settlement by GlaxoSmithKline on charges that the company paid doctors to promote Paxil and other drugs for uses that had not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The government charged Glaxo with offering kickbacks to health professionals by dangling cash and trips as incentives and rewards for prescribing its drugs.
http://c-hit.org/2012/07/28/40_of_hi..._pharma_perks/
Think of it--the settlement---the big shut-it-up buyout--was $3 BILLION dollars. Glaxo is hardly alone. This type of behavior is wide-spread and thoroughly disgusting.Last edited by Flat; 02-11-2015 at 01:53 PM.
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Agreed. I took an FDA-approved drug (Accutane) 25 years ago. It totally ruined my health. I had to quit my job and can now work only from home. I can rarely travel anywhere. I've had one-third of my colon surgically removed so far, and there's more fun to come. FDA-approval means little. Originally Posted by matt.guitarteacher
Last edited by Flat; 02-11-2015 at 03:20 PM.
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Originally Posted by Flat
yep, looks like classic conflict of interest to me. it's difficult if not impossible remain objective when your pockets are being lined.
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so, should we guitarists take turmeric supplement capsules, or not?
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Sprinkle turmeric on your corn flakes each morning. Originally Posted by fumblefingers
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I wouldn't use the supplements myself. I would just go straight to the source and cook with plenty of fresh turmeric. Salmon and blueberries are also thought to be anti-inflammatory.
(And yes, some people will react differently to almost anything ingested.)
Just my opinion.
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Here's a nice overview from a research blog I subscribe to (hope you can read it, it is subscription based, but I think you can access the article):
Science Confirms Turmeric As Effective As 14 Drugs | GreenMedInfo
My personal experience is that it works as well as any NSAIDs for me for strains/arthritis, usually within an hour or less, and that was before the idea that fats would make it more bioavailable.
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