A REMARKABLE REMEDY THAT'S SITTING UNDISCOVERED IN YOUR KITCHEN CABINET

Turmeric remedy

The following is an article published in "ALTERNATIVES" in May 1994 and written by Dr. David G. Williams.

"If you've ever eaten Indian food, you'll never forget the colour, smell and taste of curry. Curry is actually a combination of spices, one of which is turmeric (Curcuma Longa). The compound, curcumin, is responsible for the yellowish-orange colour and distinctive smell of turmeric. Curcumin is more than just a simple pigment, however. It is a very potent medicinal remedy with a wide variety of uses, some of which we've only discovered in the last few years.

Turmeric has been used for centuries in India and China. It is most notable in the treatment of liver and gallbladder problems. It stimulates the flow of bile from the gallbladder. The Chinese have also found it can be extremely effective in cases of viral hepatitis.

Powdered turmeric was used to treat 33 patients with viral hepatitis (22 acute and 11 chronic). During a one-month period, 21 patients became totally symptom-free and liver function studies returned to normal levels in 18 of the patients. Turmeric was especially effective at eliminating jaundice, relieving pain, and reducing the size of the diseased liver (Chinese Herbal Medicines, Zhong Yao Xue, Hong Kong, Commercial Press 1975). If you've suffered from viral hepatitis or know of someone who has, you understand that results like these are astounding. Orthodox medicine should have such a successful and inexpensive treatment.

Researchers in India recently have informed us that turmeric's action on the gallbladder and liver can also have a profound effect on blood lipid levels. In Amala Nagar, Trichur, India, 10 healthy adults were given 500 milligrams of curcumin daily. After only seven days, total serum cholesterol dropped 11.63%. The beneficial form of cholesterol HDL increased a remarkable 29%. Even more astounding , the serum lipid peroxides (the oxidized or rancid blood fats that cause damage to interior arterial walls leading to atherosclerosis and heart disease) decreased 33% (Indian J Physiol Pharm 92;36(4):273-5).

Researchers at the National Taiwan University in Taipei confirmed the above results and told us that turmeric and its active ingredient, curcumin, had the ability to "prevent pathological changes to blood vessels in atherosclerosis and restenosis." The use of something as simple and inexpensive as turmeric could have enormous implication following procedures like balloon angioplasty.

The simple addition of turmerci and fish oil capsules to the diet after each balloon angioplasty would cost less than $300 a year, yet save this country billions of dollars and thousands of lives each year.

Alcohol extracts of Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, also have been found to be just as effective as cortisone in treating acute inflamation. The extracts exhibit no adverse side effects (Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther Toxicol 86;24(12):651-4).

In India and the Far East, thousands of arthritic rely on turmeric's anti-inflammatory ability to control their disease. The dosage we saw was roughly a teaspoon of the powder per day. (Best results were achieved when the teaspoon was divided into two or three equal doses and taken in the morning, at noon and before bedtime. To make it easier to take, it can be mixed with either food or some type of juice or nectar.)

The ancient practice of topically applying turmeric for strains, sprains, muscle aches and joint pain recently has opened up a whole new area of research. A successful folk remedy in India is made with paste of turmeric, a little powdered lime and saltpeter. (Another recipe for topically-applied paste calls for 2 tablespoons of turmeric powder and 1 tablespoon of lime juice. To this mixture a small amount of boiling water is added to help form a uniform thick paste. The paste is then applied to the painful area and held in place with either cheese cloth or plastic food wrap. This same paste is used in India to successfully treat skin lesions resulting from herpes, ringworm, insect bites, leprosy and chicken-pox.)

Recently an alcoholic extract of turmeric and an ointment of curcumin provided remarkable symptomatic relief to 62 patients with external cancerous lesions. When applied topically the foul odor was reduced dramatically in 90% of the patients. Itching was reduced in all patients, 70% experienced a drying of the lesions and 10% actually had a reduction in the size of the cancer. Surprisingly, even after the applications were discontinued, the positive effects continued for several months. Only one of the 62 patients experienced any adverse effects with the treatment (Turmori 87;73(1):29-31).

In India, we also learned how a paste made from turmeric and neem was used to treat 814 patients with scabies. Some were cured totally within just three days. Within 15 days there was a 97% cure rate. (Publisher's note: For a comprehensive report on neem see Vol.5, No.8, the February 1994 issue.)

Rutgers University, in New Jersey, recently has shown an interest in the topical healing powers of turmeric and has started to conduct formal clinical studies. Work in Europe has been underway for some time. At the University of Oslo, in Norway, researchers have found that when turmeric is irradicated with visible light, very low concentrations become extremely toxic to the bacteria Salmonella typhimurium (the main cause of food poisoning) and Escherichia coli (often responsible for diarrhea, dysentery, food poisoning, urinary tract infections and occasionally blood poisoning). Turmeric may prove to be a potent photosensitizing agent in phototherapy treatment of psoriasis, cancer and bacterial and viral infections (J Pharm Sci 87;76(5):371-3).

In recent animal studies, Indian researchers have found that turmeric and its active ingredient can inhibit cancer. Not only can it help prevent cancer formation in the first place, it also inhibits progression in both the early and advanced stages. It has been found to be toxic to cancer cells of bone marrow leukemia (J Am Coll Nutr 92;11(2): 192-8) (Carcinogenesis 93;14(3): 493-6).

Turmeric seems to be surprisingly potent and effective at even low dosages. Comparative doses to those taken in the above studies would be somewhere in the range of 680 milligrams a day for a 150-pound individual. (The average daily adult intake in India is estimated at 400 milligrams.) Higher doses were taken in another Indian study involving 16 chronic smokers. They took 1.5 grams (1,500 milligrams) a day for 30 days. In every case those on the turmeric had reduced urinary excretion of mutagens, while there was no change in the control patients.

Most of the recent studies dealing with the prevention of cancer through diet have dealt with antioxidants. Although turmeric is a strong antioxidant and free radical scavenger, it also possesses amazing anti-inflammatory, anti-mutagenic and other protective powers.

Turmeric is considered very safe. As with most herbal treatments, traditional healers recommend using it cautiously during pregnancy. It also has a tendancy to increase the activity of the stomach lining, which could increase acid production. This could be a definite benefit in some individuals and somewhat of an irritant to others.

Turmeric can be found in most grocery stores, a few health food stores and ordered in bulk through the mail. If you have access to an Indian market or grocery store, I'm sure you can easily find it there. A mail order source includes Bazaar of India Imports Inc., 1810 University Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94703-1516. We ran across a couple of additional folk uses for turmeric that may also prove useful.

The powder can be sprinkled directly on the skin to treat things like diaper rash, pimples, skin ulcers, psoriasis and eczema. A little coconut oil also can be added before applying to the skin.

It's nice to have a simple spice that can protect the heart and arteries, help prevent and stop cancer, treat a variety of skin problems, stop joint pain and muscle aches and fight acute inflammation better than cortisone. It's icing on the cake to know it can be purchased in bulk for less than $10 a pound. Best of all, the FDA isn't trying to take it off the market...not yet, anyway!"

To order Turmeric Powder, click Error! Bookmark not defined.

To subscribe to Dr. Williams' wonderful and informative Newsletter, write to the address below, and mention that you read about it on the Bazaar of India Imports Web Site:

ALTERNATIVES
MOUNTAIN HOME PUBLISHING
2700 CUMMINGS LANE
KERRVILLE, TX 78028
(210)367-4492