Turmeric: A Colorful Spice with Potential Health Benefits and Considerations
Turmeric is an orange-yellow spice obtained from the dried rhizome of Curcuma Longa, a perennial plant belonging to the Zinziberacee family (the same as the Ginger), originally from India and grown in some tropical areas of Asia and Central America. Because of its bright yellow hue, the Arabic word Kurkum—which also translates to “saffron”—is where the name Curcuma comes from. However, the plant from which saffron is extracted is a different species entirely. The English term that identifies it, however, namely Turmeric, derives from the Medieval Latin Terra deserves, that is “worthy land, worthy”.
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Side effects and interactions
According to reports from the US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, turmeric, in doses commonly used orally or topically, is generally considered safe.
However, high doses or prolonged use of supplements can cause gastrointestinal problems.
Turmeric, better fresh or in supplement form?
The question of whether it is better to take a food in complete form or as turmeric powder capsules has been the subject of debate for several years, even if the so-called reductionist approach (the part for the whole, the single active ingredient compared to the whole food) continues to be the one dominant in nutrition. This attitude derives from the belief that there is only one active component in a particular plant and that therefore, by isolating and concentrating it, the maximum benefit can be obtained. Increasingly numerous studies, however, have shown that other components of the plant often act in synergy, enhancing the action and effectiveness of the remedy.
Studying a single substance is not in itself wrong: it is easier to study a single component at a time and correlate it with a specific biological response, studying its mechanism of action. However, it is necessary to bear in mind that in this way there is a risk of losing a large part of information. Ultimately, the two approaches, reductionist and holistic, should go hand in hand, in a complementary and non-competitive way.
Turmeric is one of the examples of turmeric and Ashwagandha capsules and what has just been described: the active ingredient, and the most studied, is considered to be curcumin, but according to research, there are numerous other active substances in turmeric (it should be noted that curcumin represents only 2-5% of the content).
Does turmeric lose weight?
According to a recent meta-analysis concerning 21 studies and more than 1600 patients, the intake of curcumin was actually useful in reducing weight and body mass index (BMI) in subjects suffering from metabolic syndrome. The same authors of the study, however, specify that the studies examined still have too many methodological defects, first of all the use of non-standardized doses of curcumin, as well as being extremely heterogeneous in terms of duration and number of people involved.
Other studies, on the other hand, report insignificant effects on the same parameters in case of integration with curcumin.
The current state of research, therefore, lacks solid foundations and rigorous studies on effectiveness or not curcumin for weight control and metabolic disorders.
