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Pharmacy >> Medicinal powers of foods |
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Turmeric
Turmeric
(Curcuma longa) is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant of
the ginger family, Zingiberaceae which is native to tropical
South Asia. It is also often misspelled (or pronounced) as
tumeric. It sometimes also known as kunyit in some Asian
countries[1].
Its rhizomes are boiled for several hours and then dried in hot
ovens, after which they are ground into a deep orange-yellow
powder commonly used as a spice in curries and other South Asian
cuisine, for dyeing, and to impart color to mustard condiments.
Its active ingredient is curcumin and it has an earthy, bitter,
peppery flavor and has a mustardy smell
Sangli, a town in the southern part of the Indian state of
Maharashtra, is the largest and most important trading centre
for turmeric in Asia or perhaps in the entire world.
Turmeric is known by different names in different languages.
Some examples include:
Medicine
In the Ayurvedic medicine, turmeric is thought to have many medicinal
properties and many in India use it as a readily available antiseptic for
cuts and burns. Whenever there is a cut or a bruise, the home remedy is to
reach for turmeric powder. Ayurvedic doctors say it has fluoride which is
thought to be essential for teeth. 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 popular as a tea in
Okinawa, Japan. It is currently being investigated for possible benefits in
Alzheimer's disease, cancer and liver disorders.
Turmeric, under the name Avea, is becoming popular to treat depression.
It is only in recent years that Western scientists have increasingly
recognised the medicinal properties of turmeric. According to a 2005 article
in the Wall Street Journal titled, "Common Indian Spice Stirs Hope,"
research activity into curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, is
exploding. Two hundred and fifty-six curcumin papers were published in the
past year according to a search of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Supplement sales have increased 35% from 2004, and the U.S. National
Institutes of Health has four clinical trials underway to study curcumin
treatment for pancreatic cancer, multiple myeloma, Alzheimer's, and
colorectal cancer.
A 2004 UCLA-Veterans Affairs study involving genetically altered mice
suggests that curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, might inhibit the
accumulation of destructive beta amyloids in the brains of Alzheimer's
disease patients and also break up existing plaques. "Curcumin has been used
for thousands of years as a safe anti-inflammatory in a variety of ailments
as part of Indian traditional medicine," Gregory Cole, Professor of medicine
and neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA said.
Another 2004 study conducted at Yale University involved oral administration
of curcumin to mice homozygous for the most common allele implicated in
cystic fibrosis. Treatment with curcumin restored physiologically-relevant
levels of protein function. [1]
Anti-tumoral effects against melanoma cells have been demonstrated [2].
Curry Pharmaceuticals, based in North Carolina, is studying the use of a
curcumin cream for psoriasis treatment. Another company is already selling a
cream based on curcumin called "Psoria-Gold," which shows anecdotal promise
of treating the disease.
A recent study involving mice has shown that turmeric slows the spread of
breast cancer into lungs and other body parts. Turmeric also enhances the
effect of taxol in reducing metastasis of breast cancer [3].
Curcumin is thought to be a powerful antinociceptive (pain-relieving) agent.
In the November 2006 issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, a study was published
that showed the effectiveness of turmeric in the reduction of joint
inflammation, and recommended clinical trials as a possible treatment for
the alleviation of arthritis symptoms.[4] It is thought to work as a natural
inhibitor of the cox-2 enzyme, and has been shown effective in animal models
for neuropathic pain secondary to diabetes, among others.[2]
Courtesy of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turmeric
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