Turmeric, that golden and fragrant spice that adorns the dishes of Southeast Asia and is increasingly eaten in many countries, has been the subject of an interesting study that may change the way indigestion is treated.
Researchers at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand discovered that a natural opposite of turmeric known as curcumin, may be as effective as omeprazole, a drug commonly used to control excess stomach acid.
Natural medicine
Turmeric, which comes from the root of the Curcuma longa plant, is famous for its unique yellow color and distinctive taste. But what makes it more special is curcumin, a compound with anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties which has been used for centuries in Southeast Asia as a medicinal drug, especially for the treatment of indigestion.
It is The pioneering study recruited 206 patients with recurrent abdominal pain of unknown cause and divided them into three treatment groups.
- First group: they received curcumin capsules.
- Second group: they took omeprazole.
- Third group: they received a combination of both.
The results are surprising!
completion 28 days of treatment, all groups experienced a significant reduction in the severity of symptoms, such as pain and feeling full after eating. Improvements were even more noticeable after 56 days of treatment.
But here comes an interesting twist: despite the effectiveness, patients who took curcumin hardly experienced any changes in their level of satisfaction. The reason? Perhaps the taste or smell of curcumin is not as pleasant as conventional medicines.
Importantly, no serious side effects were reported in either group, although there were signs of a some impairment of liver function in those who consume curcumin and are overweight.
Despite these exciting findings, The researchers acknowledge that the study has limitations, such as its small size and short intervention period. Therefore, larger, long-term studies are needed to confirm these promising results.
