Breakthroughs Today

This yellow powder can work wonders in your health. But if you know nothing else, that wonder may turn into nightmares. THE wonders of curcumin, the active ingredient in kitchen spice turmeric (Curcumin longa), work not only on stews but also in combating inflammatory bowel diseases. In a previous issue, Breakthroughs gave you the experimental doses that scientists use in their study on curcumin treatments for ulcerative proctitis (ulcer-causing inflammation of the rectum) and Crohn’s disease. Commercial curcumin, the yellow powders you find packed alone or mixed in powdered curries and mustards, contains 77 percent diferuloymethane (curcumin I), 17 percent demethoxycurcumin (curcumin II), three percent bisdemethoxycurcumin (curcumin III), and a still unknown level of the newly discovered cyclocurcumin. As promised in that earlier article (i.e. important precautions and contraindications), this week Breakthroughs will cover certain side effects of curcumin that merit the precauti...

It is good to know that many good things in life are available and can be found in nature. All we need to do is pluck it off, and cook. CULINARY aficionados relish the wonders of their kitchens. The varieties of the spices they can get their hands on can be exhilarating to the person who loves nothing but cooking food. But only recently did scientists come to appreciate more the health benefits of these herbs. One of these is turmeric (either the Curcuma longa, or the C. domestica species). It is often used in powdered form as ingredient in curry and mustard. You can identify it through its characteristic yellow to light yellow-orange color. Its active ingredient is called “curcumin,” or more scientifically precise, “curcuminoids.” A recent review of all studies on curcumin confirmed its effectiveness against inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Rebecca Taylor and Mandy Leonard reported in the Alternative Medical Review this year that a study on IBD showed significant improvement...