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Health and
Fitness
The
Magic of Turmeric
by Ramesh
Menon
 The
world today is discovering the magic of Turmeric. Indians knew it all
along. Worldwide research is now validating the medicinal properties of
the root. In a quiet corner of Noida, the most modern town of Uttar
Pradesh in India, scientists have discovered that turmeric has
properties that can help fight cancer.
If your grandma put a pinch of turmeric powder into her cooking
everyday, it was with good reason. It was not just to give the bright
yellow glow to food. It was her best antidote for you. You will rarely
see an Indian kitchen without a can of turmeric powder on the shelves.
Most of us think it is used in our cooking as curcumin; the bright
yellow pigment in the root gives color to the food. But Ayurveda, the
ancient form of Indian medicine, had recognized it to be a body cleanser
having multiple medicinal properties. Scientific investigations are now
showing that it can cure a host of diseases.
Indians have known the magical medicinal properties of turmeric for
ages. Ayurveda used it for the treatment of many inflammatory conditions
and diseases like arthritic and muscular disorders. It was also used to
tackle asthma, flatulence, colic and ringworm.
But today, the versatility of turmeric in combating a number of complex
diseases like cancer and multiple sclerosis is amazing scientists
abroad. A study by The American Association for Cancer Research in San
Francisco, California, shows that turmeric could help lower the risk of
cancer. Researchers found in laboratory tests that curcumin can enhance
the cancer fighting power in treatment if combined with TRAIL, a
naturally occurring molecule that helps kill cancer cells. (TRAIL stands
for Tumor necrosis factor related apoptosis inducing ligand).
A study at the University of Texas, Arlington showed that turmeric
helped prevent cancer with its anti-oxidant properties. Kathryn Grant
and Craig Schneider from the University of Arizona found in clinical
trails that turmeric could improve morning stiffness, walking time and
swelling in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Closer home, scientists at the Institute of Cytology and Preventive
Oncology (ICPO) based in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, have recently found that
curcumin protects the body from the deadly Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)
that is the main cause for cervical cancer. This is how curcumin works:
Certain HPV viruses need viral oncogine protein from cells in the body
to express themselves rapidly. Curcumin actually stops the protein from
epithelial cells to bind with the virus. Clinical trails of the compound
have already started in the All India Institute of Medical Sciences,
Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Tata Memorial Hospital and ICPO.
The trails will cost over a crore of rupees and will be financed by the
department of biotechnology and the Indian Council of Medical Research.
Results are expected to take over three years.
Dr. Mangla Rai, Director General, Indian Council of Agricultural
Research points out that as turmeric has got so many medicinal
properties and will be a very paying proposition in the years to come
and there would naturally be an international interest.
International interest in the neuro-protective potential of turmeric has
risen after seeing its efficacy in traditional treatment in India. Over
90 scientific institutions in the United States are today studying the
magical medical properties of the ancient Indian herb. Many of them are
specifically studying how turmeric can inhibit growth of various types
of cancer.
The University of Arizona is using a multi-million dollar U.S.
government grant to study turmeric’s anti-inflammatory activities. Its
team has shown that turmeric could prevent joint inflammation in rats.
It has raised hopes of a cure for arthritis and osteoporosis patients
that suffer a lot in their later years. Celebrated activist, Dr. Vandana
Shiva, Director of the New Delhi based Research Foundation for Science
and Technology and Ecology warns that a cowboy company will patent the
research on turmeric that is being done by various American universities
financed by private money. An ordinary housewife in India who knew the
benefits of turmeric will then be denied benefit of the knowledge that
the American research has produced. Since the basis of knowledge of
turmeric has come from India, it must be shared, as it is not an
original invention. Society has disseminated traditional knowledge
without making millions. Let the west learn from that and do that too,
she says.
Medical research has recently shown that turmeric could halt the spread
of breast cancer to the lungs apart from improving the effectiveness of
ongoing medication. It has been seen that turmeric has high does of
curcumin that is an antidote to breast cancer. Preliminary tests on mice
have already been carried out in England.
How does turmeric work? Curcumin works by shutting down a protein active
in t he spread of breast cancer. More interestingly, it is also now
believed to even reverse a side effect of commonly prescribed
chemotherapy whose prolonged use may actually help to spread the
disease. Curcumin breaks down the dose, making the therapy less toxic.
Japanese researchers at the Hamamatsu University School of Medicine say
that turmeric may help cure colitis that leads to inflammation of the
intestines. A preliminary study at the Vanderbilt University in
Nashville, Tennessee has shown that turmeric may arrest the progression
of multiple sclerosis that is an incurable disease affecting the brain.
Dr. A.K. Sen, a senior scientist formerly at the National Institute of
Science Communication says that scientists in the United States are
today proving in labs what Indian traditional knowledge knew for ages.
Potent molecules derived from nature and medicinal plants that were
traditionally used will show wonders in newer and newer diseases in the
future. Such experiments validate doubts that the intellect questions
about traditional medicine, he says.
India produces nearly the whole world’s crop of turmeric. It uses 80 per
cent of the produce, as it is an important ingredient in Indian cooking
occupying a pride of place on every kitchen shelf.
Turmeric in India was always considered a magical herb. Indian folklore
had always said that turmeric helped reduce inflammation. It was used as
a blood purifier, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, expectorant and skin
tonic. It was used to treat measles, cough, sprains, and scabies.
The tuber is aromatic, stimulant and a tonic. It is also useful in
curing periodic attacks of hysteria and convulsions. Its juice or dry
powder, mixed in buttermilk or plain water, is highly beneficial in
intestinal problems, especially chronic diarrhea. About 20 drops of
juice of raw turmeric, mixed with a pinch of salt, taken first thing in
the morning is considered an effective remedy for expelling worms.
Early Sanskrit works mentioned Turmeric. Both Ayurvedic and Unani
practitioners were familiar with its medicinal properties. It was
administered to strengthen the working of the stomach. It was mixed with
honey to treat anemia. For measles, dry turmeric roots were powdered and
mixed with a few drops of honey along with the juice of few bitter gourd
leaves. It was also an effective remedy for chronic cough and throat
irritations. Half a teaspoon of fresh turmeric powder mixed in warm milk
worked wonders for bronchial asthma. Turmeric with caraway seeds or
ajwain helped tackle stubborn colds. It’s paste mixed with lime and
salt was used to treat sprains. Your grandmother knew this, before
western laboratories discovered it.
Now, western labs are agog with it. In just one year of 2004, as many as
256 papers on turmeric were published in the United States. At the
moment there are clinical trials going on in the US to study curcumin
treatment for various ailments like cancer, Alzheimer’s and multiple
myeloma. Studies have shown a low incidence of colorectal cancer among
groups that consumed turmeric suggesting that it may have anti-cancer
properties.
Turmeric is also used in the production of sunscreens. In India, it is a
common practice to smear turmeric paste on the outer skin of a bride, as
it is believed to be a good cosmetic giving a glow to the skin and
destroying bacteria.
The government of Thailand is funding a project to ascertain whether
they can identify some compounds in turmeric that can be used in
cosmetics.
The Indian Council of Scientific and Industrial Research in the late
nineties were shocked when the United States Patent and TradeMark Office
granted the turmeric patent to the University of Mississippi. The Indian
government appealed to the Patent and TradeMark Office to reexamine the
turmeric patent. On examination it was rejected, as Indians knew of the
use of turmeric for wound healing properties.
With new western research showing what the yellow magical powder can do
for health, it is soon destined to add color to western cuisine. But
India’s traditional knowledge still does not get the respect it
deserves.
January 13, 2007
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