Turmeric

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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