Turmeric

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a spice from the same family (Zingiberaceae) as ginger that originated from Southern Asia. As such, it is a popular choice in related cuisine, giving it a pleasant golden-yellow color (commonly associated with curry), but it is also used for dyeing. 
Unfortunately, it is also used for dying as alternative medicine woo-meistersHall, H. (June 17, 2014). Turmeric: Tasty in Curry, Questionable as Medicine. Science-Based Medicine. Retrieved April 3, 2017. including Dr. Oz, Joseph Mercola,Mercola. Turmeric: How This Spice Can Potentially Improve Your Health. Retrieved April 3, 2017 and Daniel Amen. NaturalNews seized upon it as a wonder herb panacea and superfood, due to its appeal as ancient medicine for centuries as Ayurvedic medicine. As such, turmeric has gotten popular to the point of being ubiquitous on store shelves. As medicine, turmeric can be used for pretty much anything. Traditionally, it is used to treat a range of ailments from stomach problems to the common cold and even disinfecting skin wounds, but today, in addition, it is claimed to treat cancer, Alzheimer’s, arthritis, and diabetes; prevent aging, treat depression, boost brain function, lose weight, aid in sleep; and it can be a somehow superior replacement for many drugs including oxaliplatin (a chemotherapy drug), steroids, pain-killers, and anti-coagulants such as aspirin.
Of course, turmeric is also found in yellow corn syrup mustard sauce and western industrial-made blue boxes of mac 'n' cheese as food dye, but if most people were aware that it was no longer "exotic", it couldn't be marketed as a superfood or whatnot.
==Curcuminoids==
Turmeric is composed of chemical compounds called curcuminoids, which include curcumin (diferuloylmethane, chemical formula C21H20O6) (which turmeric has most of), demethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin. Curcumin is an antioxidant and is the chemical the alt-meddlers really love. Thus, turmeric is also sold in capsule form as a dietary supplement as an aid for digestive problems and inflammation.Heid, M. (August 5, 2015). You Asked: Should I Take Turmeric Supplements?. Time. Retrieved April 3, 2017. Curcumin has been used in in vitro research showing some effects including reducing inflammation and programming cancer cells to die (apoptosis) and may reduce amyloid plague, which likely plays a role in causing Alzheimer's.
==Evidence==
Unfortunately, like many so-called "wonder-herbs", turmeric has demonstrated little evidence of effectiveness (on the claims being made) in preliminary pilot studies on humans.Turmeric. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Last updated December 16, 2016. Retrieved April 3. 2017. Note that even National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health isn't that impressed.
In a 1972 study,Srinivasan M Effect of curcumin on blood sugar as seen in a diabetic subject. Indian J Med Sci. (1972). Retrieved April 19, 2017 however, curcumin has been shown to lower blood glucose, one of the first effects observed from curcumin. The effect is stronger if insulin is present. In rats with diabetes, it can also inhibit inflammation and improve insulin resistance due to the anti-inflammation effects. In one study, prediabetic populations taking curcumin supplements for nine months had a lower chance of developing diabetes compared to the control group.Chuengsamarn S, et al Curcumin extract for prevention of type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. (2012). Retrieved April 19, 2017.
Curcumin is not useful as a drug, however, since the body cannot effectively absorb it due to its fatty properties, making it insoluble in water. At higher doses, in animal studies, mice can develop liver toxicity while curcumin may cause nausea and diarrhea.
Evidence for specific endpoints:
*Alzheimer's Disease: insufficient studies, lack of bioavailability of curcumin may hinder its usefulness.The Mechanisms of Action of Curcumin in Alzheimer's Disease by M. Tang & C. Taghibiglou (2017) J. Alzheimer's Dis. 58(4):1003-1016. doi:10.3233/JAD-170188.
*Arthritis pain: In a meta-analysis, turmeric/curcumin showed a significant different in pain relief from placebo, but no difference with pharmaceutical pain medicine.Efficacy of Turmeric Extracts and Curcumin for Alleviating the Symptoms of Joint Arthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials by James W. Daily et al. (2016) J. Med. Food 19(8):717–729. doi:10.1089/jmf.2016.3705. However, the sample sizes and study quality of the individual studies meant that it was not possible to draw a definitive conclusion.
*Depression: possibly efficacious, but insufficient number of studies and sample sizes to be conclusive.Clinical Use of Curcumin in Depression: A Meta-Analysis by Q. X. Ng et al. (2017) J. Am. Med. Dir. Assoc. 18(6):503-508. doi:10.1016/j.jamda.2016.12.071.
==Danger==
In Scandinavia, tainted turmeric capsules manufactured by a California-based company were responsible for liver damage that led to some deaths.Sharling, S. (March 23, 2009). Tainted turmeric supplements linked to Scandinavian deaths. Nutra Ingredients. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
Jade Erick died from a intravenous transfusion of a turmeric-based solution that was administered by Kim Kelly, a licensed naturopath.Confirmed: Licensed Naturopathic Doctor Gave Lethal 'Turmeric' Injection by Britt Marie Hermes (Apr 10, 2017, 04:45pm EDT) Forbes.San Diego woman dead after turmeric IV infusion by Allison Ash (March 23, 2017) ABC10 News.Orac. (March 23, 2017). An as yet unidentified "holistic" practitioner negligently kills a young woman with IV turmeric (yes, intravenous). Respectful Insolence. Retrieved April 3, 2017. The most likely cause of death was subsequently found to be a poisonous chemical impurity in the transfusion, diethylene glycol.FDA Finds Lethal Poison in Naturopath's Turmeric Solution Julianna LeMieux (August 7, 2017) American Council on Science and Health. The amount of curcumin found in the IV bag was found to be only 1% of the intended amount and considered to be a non-lethal quantity.
Prior to Erick's death, Kelly posted the following bullshit on his website:
As can be seen from this text, Kelly intended to give a much higher dose of curcumin, apparently being ignorant of its potential lethality, but instead gave a lethal dose of diethylene glycol. Kelly is still practicing naturopathy as of 2021.Profile: Dr. Kim D. Kelly Naturopathic Doctor Encinitas (archived from June 6, 2021). As well as having a naturopathic degree from Bastyr University, he also has a master's degree in public health from the University of Minnesota, so he should have known better.
Curcumin is listed as one of the ingredients in 187 Fake Cancer "Cures" Consumers Should Avoid.
A series of studies researching an high incidence of lead poisoning in Bangladesh was traced to unscrupulous turmeric processors who used lead chromate, an industrial pigment, to improve the color of turmeric.Kris Newby, The spice sellers' secret: A hunt for the sources of lead poisoning in Bangladesh. Stanford Medicine Magazine, 2 June 2023.
==Beauty==
Turmeric is ritualistically applied to the face of a bride as part of Bengali marriage ceremonies (see and was traditionally used on the Indian subcontinent as a temporary skin dye for obtaining a golden complexion.P.N. Ravindran; K. Nirmal Babu; K. Sivaraman. (2007) Turmeric: The genus Curcuma. Taylor and Francis Group. Retrieved May 3, 2017. For this reason, turmeric is promoted by naturopathic clickbait and mommy blogs as being useful for acne, dark spots,The Honey-Turmeric Face Mask That May Replace All Your Skincare Products. (2016). Healthy Holistic Living. Retrieved May 3, 2017. facial hair removal, sun protection,Turmeric Face Mask The Dermatology Review. Retrieved May 3, 2017. anti-aging and skin brightening,Telfer, T. (November 7, 2013). This Turmeric Face Mask is Anti-Inflammatory, Anti-Aging, and the Color of Sunshine. Bustle. Retrieved May 3, 2017. much to the confusion of Indians. There is insufficient evidence that it does any of this,Effects of Turmeric (Curcuma longa) on Skin Health: A Systematic Review of the Clinical Evidence. (2016). PubMed. Retrieved May 3, 2017. but your DIY turmeric facemask might dye your hairline bright yellow.Jenni. (November 11, 2014). Turmeric Yogurt Brigthening Mask. Jenni Raincloud. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
==See also==
*List of medicinal plants
*Food dye
==References==
Category:Cancer woo
Category:Chemicals
Category:Food woo
Category:Herbal medicine
Category:Plants