Do you take Turmeric? - Take a GLIMPSE into the science and my why.
Probably one of the most common questions I get socially other than “So where do you practice?” typically involves something about turmeric… “What turmeric do you take?”… “Do you really feel turmeric helps memory?”… If we were to meet over coffee or tea and you asked me this question… we’d talk for hours probably… The science itself makes me giddy, and when you look at the potential to use turmeric to facilitate addition of healing lifestyle practices… well then you have me by the heart strings… read on friend.
My take on turmeric is this:
Turmeric has been shown (in large & small studies, human & animal ) to show improvement in memory testing, improvement in mood, and REDUCTION in amyloid-beta and tau in the hypothalamus and amygdala structures as detected on PET scans- this study was published by Dr. Gary Small from University of California, Los Angeles in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry in 2018.
FIRST DO NO HARM…. I have seen patients have numerous complications from taking higher and higher doses of pharmacologic medications aimed to “protect” memory… this is not to say that I do not see a need for common medications like aricept or donepezil, I do in the right clinical situation prescribe these medications in low doses… HOWEVER, I am a believer in using pharmacologic medications as a SUPPLEMENT to lifestyle changes, I view memory loss (ALL CAUSES) as a symptom of underlying processes and turmeric, to me, is hitting multiple aspects of underlying causes of memory dysfunction- (as explained below)- Turmeric- has far fewer side effects in my opinion than common pharmacologic drugs; the only case I caution patients about and typically have them take much smaller doses or use culinary doses (spice their food as opposed to taking a supplement) would be for patients taking blood thinners (coumadin, warfarin, xarelto, pradaxa, eliquis, etc)… as there is a slight blood thinning effect with high doses of turmeric, in particular associated with the consolidated curcurmin forms. *AS ALWAYS- this content is for educational purposes only and by reading this website it is your responsibility to discuss your personal medical care with your personal primary care physician as they know you best. Namaste.
Anti-inflammatory- Anti-Stress - Mood-Boosting: Take Turmeric tea for example. This is not just popping a pill or tablet and chugging it down with cold water and boom your memory is fixed. That is taking a western, “fix me now” approach to medicine… to me, one of the highlights in taking turmeric as a TEA is in the inherent process of making the tea and taking it in… you can not chug hot water… you just can’t. This process allows for overall anti-inflammatory, anti-stress, and mood-boosting effects from turmeric to surpass its biological properties and incorporate lifestyle properties as well. Talk about bang for your buck!
*Anti-inflammatory- turmeric and its most active compound curcurmin is an anti-oxidant meaning it neutralizes free radicals created by toxic fats, sugars, chemicals, and daily stress we are exposed to… these free radicals damage our blood vessels and cells and cause oxidation… nearly all chronic diseases have been definitively associated with inflammation including cancer, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease, etc; I can’t think of one condition not beneficially effected by increasing anti-oxidant consumption (in particular… anti-cancer!!… see science below!)
Anti-inflammatory- curcurmin (active component in turmeric) blocks the gene transcription factor NF-kB, a molecule that is known to turn on genes related to inflammation (inappropriate regulation of this pathway has been associated with various pathological conditions such as septic shock, graft versus host reaction, acute inflammatory conditions, acute-phase response, atherosclerosis, radiation damage, and cancer) Journal of Biological Chemistry- “Activation of Transcription Factor NF-kB Is Suppressed by Curcumin”- Sanjaya Singh & Bharat B. Aggarwal. Volume 270, p 30235. October 20, 1995.
Anti-Stress- “curcumin’s positive antidepressant and anti-anxiety effects are likely due to its ability to normalize specific physiological pathways,” says Lopresti. “It appears to elevate neurotransmitters such as serotonin, while lowering stress hormones, such as cortisol, and is a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Curcumin also provides protection to the brain.”- Adrian Lopresti, PhD, et al., Murdoch University, Australia- peer-reviewed Journal of Affective Disorders 167(2014)368-375. This paper focused on a specific type of curcurmin called BCM-95 and in this paper it succeeded in reducing overall symptoms of depression and over an 8 week period functioned to reduce anxiety as well. There was GREATER efficacy in a subgroup with “atypical” or common depression.
Mood-boosting- Turmeric- specifically the active compound Curcumin has been shown to elevate two key neurotransmitters- serotonin and dopamine (Psychopharmacology December 2008, 201:435 Kulkarni S, et al; “Antidepressant activity of curcumin: involvement of serotonin and dopamine system.”); AS well it was compared in a non-blinded study to prozac (both 1:1 and as a combination therapy)- where it was found to be AS effective as prozac and actually patients who took BOTH prozac and curcumin experienced the greatest relief from their depression! (Phytotherapy Research. 2014 April; 28(4): 579-85. Efficacy and safety of curcumin in major depressive disorder: a randomized controlled trial. Sanmukhani J, et al.)
Use Turmeric as a tea and cultivate a mindful practice backed by SCIENCE… Making tea takes a few minutes of your time and in doing so you can incorporate a “pause” into your otherwise busy and routine day… this induces a change in your “typical” day and immediately your brain is awakened by this novelty and begins to tune in, you may choose to take the time while the water boils to focus on taking 5-10 belly breaths which will activate your Parasympathetic Nervous system and not only lower your cortisol levels (again reducing the toll stress takes on memory), but this type of breathing has been associated with improving vascular tone and reducing blood pressure as well, AND just holding the warm cup of tea in your hands activates this part of your nervous system as well contributing to the calm you’ve engaged in by choice. (check out my journal post on my favorite turmeric and my personal tea practice I use daily) In this way turmeric can help in the Ayurvedic manner as a “cleanser of the body.”
Turmeric in ALZHEIMER’s DISEASE (“AD”): (LOTS of science here, I quote the article below- give it a read for many more details- this is a topic I am passionate about and will be writing more in the months to come.
In 2004 there were already over a thousand studies in humans and animals published looking at turmeric/curcumin and Alzheimer’s disease
The prevalance of Alzheimer’s in India is 4.4 times LESS than in the US in the age group of 70-79 year old individuals.
In a study in an Asian population, eating curry once a month or more than once a month was associated with better performance on basic cognitive testing than those who never or rarely ate curry. ( I smile when I see comments like this because my advisor at Mayo Clinic while in residency wouldn’t leave a patient room in the hospital without telling them to eat curry as often as possible and eat a handful of walnuts daily…. he is a legend and by far one of the greatest neurologists (and human beings) I’ve ever met!)
An important mechanism of pathology to recognize in Alzheimer’s Disease is the CHRONIC INFLAMMATION OF NERVE CELLS
Curcumin inhibits the activity of AP-1, a transcription factor involved in expression of amyloid, linked to AD
“Curcuminoids are proven to have strong antioxidant action demonstrated by the inhibition of the formation and propagation of free radicals.”
Curcumin has been shown to elevate the total cellular glutathione level (powerful protein for DETOXIFICATION)
Curcumin protects brain mitochondria against various oxidative stress.
Animal study- *levels of beta-amyloid in AD mice’s brains decreased by 40% in comparison to placebo, and there was a 43% “plaque-burden” in these brains.
Lipophilic nature of curcumin- it crosses the blood brain barrier- and binds to plaques
These comments are from the Review article published in 2008 in the Annals of Indian Academic Neurology Jan-Mar edition 11 (1): 13-19 by authors Shrikant Mishra and Kalpana Palanivelu, there are multiple more studies that have come out since this review, I like this article in particular because of its ease in reading and it gives a great general overview detailing at times complex scienctific concepts.
So my point here is this… YES, I take turmeric. I typically recommend most of my patients to do so as well; however as I am not your personal doctor and I do not know what other supplements or medications you take, I cannot give you the recommendation to take it without speaking to your personal doctor first- Talk to your doctor, build that relationship and work together. Lifestyle changes are EMPOWERING and strengthen YOUR end of that important relationship.
Namaste friend.
