KURKUMAMAUSTE

[Bb]

Lähettäjä: Soijuv Lähetetty: 26.3.2004 10:08

Kurkuman on artikkelin mukaan todettu auttavan erilaisissa tulehduksissa esim maha-suolikanavan alueella, lisäävän sappinesteiden eritystä, suojelevan DNA-vaurioilta jne.


"the substance that gives turmeric its colour, is known to have a
potent, anti-inflammatory action, and this could explain why it is
helpful to people with acute or chronic bowel complaints."

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0, ... 94,00.html

January 07, 2004

Spicy cure for stomach pains
By Peta Bee
Tumeric, the spice used to flavour curries, may help to combat digestive
complaints

IF ENDLESS festivities have taken their toll on your digestive system,
adding spice to your diet in the form of turmeric, commonly used to add
flavour and colour to curries, may help. Researchers at the University
of Reading?s school of food bioscience have found that a daily dose of
turmeric can counter bloating, stomach cramps, bowel complaints and
other common symptoms of dietary excess.

In a trial of 207 volunteers, all of whom suffered irritable bowel
syndrome (IBS) or general bowel discomfort usually triggered by food,
two thirds reported significant improvements after taking from 1.8g to
3.6g of the spice daily.
Dr Rafe Bundy, a food scientist who led the research, says that
curcumin, the substance that gives turmeric its colour, is known to have
a potent, anti-inflammatory action, and this could explain why it is
helpful to people with acute or chronic bowel complaints. ?Current
medical opinion is that IBS is caused by low-grade inflammation of the
gut lining,? Bundy says. ?Most conventional anti-inflammatory
medications, such as aspirin and ibuprofen, can exacerbate this by
inflaming and irritating the gut lining, whereas turmeric has a
beneficial effect.?

While curcumin works by ?damping down? the inflammatory process, other
compounds in turmeric have been shown to have choleretic properties (ie,
they stimulate the production and improve the flow of bile). A study in
Thailand showed that a regular intake of the spice boosts bile secretion
from the liver which leads to fats being digested more easily, Bundy
says. ?This is particularly important at this time of year when people
are eating a lot of rich food.?

Although those in the Reading trial took one or two supplements
containing a standard dose of the spice (as available from leading
pharmacies), it is suggested that consuming 1g to 2g of turmeric powder,
either in food or mixed with water, will have the same positive effect.

The Reading study (to be published this year) is the latest in a flurry
of recent scientific investigations into the therapeutic and medicinal
properties of turmeric. Last year, a study at Vancouver General Hospital
(published in the A/merican Journal of Physiology/), suggested curcumin
might be used to treat debilitating illnesses such as Chrohn?s disease
and ulcerative colitis.

Turmeric has also been shown to have anti-cancer properties ? thought to
be linked to the antioxidant effects of a bioactive peptide in the spice
called turmerin, which helps to protect DNA from injury. It seems to
help to prevent the onset of Alzheimer?s disease, too. When scientists
at the University of California (UCLA) gave mice food laced with low
doses of curcumin, its anti-inflammatory action reduced brain swelling
and progressive brain damage as well as cutting Alzheimer-like plaque in
the brain by 50 per cent.

Another study suggested it might also ward off damaging side-effects of
radiotherapy. Researchers at the University of Rochester?s Wilmot Cancer
Centre in New York found that mice given a daily dose of curcumin for
five days before exposure to radiation suffered far fewer burns and
blisters. ?It is significant because skin damage is a problem for
patients undergoing radiation to treat their tumours,? says Dr Paul
Okunieff, who led the study. ?If a non-toxic, natural substance can help
to prevent this damage and enhance the effectiveness of radiation, we
have a winning situation.?

Further investigation is needed to confirm the benefits for humans, but
he suggests that cancer patients could consider eating foods containing
turmeric before radiotherapy.