Over 11 million people worldwide are affected by chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (CED) such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, and the number is rising. The pain can be terrible and the causes are still largely unknown. Studies now offer new information about the use and functionality of curcuma, or turmeric, in our intestines.
Early and varied suffering
Abdominal pain, diarrhea, and blood in the stool are among the main symptoms of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, which often occur in young people. In the long term, these not only cause intense pain but, according to various long-term studies, also increase the risk of developing cancer.
In addition, the systemic disease can affect various other organs. The myriad side effects include can impact the skin, joints, and eyes. People with joint pain are particularly commonly affected, and irritable bowel syndrome is often diagnosed as well.
The longer a CED lasts, the higher the risk of cancer.
Drugs with Serious Side Effects
Unfortunately, the diagnosis and treatment do not automatically end symptoms. Drug and surgical therapy measures are used to overcome serious side effects. For this reason, proper nutrition plays a particularly important role as side effect-free prevention measures.
Curcumin – Effective without Stress
With respect to curcumin, or turmeric, current studies show its great potential to alleviate the suffering caused by a CED. A recent review by researchers from the pharmaceutical faculty of the Cleveland Clinic has now examined the potential of curcumin as accompanying drug treatment.
The result: The administration of curcumin improves the symptoms of CED and reduces the required doses of medication. In small groups, conservative drug therapy could even be replaced. This therapy usually consists of a combination of corticosteroids – steroid hormones formed in the adrenal cortex – and the anti-inflammatory 5-aminosalicylic acid derivatives such as mesalazine.
Curcumin reduces inflammatory enzymes in the intestinal mucosa.
Favourable Impact at Cell Level
We now also know more about the underlying mechanisms of action of curcumin at the cellular level. In a study by the Cell and Molecular Sciences Institute of Queen Mary University in London, affected tissue samples were treated in the laboratory with this yellow natural substance. These were previously taken from the intestinal mucosa of patients with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.
The result: a reduced activation of a specific enzyme, p38-mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK). This enzyme group represents the body’s own reaction to certain stress stimuli and, if chronically activated, triggers inflammation and ultimately cell death.
Furthermore, the researchers measured an increased value of interleukin-10, an endogenous immune messenger substance that keeps defensive processes under control and protects the body from destroying itself. A deficiency of this essential immunomodulator is associated with a greatly increased risk of chronic inflammatory bowel disease.
While these are “only” laboratory tests, researchers emphasized the enormous potential of curcuma for the accompanying treatment of intestinal diseases. This is also because there is no evidence of a toxic level of curcuma, so a risk of overdose can currently be ruled out.
Read more about the various promising findings on curcuma, such as its anticarcinogenic or antidepressant effects.
