Known Herbal Formulas of Turmeric

Traditional Uses and Formulas

In Ayurvedic medicine, turmeric is known as warming and strengthening to the whole person. It increases the pitta dosha (medium build) and decreases the vata dosha (thin build) and kapha dosha (heavy build). Therefore, it is indicated for persons who have weak pitta and/or overactive vata or kapha qualities. The seat of pitta is the small intestine (including liver and gall bladder) whereas the seat of kapha is the chest and the seat of vata is the large intestine. Pitta types tend to be precise and orderly, anger easily, have sharp intellects, and articulate speech. Positive intellectual traits in pitta types include intellectual, confident, enterprising, and joyous. When pitta is unbalanced there is inflammation, fever, excessive hunger and thirst, heartburn, or hot flashes. An Ayurvedic assessment is complex and beyond the scope of this paper, but a few examples of the need for increasing pitta (where turmeric might be of value) would include cold, slow circulation, slow thinking, depression, dry skin or mucus membranes, and weakness or debility. (6)

In Asia and Polynesia, there are many traditional topical uses of turmeric. Turmeric is ground up fresh in a mortar or a paste is made from the powder and a little water or a water solution is used and soaked in cloth for a fomentation. Often the paste is used and applied as a poultice and held in place with a cloth or bandage wrapped around or bound on. This home remedy is well known to many in the general population. It is used for cuts, scrapes, bruises, burns, insect bites, sprains, swollen joints, skin diseases and conditions, athlete’s foot, toe nail and finger nail fungus, boils, skin cancers, and almost any problem which appears on the surface of the body. (personal observation)

In most curries and in many other spice mixtures and sauces, turmeric is a primary or base ingredient. There are many thousand different recipes for curry and related spice (masala) mixtures. Some of the other ingredients often included in curry include coriander, cumin, garlic, cayenne, fennel, cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaf, ginger, mace, and onion. All curry spices are cathartic and digestive and many are stimulant, anti-bacterial, anti-flatulent, anti-spasmodic, and have many other complementary properties as well.

Just as and example, here is one recipe for “All Purpose Masala” from the “Treasury of South African Indian Delights” cookbook:

1 cup fresh ground ginger and garlic mixed

1 cup fresh ground red chillies

1 cup ground coriander seeds

¾ cup turmeric

2 tsp ground cardamom seeds

½ cup salt

1 tsp ground tuj

2 tblsp oil

Instructions: Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate.

Undoubtedly, curry spice mixtures could have many health benefits and probably they sometimes do. But the unfortunate thing is that often the curries are cooked at very high temperatures, for a very long time, and with an excess of cooking oil. So, the spices and the rest of the food is cooked to death many times over. Many Asians eat almost no uncooked food and almost always eat overcooked food. One study I heard about found no difference in the incidence of heart disease between vegetarians and non-vegetarians in India. This result sounds logical to me considering the extent to which both groups overcook and add excess oil.

The humorscope.com website gives the following excellent traditional Hawaiian and Ayurvedic uses for fresh turmeric (superior in my opinion to turmeric powder):

“TURMERIC ROOT PIECES: Chew 1 or 2 raw pieces to relieve inflammation

Of the tonsils and congestion in the throat.

“FRESH TURMERIC JUICE: Juice raw pieces into liquid. It should be used and refrigerated within 2 weeks time for ear, sinus, throat, cough, colds, and chest congestions. Turmeric juice kept longer than a month needs to be filtered several times until the turmeric resin and thick fibers are removed.

“TURMERIC PULP: Separated from juicing is used as a poultice mixture for broken bones, sprains and strained muscles, cuts and bruises to reduce swelling.

“TURMERIC RESIN: Gathered from the juice sedimentation is used for skin disorder.

“REFINED TURMERIC LIQUID: With grapefruit seed extract as a natural preservative can maintain good quality for a longer period of time. Keep refrigerated after use.

“Earache needs 2 or 3 drops in both nostrils with a tissue to pinch the opening. In a sitting position, lower head slowly down to waist level, then raise head tilt upward, repeat 3 times.

“Throat and chest congestion needs 4 or 5 drops in the throat. Repeat as needed. For wart, itch, rash, and skin disorders, apply 1 or 2 drops on the affected area, dry, repeat several times a week. Tonify-ing the blood by 1 or 2 drops in water and juice.”

Western Contemporary Uses and Formulas

Dr. Duke uses turmeric primarily for its anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritis benefits and secondarily for some of its other properties such as anti-oxidant, digestive, hepatic, and cardiac support. He writes in part: “Turmeric’s curcumin inhibits prostaglandin synthesis (weaker than ibuprofen). At high doses, it stimulates the adrenals leading to the release of endogenous cortisone. A relatively non-toxic nutraceutical, curcumin inhibits inflammation as well as cortisone or phenylbutazone in acute models, but only half as well in chronic models. … both curcumin and capsaicin deplete the nerve endings of the neurotransmitter of pain, substance P.” (13 and 16)

Michael Murray says that the key uses of turmeric are antioxidant, cancer prevention and treatment adjunct, gallstones, inflammatory conditions, irritable bowel syndrome, and liver disorders. In addition, he mentions carminative and antimicrobial effects. After reviewing the scientific studies relating to these various uses, he says: “On the basis of the evidence presented above, turmeric should be consumed liberally in the diet. When specific medicinal effects are desired, higher doses of turmeric can be given or extracts of Curcuma longa or curcumin can be used.” (30)

Christopher Hobbs writes about turmeric as “a condiment to improve digestive function, especially in meals with many kinds of food combinations. It is also helpful for diarrhea and cold and weak digestive tone; environmental toxin poisoning; heavy metal poisoning; hepatitis; and to help remove pains in the liver and stomach.” Regarding Curcuma zeodoary, he says that new studies show that it may be one of the best herbs for killing amoebae such as Entamoeba histolytic – a major cause of amoebic dysentery. He continues, “Turmeric can be purchased in powder form to be used for cooking or encapsulating, but I prefer the whole rhizome or at least the cut and sifted herb. This herb is included in many Ayurvedic patent formulas, and, increasingly, in Western formulas both in Europe and in the United States for liver and digestive ailments.” (21)

Michael Castleman gives the following major uses of turmeric: wound treatment, digestive aid, intestinal parasites, liver protection, arthritis, heart protection, intriguing possibilities for anti-cancer activity and prevention of tumor development. (5)

Michael Tierra reviews turmeric’s many uses. First he says “It is used for stagnation of both the blood and qi. It is excellent for such conditions as amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, and other pains in the abdominal region caused by stagnation of blood or qi. It is excellent for traumatic injuries when there is pain and swelling from stagnation. It should be considered when there are rheumatic conditions of wind-cold dampness. Other uses he mentions include heal wounds, relieve pains in the limbs, break up congestion, restorative after childbirth, stimulate circulation, regulate menstrual cycle, fevers, nosebleed, antioxidant, anti-cancer, cardiac support, stretch ligaments, and cure menstrual cramps. (39 and 40)

Daniel Mowrey discusses his review of the literature on turmeric: “… a survey of the folklore literature of the world reveals that the herb has been employed in the medical systems of many nations…. Turmeric, hardly ever used alone, is found in hundreds of different medicinal formulas. One might say it is not viewed as a primary medicinal aid, but as an important, perhaps indispensable, adjunct.” (28)

Mowrey relates the results of one study in which a suspension of turmeric produced an incredible increase of 369% in bile production as compared to baseline levels. He comments: “… even a very good cholagogue will only raise the production of bile in healthy humans by about 25-49%.… These results indicate that the interactions among the principles of cholagogues are not simply additive, nor even clearly multiplicative, but involve a synergistic mechanism that will require much more research before it is understood.” He says that there is good evidence for the use of turmeric for inflammation of the gall bladder, inflammation of the bile duct, and gallstones. But he doesn’t recommend turmeric for stuck and painful gallstones, because the turmeric could “cause contractions of the duct in the vicinity of the stones – that could be a very painful experience.” (28)

Five prominent herbalists and scientists (Duke, Farnsworth, Keller, Mowrey, and Tyler) contributed to the herbal sections of the Rodale Press book entitled The Complete Book of Natural and Medicinal Cures. The front leaf of the book says it is “By the Editors of PREVENTION Magazine Health Books” and the book sort of reads like the magazine: brief and somewhat speculative in places. Still, the section on turmeric gives a good thumbnail sketch of the principal actions and uses of turmeric. Tradition and research are discussed indicating turmeric has positive effects for:

· liver protection from alcohol or drugs

· antibacterial action for use in treating dysentery

· lowering cholesterol and preventing the formation of the internal blood clots that trigger heart attack and many strokes

· anti-cancer activity, and in one study was found to reduce urinary mutagens among cigarette smokers.