This may be partly because curcumin is difficult for the body to absorb when turmeric is eaten normally. It doesn’t dissolve in water well, making it difficult to take from the digestive system, and it is rapidly metabolised and excreted. Future studies will focus on making the beneficial compounds more easily absorbed.  Turmeric has shown excellent health benefits in modern studies, helping to explain why it has been used effectively in traditional medicine for thousands of years.  As more research emerges, it will likely be used in the treatment of various diseases in the Western world.

References

[1] Hay, E., Lucariello,  A., Contieri, M., Esposito,  T., De Luca,  A., Guerra, G. and Perna, A., 2019.  Therapeutic effects of turmeric in several diseases:  An overview. Chemico-biological interactions, 310, p.108729.

[2] Chattopadhyay, I., Biswas, K., Bandyopadhyay, U., & Banerjee, R. K. (2004). Turmeric and curcumin: Biological actions and medicinal applications. Current Science, 87(1), 44–53. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24107978

[3] Prasad S,  Aggarwal BB.  Turmeric, the Golden Spice: From  Traditional Medicine to Modern Medicine. In: Benzie IFF, Wachtel-Galor S, editors. Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical  Aspects. 2nd edition. Boca Raton (FL): CRC Press/Taylor & Francis; 2011. Chapter 13.

[4] Gupta SC, Sung B, Kim JH, Prasad S, Li S,  Aggarwal BB. Multitargeting by turmeric, the golden spice: From kitchen to clinic. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2013 Sep;57(9):1510-28. doi: 10.1002/mnfr.201100741. Epub 2012  Aug 13. PMID: 22887802.

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