Tumeric

Synonym(s): curcuma longa, curcumin, curcuminoids, turmeric

Nutrient group: plant extracts & active ingredients, Hormonal substances

Sources and physiological effects

Dietary sources
Tumeric belongs to the ginger family and is cultivated in tropical regions of Asia and Africa. The main active ingredients are “curcuminoids”, which include curcumin, monodesmethoxycurcumin and bisdesmethoxycurcumin. Tumeric is used in the food industry as a coloring agent thanks to its strong yellow-orange color. Dried and ground tumeric can be found as a spice and colorant in Indian cuisine, whereas the fresh, grated tuber is often usedin Southeast Asian cuisine. In northern latitudes turmeric is primarily found as the main ingredient of curry powder.
Physiological effects
Inflammations	Inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and lipoxygenase (LOX) Normalization of NO synthase (iNOS)
Antioxidant	Protection of Langerhans´s islands from oxidative changes and cytokine-induced inflammation

Recommended intake

Safety of the nutrient

Curcumin-C3-Complex has GRAS status in the USA (generally recognizes as safe) with a maximum intake of 1.755 g /day.

Detailed information

Curcuma longa – Phytonutrient with pharmacological effect

Tumeric (Curcuma longa) is a traditional component of various spice mixtures. It is extracted from the root rhizome of the tumeric plant and standardized based on the curcuminoids it contains for use in phytotherapy. The anti-inflammatory, antioxidative and immunomodulatory properties of curcuminoids are well known and their mechanisms of action have recently been the subject of intensive clinical research. The premium quality raw material Curcumin-C3-Complex® has been and is still undergoing clinical testing. Curcuminoids are natural polyphenols whose antioxidant potential can play an essential therapeutic role in a number of diseases. In particular, vessel protection against oxidative damage by preventing serum-lipid oxidation is well documented (1). The anti-inflammatory effect of curcuminoids is achieved by inhibiting cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and lipoxygenase (LOX) and by normalizing NO synthase (iNOS). The imbalance in the activation of COX-2 and/or iNOS appears to be related to tumor diseases and inflammatory processes (2).
Epidemiological studies that show that in countries with high tumeric use cancer of the intestine, breast and prostate occur much less frequently than in other countries, therefore oncology is a key area of research. The documented biological activities together with with tumor prophylaxis are modulating effects at the level of cell enzyme systems. These include effects on cell adhesion and angiogenesis, and the ability of curcumin to influence tumor cell gene transcription and thereby induce apoptosis (3).

Preventive effects in malignant pancreatic diseases

The components of turmeric have a strong protective effect on the cells of the pancreas due to their scavenging properties. This partly explains the preventive effects in maintaining the integrity of the pancreas (4). Langerhans´ island cells are enjoy particular protection from curcumin against oxidative changes and cytokine-induced inflammations (5). The anticarcinogenic effect of curcumin in pancreatic tumors is also well documented. The underlying mechanism has been described in the literature. The cell cycle of the tumor cells is interrupted by curcumin in the G2/M phase, which leads to sudden cell death (6). A clinical study with Curcumin-C3-Complex® in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer showed that, despite a very different absorption rate, curcumin demonstrated promising biological activities in some patients (7).

Tumor prevention and use in oncology

In seperate human clinical trials, other cancer types have also been slowed down or stopped. Patients with cancer precursors in the mouth and stomach, bladder mucosa, uterus and skin were supplemented with curcumin. Tolerance was confirmed by a gradual increase in dosage from 500 mg/d to 8000 mg/d. A significant number of patients showed a histologically detectable improvement of the procarcinogenic tissue changes within 3 months (8).

Turmeric and inflammatory diseases

Patients with chronic anterior uveitis, an inflammation of the eye skin, had improved symptoms after 12 weeks of treatment with 3 x 375 mg/d curcumin. The results corresponded to those recieving treatment with corticosteroids, but without the side effects of steroids (9). In patients with ulcerative colitis, curcuma treatment with 2 x 1000 mg/d over 6 months improved both the endoscopic index and the clinical activity index and kept the chronic disease in the remission stage (10). Outside of its antioxidant effects, in inflammatory rheumatic diseases curcumin has also been shown to inhibit the activity of specific metalloproteases that are responsible for the breakdown of cartilage and collagen (11).

Hypercholesterolemia

In addition to the antioxidant properties and the resulting vascular protection in cardiovascular diseases, 500 mg curcumin reduced cholesterol levels in healthy adults by 29% after 7 days of supplementation. Oxidized lipids decreased by 33% (1). The cholesterol-reducing effect of curcumin is attributed to an inhibition of cholesterol synthesis in the liver by modifying gene expression (12).

Tumeric as an antidepressant

Curcumins antidepressant effects has been shown by various studies in recent years. The natural substance seems to be able to reduce disorders of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (13). In animal behavioral, biochemical and neurochemical studies Curcumin shows a dose-dependent inhibition of immobility periods, an increase of serotonin (5-HTP) and, at high doses, dopamine as well as an inhibition of serotonin-degrading monoamine oxidase (MAO-A and MAO-B) (14, 15). Curcumin improves stress hormone levels in chronic stress and interacts with serotonin receptors (16). In addition, curcumin can inhibit endogenous glutamate release. This excitatory neurotransmitter is regulated by curcumin through inhibition of presynaptic Ca channels (17).

Further possible applications

In animal studies, curcumin has demonstrated a strong neuroprotective effect and a significant reduction of nitrosative stress in cerebral thromboembolism (18). In brain injuries, curcumin can maintain mitochondrial energy homeostasis and thereby promote the restoration of neural functions (19). There is also preliminary evidence of an improvement in cognitive processes in neurodegenerative diseases (20). In a pilot study of 24 patients with chronic kidney disease, curcumin administration significantly decreased proinflammatory mediators and lipid peroxidation in plasma. In addition, curcumin also modulated the gut microbiota of the subjects with a significant reduction in the number of Eubacterium coprostanoligenes and a significant increase in the number of Lachnospiraceae (21).

Tumeric enabled Sirtuins

Curcumin from turmeric, sulforaphane or glucoraphanin from broccoli and resveratrol or pterostilbene from grapes have a direct effect on the sirt system and stimulate the production of antioxidative and neuroprotective enzymes as well as sirtuins, which in turn stimulate the production of antioxidative and neuroprotective enzymes. This enhances their antioxidant and neuroprotective effect (22)(23)

Reference values

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Indications

Effect	Indication	Dosage
Physiological effects at a low intake	Prevention and complementary therapy for cancer, especially of the pancreas	500 – 1500 mg/d
	Complementary therapy for inflammatory diseases, ulcerative colitis, other inflammations of the intestinal mucosa and rheumatic diseases	500 – 1500 mg/d
	For support of detoxification processes at the cell level	500 – 1500 mg/d
	For use with cardiovascular diseases and with hypercholesterinaemia	500 – 1500 mg/d
	Prevention of neurodegenerative diseases	500 – 1500 mg/d

Administration

General mode of administration
When	Tumeric should be taken with meals
Side effects
No side effects known to date.
Contraindications
No contraindications known to date.

Interactions

Drug interactions
NSAIDs (e.g. diclofenac, ASS, ibuprofen)	Curcumin can reduce the side effects of NSAIDs, especially in the gastrointestinal area.
Nutrient interactions
None	No relevant interactions known to date.

Description and related substances

Description

Curcumin is obtained from the root rhizome of the tumeric plant.

References

1) Majees, M. et al. 2003. Curcuminoids. Antioxidant Phytonutrients. NureiScience Pulisher.
2) Menon, V. P. 2007. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin. Adv Exp Med Biol. 595:105-25.
3) Sharma, R. A. 2007. Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of curcumin. Adv Exp Med Biol. 595:453-70.
4) Meghana, K. 2007. Curcumin prevents streptozotocin-induced islet damage by scavenging free radicals: a prophylactic and protective role. Eur J Pharmacol. 577(1-3):183-91
5) Kanitkar, M. et al. 2008. Novel role of curcumin in the prevention of cytokine-induced islet death in vitro and diabetogenesis in vivo. Br J Pharmacol. 155(5):702-13
6) Sahu, R. P. 2009. Activation of ATM/Chk1 by curcumin causes cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human pancreatic cancer cells. Br J Cancer. 100(9):1425-33
7) Dhillon, N. et al. 2008. Phase II trial of curcumin in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Clin Cancer Res. 14(14):4491-9
8) Cheng, A. L. et al. 2001. Phase I clinical trial of curcumin, a chemopreventive agent, in patients with high-risk or pre-malignant lesions. Anticancer Res. 21(4B):2895-900
9) Lal, B. et al. 1999. Efficacy of curcumin in the management of chronic anterior uveitis. Phytother Res. 13(4):318-22 10 Hanai, H. et al. 2006.
11) Onodera, S. et al. 2000. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor up-regulates expression of matrix metalloproteinases in synovial fibroblasts of rheumatoid arthritis. J Biol Chem. 275(1):444-50
12) Peschel, D. 2007. Curcumin induces changes in expression of genes involved in cholesterol homeostasis. J Nutr Biochem. 18(2):113-9
13) Lopresti, A. L. et al. 2012. Multiple antidepressant potential modes of action of curcumin: a review of its anti-Inflammatory, monoaminergic, antioxidant, immune-Modulating and neuroprotective effects. Journal of Psychopharmacology 26, no.12:1512–1524.
14) Kulkarni, S. K. et al. 2008. Antidepressant activity of curcumin: involvement of serotonin and dopamine system. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 201(3):435-42.
15) Bhutani, M. K. et al. 2009. Anti-depressant like effect of curcu-min and its combination with piperine in unpredictable chronic stress-induced behavioral, biochemical and neurochemical changes. Pharmacol Biochem Be-hav. 92(1): 39–43.
16) Lin, T. Y. et al. 2012. Curcumin inhibits glutamate release from rat prefrontal nerve endings by affecting vesicle mobilization. Int J Mol Sci. 13(7):9097-109. Epub 2012 Jul 20.17) Li, Y. C. et al. 2009. Anti-depressant-like effects of curcumin on serotonergic receptor-coupled AC-cAMP pathway in chronic unpredictable mild stress of rats. Prog Neuropsychophar-macol Biol Psychiatry. 33(3):435-49. 18) Dohare, P. et al. 2008. Dose dependence and therapeutic window for the neuroprotective effects of curcumin in thromboembolic model of rat. Be-hav Brain Res. 193(2):289-97.19) Sharma, S. et al. 2009. Dietary curcumin supplementation counteracts reduction in levels of molecules involved in energy homeostasis after brain trauma. Neuroscience 161, no.4 1037–1044.20) Ishrat, T. et al. 2009. Amelioration of cognitive deficits and neurodegeneration by curcumin in rat model of sporadic dementia of Alzheimer's type (SDAT). European Neuropsychopharmacology 19, no.9:636–647.
21) Pivari, F. et al. 2022. Curcumin Supplementation (Meriva^®) Modulates Inflammation, Lipid Peroxidation and Gut Microbiota Composition in Chronic Kidney Disease. Nutrients. 14(1): 231.
22) Zhang W, et al. 2017. Sirt1 Inhibits Oxidative Stress in Vascular Endothelial Cells. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity 2017. 7543973. doi:10.1155/2017/7543973.
23) Salminen A, et al. 2013. Crosstalk between Oxidative Stress and SIRT1: Impact on the Aging Process. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 14(2):3834-3859. doi:10.3390/ijms14023834.

References Interactions
Stargrove, M. B. et al. Herb, Nutrient and Drug Interactions: Clinical Implications and Therapeutic Strategies, 1. Auflage. St. Louis, Missouri: Elsevier Health Sciences, 2008.
Gröber, U. Mikronährstoffe: Metabolic Tuning –Prävention –Therapie, 3. Auflage. Stuttgart: WVG Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft Stuttgart, 2011.